Dara Chadwick, a long-time journalist and author, joined the office of the General Treasurer in January, 2011, as communications director for the Employees' Retirement System of Rhode Island. She has written extensively about issues affecting the health, wellness and psychological development of women and girls. In 2009, she wrote her first non-fiction book, the award-winning
You'd Be So Pretty If...: Teaching Our Daughters to Love Their Bodies - Even When We Don't Love Our Own. A graduate of Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, she lives in Jamestown with her husband and two children.
Kara Foley graduated a semester early from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts with her B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Psychology. She then worked for Save The Bay in Providence, IBC USA Conferences in Westborough and is currently at Bananagrams, Inc. in Providence working on Human Resources. For the last four years, she has worked on a legislative effort to allow adult adoptees unrestricted access to their original birth certificates. Kara is a former member of TRACE and current member of ACCESS RI, two organizations that lobbied for adoptee rights. Kara has collaborated with the American Adoption Congress, Adoption RI and several Senators and Representatives on the issue of the adoptee rights. This fall, Kara will start her Master's of Social Work program at the Rhode Island College Graduate School of Social Work. She hopes to run for political office in the near future to work on child welfare, education and gender equality.
A native of Montreal, Canada, who spent much of her youth in Atlanta, Georgia, Ms. Goldin moved to Rhode Island in 1998 to join Volunteers in Health Care, a national non-profit technical assistance center focused on health care for the uninsured. After eight years providing technical assistance, grant making, and policy work, Ms. Goldin launched her own consulting firm, College Hill Consulting. She is a facilitator, writer, qualitative researcher and the author of Women’s Fund of Rhode Island’s "Dollars to Sense" reports. Ms. Goldin has also served as an instructor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, has contributed to Rhode Island Public Radio "This I Believe" (Acceptance, January 2008), and, in 2002, launched a campaign to change Rhode Island’s Temporary Disability Insurance program to create parity between adoption and maternity leave. Ms. Goldin holds a BA in English Literature from McGill University and an MA in Social Policy from Tufts University.
Kate Lyons is currently the Director of Operations at Capital Good Fund, a Providence non-profit microfinance firm. She is responsible for product development and management, HR, policy and procedure implementation and organizational oversight. Prior to joining CGF, Kate received her MBA from Providence College while working in the school's Athletic Department in Student Services. Kate also received her BA from Providence College in 2008 where she played four years of Division-1 tennis and served on Student Congress. Kate volunteers in Providence Public schools and is a member of the United Way Young Leaders Circle. In her free time, Kate likes to read, travel and enjoys time with friends! She currently lives in Providence.
Karen DiMartino Mensel taught art history at URI for many years before changing careers and becoming the Director of Marketing and Communications for the RI Public Transit Authority, a position she held until her retirement. She is a graduate of Simmons College and also earned an M.A. from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. from Brown University in the History of Art and Architecture. She is the recipient of fellowships from Brown University, the Kress Foundation and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. A graduate of Leadership RI's RHO class, she chaired the RI State Council on the Arts for several years, served on the steering committee for the Arts and Business Council of RI and was a member of the State House Restoration Society. Born in Manhattan, she grew up in New York and has traveled in England, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Spain the former Yugoslavia, Turkey, Mexico and Sweden.
As a native resident of Providence, R.I., Renay Brooks Omisore received her basic education in the Providence School System and joined the U.S. Army. Years later she married and joined the Rhode Island Army National Guard to continue her interest in the U.S. Military. She continued her education by attending the Community College of Rhode Island, earning an A.S. in Accounting. She further continued her education at Johnson & Wales University, receiving a B.S. in Concentration Financial Services and followed with a M.B.A. with a concentration in Organizational Leadership. With over thirty years of experience in Finance and Administration utilizing a vast cadre of knowledge, skills and abilities I have worked with organizations which have included grassroots organizations and nonprofit community organizations. In her spare time Renay became an active community advocate in the Elmwood Section of Providence working with other advocates in Justice Promoter's Programs, local neighborhood projects and events striving for residents in the community for equal opportunities for education. Most recently, she ran for State Representative in Ward 9, which offered her an opportunity to meet other residents in the City of Providence who are committed to advocating for a stronger voice to residents in Rhode Island regarding their educational opportunities. It is her goal to continue to work to advocate for education, which she believes will springboard our communities into healthier and happy communities for all Rhode Islanders personally and professionally.
Camille Vella-Wilkinson first came to Rhode Island as a Navy Officer Candidate in 1981; she retired from active duty as a Lieutenant Commander with numerous personal awards. She was elected as a Warwick City Councilwoman in November 2010. Her committee assignments include: Economic Development (Chair), Intergovernmental (Vice-Chair) and Appointments (Member). She has also been appointed as a member of the Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee. Camille runs her own business, Higher & Hire as a Career Coach and Diversity Trainer. She is a graduate of Leadership RI and was recognized as "A Woman Who Makes a Difference" during the 2002 RI Women's History Month celebrations. In 1999, she was appointed and continues to serve as one of seven State Commissioners for the RI Commission for Human Rights. A graduate of Long Island University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Psychology, she has completed two advanced degrees: a Master of Science Degree in Labor Relations/Human Resources from URI and a Juris Doctor from Roger Williams University School of Law.