People on the Move: EPI Names 7 New Board Members
GoLocalProv
People on the Move: EPI Names 7 New Board Members
GoLocal's People on the Move is an update on new hires and promotions across southern New England. If your organization has an announcement, email it to us at [email protected].
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
The Economic Progress Institute (EPI), a nonprofit that advocates for a just society where all Rhode Islanders can thrive, announced today that it has named seven new members to its Board of Directors.
“The experiences of our new board members range widely from labor organizers and workforce developers to a carpenter with years on building trades job sites to a clinical social worker who specializes in trauma-informed care to a client-centered trusts and estates attorney to a healthcare product and engagement strategist to a political science professor with expertise in positive youth development and civic engagement,” said EPI Executive Director Weayonnoh Nelson-Davies, Esq. “What unifies them is their deep belief that all Rhode Islanders deserve equity — social and economic justice — and that as the people’s lobbyists, EPI is in a strong position to help achieve these imperatives. I look forward to the many ways they will contribute to making our shared vision a reality.”
“Our new board members bring a diversity of life and professional experiences along with their capabilities and judgement, and we welcome all to the team,” said EPI Board Chair Dwayne Keys. “They have much to contribute, and I have great confidence that they will help strengthen EPI to advance our mission of producing credible, fact-based, and relevant research and analysis in championing the causes of social justice and economic fairness for all Rhode Islanders.”
Haley De La Rosa is the Workforce Development Labor Liaison at the Institute for Labor Studies and Research (ILSR), Rhode Island’s premier worker center that provides education and training to enable workers and the labor movement to have a stronger voice in the workplace and create a more just and equitable society. A resident of Providence, De La Rosa works to expand opportunities for multilingual learners in the workforce and create new pathways to family-sustaining jobs for recent immigrants and historically underrepresented groups. She is the Secretary-Treasurer of her local union, OPEIU Local 25. She received a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Brown University.
“I am honored and delighted to join this impactful, committed group of changemakers ensuring workers' voices and experiences are heard in all decision making by our government,” said De La Rosa. “I look forward to supporting the Economic Progress Institute’s advocacy efforts toward economic justice and hope for all Rhode Islanders.”
Rebecca Dupras, Esq., is an attorney based in Rhode Island. Her practice focuses on estate planning and estate and trust administration, and she is committed to demystifying these processes with an accessible and holistic approach. Dupras graduated from Suffolk University Law School in 2006. She lives in Providence. In addition to practicing law, she has worked for several nonprofits, including the Rhode Island Foundation, Rhode Island School of Design, and Silicon Valley Community Foundation, assisting with fundraising and gifts of complex assets. Dupras currently consults for Charitable Solutions, LLC, a national donor-advised fund, with a focus on gifts of real estate.
“Without EPI, so many people in our state would not have a voice,” said Dupras. “While much of EPI’s work goes on behind the scenes, its impact is felt every day — from advocating for a budget that reflect the values of everyday Rhode Islanders to focusing on the economic security of our workforce.”
Sarnya Kunchithapatham Pichaiyappa (KP) is an Independently Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in providing trauma-focused care for children and families by implementing evidence-based treatments. She switched careers from the software industry seven years ago. Along with her professional endeavors, KP has been recognized for her involvement in the community, having received a Providence Business News 40 under 40 award and the Girl Scouts’ Leading Women of Distinction award. KP is a graduate of Equity Leadership Initiative Cohort 3 at the Rhode Island Foundation and is currently a fellow of the Women’s Policy Institute at the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island.
“I am excited to join the EPI board because in my social work journey, I have seen many clients from vulnerable families who have not had access to support systems that gave them an opportunity to thrive,” KP said. “Joining the EPI board is an opportunity to be part of removing systemic barriers for vulnerable families, and hopefully, providing solutions to help them live safer and happier lives.”
Melody Lawrence, a resident of Foster, is a Lead Product Strategy Analyst with Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI). In this role, she works with cross-functional teams to oversee the design, launch, cross-functional implementation, and ongoing product management for the dually eligible population (Medicare and Medicaid). She also leads BCBSRI’s stakeholder engagement strategy and policy advocacy development for Medicaid market entry and the dual eligible product. Having previously served as the state’s Medicaid Policy Director, Lawrence is a proud native Rhode Islander who received degrees from all three of the state’s public Institutes of higher education: the Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island, where she earned a master’s degree in public administration.
“EPI serves a particularly important role in the state by conducting thorough research and analyses and providing clear, unbiased information that is necessary for making informed policy decisions,” said Lawrence. “My career has been focused on improving healthcare for low-income Rhode Islanders and I have personally depended on EPI as a trusted source of information to understand complex issues in the state. I am truly honored to join the board of directors and contribute to this great organization’s mission.”
Perris S. Leviss, PhD, joined the Political Science Department at Rhode Island College (RIC) in 2022 after receiving her doctorate in public policy and teaching at UMass Boston. Professor Leviss studies how positive youth development, civic engagement, and engaged research can improve public services and build community. Her professional career includes serving as the Assistant Commissioner for Policy and Planning at the New York City Department of Health, a strategic and financial consultant to Federally Qualified Health Centers and health departments across the United States, the Executive Director of RI Campus Compact leading Rhode Island’s VISTA/AmeriCorps programs, and participating on the boards of youth leadership organizations and Jewish philanthropies. A resident of Barrington, she teaches undergraduate courses on American politics, public policy, public administration, civic engagement, and political communication.
“I want to be a part of this dynamic organization that is dedicated to empowering Rhode Island citizens to positively impact their own communities,” Professor Leviss said. “Oftentimes, community members are the best advocates for social change because they have knowledge of what is happening on the ground level and understand what is needed to improve their neighborhoods, towns, and cities. However, the public may not know how their experiences relate to others across the state, and in other regions. EPI provides this essential ‘translational space’ to give citizens digestible data to advocate for their community’s needs and information about how the public policy works so that everyday people can be actively engaged in the change process.”
Coming from a background in social work and community organizing, Kevin McElroy is the Health and Safety Program Coordinator at the Institute for Labor Studies and Research (ILSR). Since 1980, this worker-centered non-profit organization has empowered the labor movement to have a stronger voice in the workplace and helped build an educated, competitive workforce benefiting all workers in Rhode Island. Through an array of programs, trainings, and services, ILSR helps more than 8,000 Rhode Islanders every year. With collaboration from various stakeholders, McElroy provides occupational health and safety, rights on the job, workers’ compensation insurance information, and workplace sexual harassment training to both youth and adult workers and students. Also, he is an elected officer for OPEIU Local 25. He lives in Providence.
“I am honored and thrilled to be a part of this wonderful organization, which strives to create a just and equitable playing field for workers and low-income Rhode Islanders,” McElroy said. “All too often, these folks have their voices drowned out and their needs not met. I look forward to working with EPI to further their mission for social and economic justice.”
Catherine Peña is a driven Business Representative for Carpenters Local 330, which represents hundreds of carpenters, pile drivers, shop and millmen, millwrights, and floor coverers working in Rhode Island. She is a builder — literally — having served most of her career in the field as a carpenter and carpenter foreman. Whereas she once built structures, now, as a Business Representative, she is helping to build a shared future for her brothers and sisters at Local 330 and for all working carpenters in the field. Peña advocates for labor rights, promotes union contractors, and recently spoke on the dangers of wage theft in support of the Don’t Steal Act at the US Capitol. She believes that well-paid, well-trained carpenters mean well made, safe, and long-lasting construction that will serve the community well over time. A mother of three boys, she lives in North Providence.
“I am honored to join the EPI Board,” Peña said. “This opportunity allows me to collaborate with outstanding individuals dedicated to improving the lives of workers and their families. I am passionate about promoting fair labor practices, advancing education, and ensuring a thriving economic future for all.”