“There is an urgent need to create a concerted, professional, economic development effort in this – the largest city – in Rhode Island. I applaud the Providence Foundation for sharing that concern and for their willingness to participate directly in establishing such an effort,” said Mayor Cicilline.

“Today, I am announcing the appointment of a Loaned Executive – Daniel A. Baudouin of the Providence Foundation – to work for the City for the next three months, on a part-time basis. He will give the City the framework it needs for a competitive, full-time department that can aggressively seek out new job and business opportunities. He will also conduct many of the important measures needed to start this City’s economic development effort off on the right foot, ” Cicilline said.

“Dan Baudouin is widely recognized for his expertise and professionalism, and admired throughout the city and state for his business acumen,” he continued.

“He will continue to serve as Executive Director of the Foundation during this three-month period, and the Foundation will pay for all compensation. This is an extraordinary show of support to the City of Providence and an example to our business and civic communities. I cannot thank them enough for their commitment to principle and sense of civic responsibility,” he said.

John Bowen, Chair, of the Providence Foundation said, “The Providence Foundation is very pleased to provide assistance. Economic Development is a high priority of the Foundation and others, and we are happy the Mayor is taking this initiative.”

Baudouin will work ‘on loan,’ with the City of Providence from April 1 to June 30, 2003, for 50% of his time, and he will work closely with Carol Grant, Chief of Operations. Part of his duties will include helping the City formulate an Economic Development office, identify its functions, activities and budget; assist in recruiting and screening qualified applicants for the position of Economic Development Director; summarize all relevant economic development reports for the last 5 years, and bring economic development expertise to the City’s programs, work with prospects, and begin to develop an inventory of available land and buildings for potential economic development use.

“With the mayor’s leadership, I will work on bringing together city officials, state economic development organizations, the Providence City Council, the Chambers of Commerce and the Mayor’s Committee on Growing the City’s Economy, to develop recommendations for economic development in the capital city,” said loaned executive Daniel A. Baudouin. “With the new city/ state leadership, the opportunities exist to create one of the best systems in the country to promote economic development.”

“This is an exciting time for Providence, and Dan Baudouin will help usher this city into a new and stronger economic period. I am grateful for his willingness to help, and for the generosity, foresight and outstanding civic mindedness of the Foundation. This is a model of public-private partnership that can and will be duplicated throughout this city, and perhaps, throughout this nation,” Mayor Cicilline concluded.

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