PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Governor Gina M. Raimondo today thanked the Senate for confirming her two nominees to the Quonset Development Corporation Board of Directors, John S. Justo and Susan Leach DeBlasio, Esq.
"The Quonset Development Corporation is a valuable asset to our state and a great way to attract new businesses and create jobs in Rhode Island," Raimondo said. "I know that John and Susan understand my goal of supporting growth in our economy and will work hard to ensure that the Quonset Development Corporation can continue to thrive."
"I am extremely honored to have been chosen for this position," Justo said. "I look forward to serving on the Quonset Board of Directors." "I am appreciative of the opportunity to serve the citizens of Rhode Island," DeBlasio said. "I am especially excited to work with my colleagues on a board that focuses its efforts on job growth, economic stimulation, and business development and retention for our state."
John S. Justo is the Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of ADJ Donuts, Inc. and a partner at ADJ Realty, Co. Currently, John is serving on the Rhode Island Special Olympic Board of Directors. He previously worked as a Staff and Tax Accountant at Goluses & Company, LLP and Sansiveri, Kimball & Co., LLP. In addition, from 2008-2012 he served as a board member and chairman of the board for National DCP, a $2 billion supply chain management company serving the franchisees of Dunkin Donuts. He also served as a board member and chairman of the board for the Northeast DCP from 2005-2012, and as a member of the Rhode Island Airport Corporation from 2013-2015. Justo earned his undergraduate degree from Bryant College and lives in Warwick.
Susan Leach DeBlasio, Esq. is an attorney at Adler, Pollock & Sheehan, P.C., where she works with clients in business, health care, construction and real estate in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. A past president of both the Rhode Island Bar Association and the Rhode Island Bar Foundation, DeBlasio is also a member of the Association's House of Delegates, the Foundation's Board of Directors, as well as the Jewish Seniors Agency's Board of Directors and the Classical High School Alumni Association Board of Directors. In addition, she is the President of the Hillel Foundation at the University of Rhode Island and the Secretary on the Board of Directors of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island. She is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and, for more than five years, served as the legal writer for the monthly Health Care Professional. DeBlasio earned her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, her MBA from Providence College and her JD from the Boston University School of Law. She lives in Providence.
Justo and DeBlasio have replaced John A. Dorsey, Esq., whose term has expired, and Martha Holt Castle, who has resigned.
"I also want to thank John and Martha for their service, and for working to improve the economy in our state. I wish them the very best," added Raimondo.
The Senate also approved the Governor's reappointment of Gregory A. Mancini, Esq.
Quonset Business Park is home to more than 200 companies, nearly 11,000 full and part-time jobs, and the Port of Davisville, which is one of the top 10 auto-importers in North America. Governor Raimondo included a proposal for a $70 million general obligation bond in her state budget this year to modernize and upgrade Pier 2 at the Port of Davisville. The proposal would also authorize the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (formerly the RI Economic Development Corporation) to issue a $20 million revenue bond to fund the project. Built in 1956, the pier had a design life of 50 years. This investment would solidify Davisville's position as the premiere marine commercial gateway to New England and add an additional 50 years to the pier's useful life. It would also preserve hundreds of jobs in the maritime sector, create 975 construction jobs, and keep Rhode Island competitive with other ports in the region.
The Quonset Development Corporation is a quasi-state agency, established as a special purpose subsidiary of the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation (formerly the RI Economic Development Corporation) which is responsible for the development and management of the Quonset Business Park. The QDC is governed by an 11-member board of directors who serve three-year terms.
###