Stefan Pryor: 18 Who Made a Difference in 2018

Stefan Pryor: 18 Who Made a Difference in 2018

If you saw a Gina Raimondo TV spot during the last campaign then you probably saw the Governor talking about the improved Rhode Island economy and much of the success (and some of the failures) goes to Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor.

During his four-plus years in Rhode Island, he has helped to recruit dozens of out-of-state companies to the state. Some have come at a heavy financial cost — Johnson & Johnson, General Electric and Virgin Pulse and the level of success has been mixed.

More recently, a shift to assisting small businesses in Rhode Island has proven to have been successful.

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In 2019, he loses tourism and marketing guru Lara Salamano who took over after the disastrous Cooler and Warmer and directed the new tourism Fun-Sized campaign which performed well against the target audience and restored some faith in the agency.

If Raimondo won re-election because of her record - Pryor built her a record.

Note: Pryor also made the list of 16 Who Made a Difference in 2016