Lorne Adrain ’76 to head Rhode Island Board of Governors

Gov. Lincoln Chafee has tapped four talented URI alumni to serve on the state’s Board of Governors for Higher Education. Leading Providence businessman Lorne A. Adrain ’76 will chair the board.

Adrain is managing director of Ballentine Partners, LLC, an independent wealth management firm. He is the founder of the initiative to establish National Neighborhood Day and of KindMark, a leader in the creation of software and technologies that advance philanthropy. He is co-founder and former chair of Social Venture Partners—Rhode Island, an organization that engages entrepreneurs in community initiatives. He is also co-founder of BetterProvidence.org, which aims to bring the voice of citizens and taxpayers together for better governance. Adrain received his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

According to URI Vice President Robert M. Beagle: “Lorne is a consensus builder who likes to look at the big picture. As URI Alumni Association president, he proactively worked with us to build the Alumni Association into a national organization. He has a strong commitment to the importance of public higher education and its value to Rhode Island.”

In addition to Adrain, the other appointees with URI degrees are Dr. Antonio Barajas ’91, Eva-Marie Mancuso ’82, and John A. Walsh, Ph.D ’08. URI Vice Provost Emeritus Thomas Rockett, whose term expires in 2012, will remain on the board.