Fox, Neuman Out at Raimondo's Office; Cruise, Raia Take Over Positions
GoLocalProv News Team
Fox, Neuman Out at Raimondo's Office; Cruise, Raia Take Over Positions
Current Legislative Director David Cruise will assume interim Chief of Staff duties, and Mike Raia, who is currently the communications director for the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health & Human Services, will take over Fox's role.
The shake-up comes as the Raimondo Administration just finished its second budget season of its four year term.
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Cruise was a magistrate at the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal before joining the Raimondo administration. GoLocal put Cruise at the #4 most powerful spot at the State House in 2015:
While Raimondo tapped former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley staffer Stephen Neuman to be her Chief of Staff, the out-of-towner might bring in a fresh perspective, but Cruise knows the lay of the land. Having a Rhode Island political resume that includes serving as a State Senator, Governor Sundlun's Chief of Staff, and top roles at the RI Resource Recovery Corporation and as a traffic court magistrate, Cruise's policy role, while his official one, will be just one in his advisory capacity for the newly elected Governor.
Former Chief of Staff Neuman was another O'Malley alum, where he was Director of Public Affairs and served as the chief liaison to the Maryland Department of Business and Economic and other agencies. Previously, Neuman worked for North Carolina Governor Beverly Purdue and was an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.
Neuman had come under fire when GoLocal reported that he had been involved in crafting DraftKings legislation while is wife was interviewing with -- and ultimately landing at -- the online sports-bettng site.
Fox had worked with Raimondo since she was elected State Treasurer in 2010, and had previously worked for Congressman Jim Langevin and for the RI Department of Corrections.
Raimondo's Tourism Problems Are Far From Over
1)
Complete Mismanagement
The story of how three agencies could be hired before the Chief Marketing Officer — Betsy Wall — was engaged is unimaginable in the world of marketing. The fact that anyone in the Raimondo Administration thinks you need to leave Rhode Island to get superior design work is a demonstration of the disconnect between the Raimondo Administration and the talents in Rhode Island.
Rhode Island has many weaknesses, but a lack of fabulously talented designers is not one of them.
2)
Solutions Have the Potential to Create More Problems
In her press conference announcing the firing of Betsy Wall and the assertion that the tagline "warmer-cooler" would be discarded, but the logo would remain was another example of the Governor’s unwillingness to understand the issues being raise. To date, the process, the product and the quality of the work were all flawed.
There is no member of the Raimondo Administration who has significant experience in developing and launching a national brand.
In the interim, Raimondo has announced that Seth Goldenberg, CEO of Jamestown-based Epic Decade will play a key role in the reinvention of the existing work completed by Milton Glaser and Havas. Goldenberg is a talented facilitator, but he is not a Chief Marketing Officer. The legislature trusted you with $5 million this year and you are asking for another $5 million in this coming year's budget -- it is time to recruit the most talented RHODE ISLANDERS. Selling Rhode Island to America and the world is not that complicated.
3)
Raimondo and Rhode Islanders
Rhode Islanders are negative. The press is mean. Talk radio is evil. All may be true and Gina Raimondo was not drafted by the Selective Service Agency to run for Governor. She sought the office.
The best way to engage and build trust with Rhode Islanders is to perform at a high level and produce. Bringing in “experts” from out-of-state who fail to perform is not a way to transform negativism.
Iceland footage, stock photos, false claims — hundreds of errors are not the fault of the negative Rhode Islanders.
4)
Big Trouble
In the past few months, Raimondo has demonstrated that she has a lack of understanding of Rhode Islanders. First, the unwillingness to lower the flags to half-mast in recognition of Buddy Cianci's death was a significant miscalculation.
Every Rhode Islander knows that Cianci was flawed and a two-time felon, but they also know that he did interesting things and was maybe the states most famous or most infamous.
Raimondo did not understand that most (not all) Rhode Islanders saw the duality of the flawed, failed and accomplished Cianci.
Similarly, she was tone deaf to the reaction of Rhode Islanders of the logo design by Milton Glaser. Whether is is the most brilliant piece of graphic art or pathetic work overpriced by a New York design shop it does not matter. Rhode Islanders clearly want a logo produced by a Rhode Islander.
She is still fighting a silly fight.
5)
Out-of-state Addiction
Rhode Islanders may be inferior, but the quote of Mark Twain may be applicable about the reflective talent of Rhode Islanders versus the smarter and more talented out-of-staters. The Governor's Chief of Staff, Commerce Corp boss and many other top appointees are from outside of Rhode Island. But, maybe not as superior as perceived. Rhode Islanders know that Iceland is not in Rhode Island, which restaurants have closed, and the importance of the burning of the Gaspee.
Twain said, “When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
