UPDATED: More Staffing Fallout: Taveras' Revolving Door
GoLocalProv Politics Team
UPDATED: More Staffing Fallout: Taveras' Revolving Door
And those doors have spun once again with Thursday's departure of Mike D'Amico, Chief of Staff and Liz White from her role as Deputy Director of Communications to join City Council President Michael Solomon's mayoral campaign as campaign manager.
The Providence Mayor in three years has seen turnover in every senior staff position at least once and in some cases twice.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMost recently, the exodus of staffers stands in stark contrast to most election cycles. Usually, when the boss is moving up to higher office staff wants to be a part of the move to, in this case, the State House’s Governor’s Office.
Just in the past few months, top political talent like Matt Jerzyk and Arianne Lynch have headed for the exit, but the brain drain has not stopped.
Take a look at the talent who has left Taveras’ staff.
PLEASE NOTE: This list does not include Cabinet positions like Planning and Development, Police or Fire.
Taveras' Staff Revolving Door
J.R. Pagliarini
Role: Chief of Staff; Senior Executive Advisor
Left: December 18, 2012
Pagliarini served as Taveras' Chief of Staff before transitioning to Senior Executive Advisor. He left the Mayor's staff to accept a position at the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (EDC).
See more of GoLocal's coverage of Pagliarini's resignation here.
Michael Raia
Role: Communications Director
Left: December 17, 2012
Just before Pagliarini's departure, Michael Raia resigned as Taveras' Director of Communications. Raia left to assume the position of director of media relations and marketing for WGBH, the Boston-based public broadcasting station.
See more from GoLocalProv on Raia's departure here.
Arianne Lynch
Role: Deputy Chief of Staff
Left: November 30, 2013
Lynch tendered her resignation in October 2013, after she served as spokeswoman for Taveras' transition team during the interim between his election and inauguration. Lynch began her work with Taveras during his mayoral campaign. Previous to her recent work in city politics, Lynch was a managing director at the lobbying and PR firm Advocacy Solutions.
Melissa Withers
Role: Communications Director
Left: September 10, 2011
Melissa Withers was one of Taveras' earliest appointments, as communications director in December 2010. A former director of communications for the RI Economic Development Corporation, Withers resigned only nine months into her tenure.
Matt Jerzyk
Role: Deputy City Solicitor, Director of Policy and Municipal Affairs, Director of Government Relations and Senior Counsel to the Mayor
Left: January, 2014
Jerzyk resigned his position along with colleague Arianne Lynch in October of 2013, staying on at City Hall until the year's end. Jerzyk was a key staff member during Taveras' successful mayoral run, and was soon appointed as part of the mayoral staff. Jerzyk is currently consulting for The Hamilton Group, which is consulting with mayoral candidate Michael Solomon.
Editor's Note: Matt Jerzyk used to write GoLocalProv's Side of the Rhode: Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in Rhode Island Politics column.
Will Farrell
Role: City Council and Statehouse Relations
Left: January 31, 2014
Farrell, a key staffer, was charged with wrangling with the City Council on behalf of the Taveras Administration. Farrell said that he departed to "pursue other opportunities in government relations," though he voiced his "strong support" for Taveras' ongoing gubernatorial effort.
Angela Romans
Role: Senior Education Advisor
Left: May 20, 2013
Romans, who once took the helm of the Taveras administration's school policy, assumed a new role in May of last year when she joined the Annenberg Institute for Social Reform at Brown University. Romans joined AISR’s District Redesign & Leadership (DR&L) as a principal associate. She had worked 11 years at Brown as Associate Director of Admission.
Peter Baptista
Role: Finance Director
Left: November 15, 2013
Soon after resigning his position as Finance Director, for Taveras' gubernatorial campaign, Peter Baptista has signed on with The Hamilton Group, a Democratic consulting organization that he helped to found before joining the Providence mayor's staff. The Hamilton Group has signed on to work with mayoral hopeful Michael Solomon.
Liz White
Role: Deputy Director of Communications & Media Relations
Left: February 2014
White is the latest in the Taveras adminstration's string of outgoing staffers. Her resignation was confirmed Thursday, February 27th, adding to the long list of political talent who have departed from City Hall since last winter began.
Mike D'Amico
Role: Chief of Staff
Left: February, 2014
Considered the Mayor's alter ego and de facto Deputy Mayor, the loss of D'Amico may mean more than change in the top spot. It could mean a dramatic shift in strategy, a yet unannounced decision to halt the run for Governor and try and stay in City Hall or Taveras could pull a Patrick Lynch and not run for Governor and take his campaign money and go back to private practice.
