KINGSTON, R.I. — June 23, 2021 — The University of Rhode Island has named Alyssa Boss, a former partner in the Providence law firm of Cameron & Mittleman LLP and former executive vice president and general counsel for the Care New England Health System, to the position of University general counsel. She starts at URI on July 6.

The Exeter resident and URI alumna succeeds Louis J. Saccoccio, who retired in December 2020 after 30 years of dedicated service to the University. Boss was hired after a national search,  which attracted many highly qualified candidates.

The general counsel is the chief legal officer for the University, and oversees the Office of the General Counsel, including two other attorneys and a legal assistant. The general counsel provides legal services to the University’s Board of Trustees and the president, its departments, colleges, officials, and employees.

Boss will provide legal advice and guidance to University officials, employees and staff on the full range of legal issues faced by nonprofit, public institutions of higher education, including those related to student affairs.

The Exeter resident has been a partner at Cameron & Mittleman LLP since 2019 where she represented clients on a broad spectrum of business contracts, arrangements and transactions, including joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, vendor contracts and taxable and tax-exempt financing. She advised clients on state and federal regulatory matters and policy development, compliance and board governance matters.

At Care New England, Boss served as senior vice president, and general counsel from 2012 to 2017, and then worked as executive vice president and general counsel from 2017 to 2018.

Boss holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in philosophy from URI. She graduated number one in her class from Roger Williams University Law School in 1997.

“I deeply enjoyed my time at Cameron & Mittleman and at Care New England, but I had become increasingly interested in pursuing practice in higher education for some time,” Boss said.

“As an alum, I find it a really exciting time for the University and higher education in general. I am enthusiastic about URI’s focus on research and discovery.

 “I enjoy being around young people, their energy, and optimism. Going through this year and a half of COVID really affected me, as it did many, and helped me focus on what was most important. The opportunity to be part of a community with a broad mission really resonated with me.” 

Boss is glad to be returning to a place that provided her a great education at a great value.

“Like many people in Rhode Island, I chose URI because it was what I could afford, but coming to URI was never a compromise,” said the Rogers High School graduate. “I think, like any school, you largely get out of it what you put into it. I got a lot out of URI by choosing the best classes and best professors. I enjoyed the community so much, and the sense of connection with my excellent professors.”

At one point, Boss considered a career as a professor and earned her master’s degree in philosophy as part of that journey. She taught for a while, but wound up pursuing her law degree.

“This brings me back full circle, and now I can be in an academic setting but practicing law,” Boss said.

Her ties to URI run deep. Her mother, Judith Boss, was an adjunct faculty member at the University and author of college textbooks.  Alyssa Boss’ twin daughters will start at URI in the fall.

“I left URI with a sense of affection, and when my daughters, Katelyn and Lauren, were looking at colleges, I told them about the great experiences I had. I didn’t push them, but they decided on URI.”

 Boss has already attended Rhody Day (orientation) with her daughters.

“It just feels so right,” Boss said. “If I were superstitious, I would say it’s kismet.”