KINGSTON, R.I. – Aug. 23, 2023 – As the University of Rhode Island prepares for its 132nd year, the University’s Board of Trustees is welcoming eight new members—the largest group of trustees to join the 17-member board at one time since it was formed in 2020 to govern URI. The new members were appointed in the spring and participated in the board’s June meeting.
Among the new trustees is former U.S. Congressman Robert A. Weygand, a former vice president and chief financial officer at URI. Additional new voting members are Maria Ducharme, president of The Miriam Hospital; Joseph G. Formicola Jr., developer and co-owner of The Coast Guard House restaurant; Monica Garnes, a division president in the Kroger Company supermarket chain; and Joseph F. Matthews, president of a 111-year-old Westerly machinery manufacturer.
Revaa Goyal, a junior pharmacy major, and Melissa Sutherland, professor of nursing, both appointed by URI President Marc Parlange, join the board as non-voting members, and Michael Grey, chair of the Rhode Island Board of Education, joins as an ex officio member.
“The Board of Trustees serves an important role at the University, and each member’s unique perspective helps guide us as we work to implement our ambitious 10-year strategic plan and transform URI into a university for the future,” Parlange said. “I am grateful for their commitment to our community and their leadership, partnership, and support of URI.”
“Higher education is of paramount importance in the state, the nation and around the globe. URI plays a vital role in educating and training a workforce that can answer the challenges and opportunities of a changing world,” said Margo Cook, chair of the Board of Trustees. “As stewards of the University, the trustees represent diverse communities and viewpoints, and together, we will continue to guide the growth of URI.”
All five new voting members, appointed by Gov. Dan McKee, are URI alumni.
Weygand,also a former Rhode Island lieutenant governor,was vice president and chief financial officer at URI between 2004 and 2013. He has served as a faculty member in URI’s Department of Political Science and as director of the Master of Public Administration program. Prior to his work at URI, he was president and chief executive officer of the New England Board of Higher Education in Boston. Weygand, who holds four degrees from URI, is a member of the URI College of Engineering Hall of Fame.
“I greatly appreciate being appointed by Governor McKee to the URI Board of Trustees,” said Weygand. “The work of URI is so important to our students, our state and our nation and it is a great honor to be a part of this dynamic university. I am looking forward to working with President Marc Parlange, the URI faculty and staff.”
Ducharme is in her second year as president of The Miriam Hospital, which has 28 locations, more than 3,300 employees, and 1,200 affiliated physicians. She previously served as the hospital’s senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer for over a decade. Ducharme holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from the Massachusetts General Hospital Institute of Health Professions, a Master of Science in Nursing from URI, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rhode Island College.
“As a proud URI alum and current URI parent, I am incredibly honored to be an oncoming board member, and a part of the future of this stellar University,” she said. “It is as important, if not more important than ever to make vital investments in our students and their education, so they may contribute to our workforce in meaningful ways and become future leaders. I am truly humbled to be able to work alongside such an impressive board, University leaders, faculty, and students.”
For five decades,Formicola ’69 has brokered, developed and constructed real estate projects around the United States. He is president and chief executive officer of Executive Investments and Realty Co. and is co-owner of the iconic Coast Guard House in Narragansett. A long-time supporter of the University, he was president of the URI Athletic Association and played a key role as chairman of the Major Donor Committee in helping secure private funding for the Ryan Center.
“My appointment to the Board of Trustees holds profound significance for me, as it represents the next chapter of over 50 years of support and engagement with the University,” he said. “I am humbled to embark on this new role, which offers a unique opportunity to contribute my expertise and passion to furthering URI’s mission. I look forward to serving the University in this capacity and intend to make a meaningful impact.”
Garnes ’94 is an award-winning president of Fry’s Food Stores and is the Kroger Co.’s first Black division president. An expert in business management, leadership strategy, corporate sustainability and workplace diversity, she runs Kroger’s 127 Arizona-based Fry’s Food Stores locations. She is the recipient of numerous honors, including “Top Women in Grocery” and “Retail Trailblazer” by Progressive Grocer and “Most Innovative Women in Food and Drink” by Fortune and Food & Wine magazines.
“I am passionate about education, specifically at the University of Rhode Island, and firmly believe that it is the key to unlocking an individual’s potential and creating a better society for all,” Garnes said. “My experience at URI, prepared me for a career and life that I had never imagined possible as a young woman. Today, I am grateful to bring my expertise and experience to the Board of Trustees to promote the University’s strategic vision and ensure we maintain our commitment to academic excellence, student success, and community engagement.”
Matthews, a 1980 graduate of the URI College of Engineering, has been president of Maxson Automatic Machinery Company since 2000. The family business, founded in Westerly in 1912, designs and builds capital equipment for the paper and printing industries. Matthews, whose father and son are also URI engineering alumni, received the 2019 College of Engineering Distinguished Achievement Award.
“As the second of three generations of URI mechanical engineers and the third of four generations in a Westerly-based family firm, the University has had an influential role in our family lives and business success,” he said. “As a lifelong Rhode Islander, serving as a trustee is a humbling honor and an opportunity to support URI’s initiatives to be accessible to all and develop graduates of character who deliver impactful results.”
Grey, president of FirstService Residential Massachusetts and chairman of the Rhode Island Governor’s Workforce Board, succeeded Barbara Cottam this spring as chair of the Rhode Island Board of Education.
“The importance of strong connections between educational entities cannot be overstated,” he said. “I am very pleased to participate on the URI board representing K-12th grade and post-secondary education. We have a great opportunity to help our students maximize their potential with a world-class education here in Rhode Island.”
Sutherland, the new faculty representative to the board, says she is “energized by what is happening at URI” and honored to serve on the board. “I joined the faculty and community of URI because of its commitment to students, public education, and scholarship and research,” she said. “It’s an exciting time at URI and I look forward to sharing the faculty perspective with the board as well as the opportunity to support the strategic vision of the University.”
Goyal called serving as the student representative an incredible opportunity. “Having a student perspective of daily occurrences on campus culture and student life makes it possible to bring to light issues and voices that need to be heard and addressed,” she added. “I look forward to working with the other board members and being able to make a difference when it comes to university decisions for my peers.”
The Board of Trustees was established in 2020 by the Rhode Island General Assembly and then-Gov. Gina Raimondo, taking over stewardship of the University from the Rhode Island Council on Postsecondary Education.
Its 17 members are appointed by the governor in consultation with the URI president, board chair, and with the consent of the state Senate. The URI president also appoints a full-time student and faculty member to serve as non-voting members. The URI president, chair of the Council of Postsecondary Education, and chair of the state Board of Education also serve as ex officio members.
The board’s next meeting is Friday, Sept. 22, at 9 a.m. in the Higgins Welcome Center on URI’s Kingston Campus.