Taveras Announces Transition Leadership

Taveras Announces Transition Leadership

Mayor-elect Angel Taveras announced the co-chairs for his transition team today—Yahaira (Jay) Placencia, Mark T. Ryan, and Myrth York.

“These three individuals represent different sectors and varying viewpoints– their perspective will be enormously helpful as we begin to tackle the challenges facing our great city,” Taveras said.

His transition team, officially known as Transition Providence, was launched yesterday. The team will work in a transparent and inclusive manner to identify obstacles and opportunities Providences faces. The team aims to help guide the administration, recruit staff members, and oversee advisory teams comprised of community members. They intend to tackle specific policy and administrative priorities including job creation, improving city services, public safety and public education.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

The three co-chairs will also assist the mayor-elect in meeting with city department heads to determine the structure and budget of each department, seek opportunities for improvement, and ensure a seamless transition.

Placencia is the banking and business development expertise, Ryan brings a corporate law and media administration perspective, and York offers a political and philanthropic perspective.

More on the co-chairs, from the Taveras campaign:

Yahaira (Jay) Placencia currently serves as Senior Vice President and Senior Client Manager for Bank of America’s Business Banking Division in Rhode Island. With 17 years of expertise, her specialties include development strategies to support the financial goals of for-profit and non-profit organizations. She has served on numerous local non-profit boards, including Progreso Latino and RI Building Owners Association (RIBO). Placencia earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Rhode Island.

Mark T. Ryan is a principal at Moses & Afonso, Ltd., where he specializes in corporate and business law. For the last 23 years he worked for the Providence Journal Company. Ryan is the First Vice Chairman and Trustee of the Providence Performing Arts Center, Director and member of the Nominating and Legislative Committees of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, and has served many other Rhode Island non-profits, including the Providence Foundation and the American Red Cross Rhode Island Chapter. Ryan has a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Rhode Island and a law degree from the New England School of Law.

Myrth York is a former Rhode Island State Senator and Democratic nominee for Rhode Island Governor. York has worked in various leadership positions for her family business, York Resources Inc., has served on many local boards and committees, and has served as an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University Law School. She is currently the Chair of the Providence Zoning Board and serves on the Providence Investment Commission. York holds a bachelor’s from the University of Denver, and both a law degree and a master of laws in taxation from Boston University. She was a Fellow at the Institute of Politics, John F. Kennedy School of
Government, at Harvard University in 1999.

For more information or to give feedback: www.transitionprovidence.org