RI Council on Postsecondary Education welcomes new Chair & two new members
PROVIDENCE, RI – Rhode Island’s Council on Postsecondary Education today welcomed Tim DelGiudice as its new Chair, along with two new members of the council, Joseph MarcAurele and
Marianne Monte.
MarcAurele and Monte were appointed to the postsecondary council by Governor Gina Raimondo, and they were confirmed by the Rhode Island Senate on June 13. Governor Raimondo also appointed DelGiudice as Chair of the Council on Postsecondary Education and reappointed Daniel McConaghy as Chair of the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education – the two councils will work together to align Rhode Island’s education systems.
DelGiudice has served as a member of the postsecondary council since 2016. As Chair, DelGiudice succeeds William Foulkes, who served from 2015 until spring 2018. DelGiudice is the Strategic Initiatives Senior Program Manager at Raytheon, a defense contractor where he has worked since 2007. He is also Chairman of the Board of the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA). DelGiudice previously worked for Congressman Jim Langevin and former Congressman Bob Weygand
“Across K-12 and higher education, we are working to connect what students are learning in the classroom and the skills they need to be successful in the workforce. As a highly-respected leader in the business community and as someone with extensive experience in engaging stakeholders in public policy, Tim DelGiudice brings an important perspective to this work and to the Council overall,” said Barbara Cottam, Chair of the Rhode Island Board of Education, which is made up of the Council on Postsecondary Education as well as the Council on Elementary and Secondary Education. “I want to thank Tim for stepping up into this leadership role, and I’m grateful to Tim, Joe, and Marianne for their strong support of higher education in our state.”
“On behalf of the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner, as well as our three public institutions of higher education, I would like to thank Chair DelGiudice for his guidance and support since joining the council in 2016,” said Brenda Dann-Messier, Commissioner of Postsecondary Education. “In order to meet our postsecondary attainment goal of 70% of Rhode Islanders having a postsecondary degree or credential, it is critical that we continue to execute on the right strategies. We very much look forward to working with Chair DelGiudice, Mr. MarcAurele, Ms. Monte, and our other council members and benefitting from their extensive experience.”
Joseph MarcAurele recently retired as CEO of Washington Trust Bank and now serves on its Board of Directors, and Marianne Monte is Chief People Officer at Shawmut Design and Construction.
DelGiudice says his top priority as the council’s new Chair is to support the state in increasing postsecondary attainment. “Our system of public higher education has grown leaps and bounds in the past several years and has the potential to continue that positive trend and serve even more Rhode Islanders,” says DelGiudice. “By 2020, seven out of ten jobs created in Rhode Island will require more than a high school diploma. I’m excited to work with the Commissioner and our institutions to increase student access and affordability and eliminate equity gaps in our state system. I’m honored and humbled to have been chosen for this position.»