Under Alviti, Engineers Out - Projects Run by Interior Designer, Zoo Worker & Salesman

Under Alviti, Engineers Out - Projects Run by Interior Designer, Zoo Worker & Salesman

When then-Governor Gina Raimondo appointed Laborers’ International mid-level staffer Peter Alviti to serve as director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation — he had functionally no experience building roads or bridges.

During Alviti’s more than nine years as the director, he has systematically reduced the number of professional engineers with so-called “project managers.”

In the past three years, the United States Department of Justice has investigated two RIDOT projects -- the $420 million 6/10 project and now, the failure of the Washington Bridge. 

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According to RIDOT personnel records, the experience of project managers prior to their joining the agency ranged from working for a furniture store, another worked as a manager at a zoo, and another was a restaurant and interior designer.

According to employees and former employees of RIDOT, dozens of engineering positions have been eliminated and replaced by project managers — many of whom do not have engineering, construction, or technical degrees. 

In some cases, they have degrees in political philosophy, interior design, and theater.

But make no mistake about it, they are overseeing the biggest and most expensive road and bridge projects in Rhode Island. According to RIDOT payroll records, there are more than 20 full-time project managers.

 

Project Managers

According to the RIDOT job description, project managers are "responsible for delivering assigned projects from initiation to closeout within scope, on schedule, on budget and to the highest quality; to be responsible for coordinating design, permitting, real estate, public outreach, procurement, federal approval, construction, quality and final closeout; to coordinate Program activities with other functional units and financial programs, ensuring overall cohesiveness among functional units and staff; and to do other related work as required,” 

But, the position does not require technical expertise. It has a wide-sweeping job description that allows almost anyone to assume the position.

Education: Such as may have been gained through: graduation from a college of recognized standing with a degree in Public or Business Administration, Finance, Architecture, Engineering or a closely related field; and

Experience: Such as may have been gained through: extensive employment in a highly responsible professional position involving capital asset management, or transportation engineering applying engineering principles, practices, techniques, and project management within a large private or governmental setting. Or, any combination of education and experience that shall be substantially equivalent to the above education and experience.

 

Interior Design, Theater Design, Political Philosophy

One of the project managers, Leanne DeCesare, before joining RIDOT as a project manager II in March of 2018, worked in a restaurant design firm and was an interior designer. She has a degree in interior design from New England Tech.

Then, there is theater design graduate Ryan Davis, who worked for a number of theater companies, including Trinity Rep, as a carpenter.

He, too, serves as project manager II, overseeing multiple multi-million dollar projects.

After his theater work, Davis became the facilities manager at the Roger Williams Park Zoo & Carousel Village. Since 2018, he has been employed by RIDOT.

There is also Michael Boyd, another RIDOT project manager who, before joining the transportation agency, worked for TJX and CVS doing store layouts.

The man overseeing the project managers and was the lead on 6/10 project for RIDOT was David Walsh. According to his LinkedIn bio, he is the acting manager of project management for RIDOT. And like the others, he does not have an engineering degree but earned a degree from Assumption University in political philosophy. Prior to joining RIDOT, Walsh was a salesman for a furniture company.

DeCesare, Davis, and Boyd did not respond to GoLocal's request for comment.

 

Walsh Put Pressure on Carmona Family to Sign a Release

As GoLocal previously reported, Walsh was the RIDOT official who put pressure on the Carmona family, one group of victims of the dumping of contaminated material as part of the RIDTO 6/10 project in the Olneyville neighborhood of Providence. 

In the fall of 2020, the biggest concern for the family was that Carmona’s daughter was pregnant.  The family repeatedly contacted the RIDOT and the contractor asking to stop the pounding of machinery and control the materials from spreading onto their home and into their yard. The family asked RIDOT for relief to get their daughter an apartment during her pregnancy.

RIDOT made an offer to make the Carmonas a payment, a proposed payment that came with a far-reaching release from liability.  According to the RIDOT document provided to GoLocal by the family, "The Carmonas alleged that they have been injured and/or damaged as a result of the interim construction activities related to the claim."

The total amount offered by the state was $12,600.  

There was just one issue for the Carmonas. The release went far beyond payments to relocate their daughter for the period of the pregnancy -- it was an absolute release that indemnified RIDOT as well as contractors like Barletta. 

"The Carmonas, for themselves, and their agents, representatives, heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns...release forever the State of Rhode Island and its Department of Transportation, together with their respective officers, directors, employees, representative, consultants, and agents...from any and all matters, actions, cause of action, suits, debts, dues, sums of money, accounts, reckonings, bonds, bills, specialties, covenants, contracts, controversies, agreements, promises, variances, liabilities...arising out of the claim and/or the Project," stated the release -- in part. 

RIDOT was asking the Carmonas to give up any legal claim for any damages in perpetuity both for the state and its contractors.

“In October of 2019, David Walsh tried to get us to sign a release for any damages. We showed it to a family friend who said ‘do not sign’ the release. [Walsh] asked us repeatedly [to sign the agreement] and told us to hurry,” said Mr. Carmona during an interview in his backyard in 2020.

Walsh, who serves as Assistant Director of Administrative Services, told GoLocal on Friday, “Sometime this summer, someone from Barletta went over and talked to the Carmonas about the problems."

“You probably should speak to someone at RDOT's communication office. I do know this, the supervisor for Barletta went to Mr. Carmona and talked to him,” Walsh added before ending the call.

The Barletta official that Walsh referenced is Dennis Ferreira, who has pled guilty to federal charges for his role in the contamination. He is also facing state charges.

In 2022, the Carmona family and the next-door homeowner, Miriam Bonilla, filed suit against the state and others for the contamination and damages.