PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Governor-Elect Gina Raimondo today appointed the Honorable K. Joseph Skekarchi, Jon Duffy and Carol J. Grant to be the chairs of her Transition Committee. The Transition Committee is charged with ensuring a smooth changeover between the administrations of Governor Lincoln Chafee and Governor-Elect Gina Raimondo between now and Inauguration Day on January 6, 2015.
This group will be making more announcements in the coming weeks regarding the shape and work of the transition process, including a team of community, labor and business leaders who will bring a diverse set of experiences and expertise as work begins to move Rhode Island forward.
"These three individuals bring a wealth of knowledge in business, government and human resources that will help us to identify and recruit the most talented and qualified individuals to work on my transition and in the administration," said Governor-Elect Raimondo. "I am looking forward to working with them to build a great team to help us begin to create a stronger economy and rebuild the middle class."
Joy Fox will serve as Transition Director, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Transition Office and working with the Transition Committee.
"Joy has been an all-star in Treasury and on my campaign," continued Raimondo. "I am fortunate that she is eager to direct the Transition."
Short Biographies of the Transition Leadership:
K. Joseph Shekarchi is a State Representative from Warwick, chair of the House Labor Committee and a member of the House Judiciary Committee. He was elected to the General Assembly in 2012.
In addition to his duties as a legislator, Representative Shekarchi is an attorney at the Shekarchi Law Office. He has been the legal counsel to the Warwick Housing Authority for 16 years and was a former Warwick solicitor, where he prosecuted crimes and helped create the Warwick Municipal Court.
Representative Shekarchi served as the former chairman of the R.I. Auto Dealers Hearing Board and was a former member of both the R.I. Judicial Tenure and Discipline Board, and the Coastal Resource Management Council. He served in the administration of Governor Bruce Sundlun. He is a graduate of Mount St. Charles Academy and Suffolk University. He also earned his Juris Doctorate from Suffolk University Law School.
Jon Duffy is President of Duffy & Shanley, a marketing and communications firm based in Providence, Rhode Island. Duffy & Shanley was founded in 1973 by David A. Duffy. Jon oversees consumer public relations, public affairs and social media marketing teams for a diverse group of clients.
In addition to his work at Duffy & Shanley, Jon has been a civic leader in Rhode Island. Jon serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and is the immediate Past Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Trinity Repertory Company. Jon serves as an Overseer of the Providence Children Museum and is the co-chair of Special Olympics Rhode Island's Capital Campaign. He is a past President of Advertising Club of Rhode Island and is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island.
Jon graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Business Administration. Jon resides in Barrington with his wife Julie and their daughters Megan, Shannon and Bridget.
Carol J. Grant is responsible for external affairs at First Wind, including public affairs, public relations and corporate communications.
Carol served as Chief of Operations for Mayor David Cicilline in the City of Providence from 2003 to 2007, leading ten departments and two strategic initiatives in the areas of neighborhood services and economic growth. She was previously vice president of human resources for Textron. From 1983 to 1997, Ms. Grant held executive positions in law, external affairs, and operations for NYNEX, including leadership of the entire business in Rhode Island. She also served as the founding Chair of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation during the period that the quasi-public organization was created and the new terminal at T.F. Green Airport was built.
Carol has held a wide variety of civic leadership roles, including Chair of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce and membership on the Governor's Economic Policy Council and the Board of the Rhode Island Foundation.
Carol earned her Juris Doctor from University of Michigan School of Law and a B.A. from University of Missouri.