On March 2, 2021, when Daniel J. McKee was sworn in as the 76th Governor of Rhode Island – succeeding Gina M. Raimondo, who had been chosen to serve as United States Commerce Secretary under President Joe Biden – he found himself in the company of a growing cadre of Roger Williams University School of Law alumni in the upper echelons of Ocean State politics. On Governor McKee’s staff are Director…, In the Governor’s Office, As Gov. McKee’s Director of Policy and Senior Counsel,, Kim Ahern ’09, works closely with cabinet members and the budget office to lead the development of policy recommendations that reflect priorities set forth by the Governor. Formerly Deputy Counsel for Gov. Raimondo – and before that, a Special Assistant Attorney General for nearly a decade, much of it prosecuting cases in the Rhode Island AG’s Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Unit – Ahern brings an…, Doris Adesuyi ’20, , who came onboard in April as Policy Analyst & Public Records Officer. Adesuyi first arrived at the statehouse last fall as a Legal Fellow under Governor Raimondo. “The Governor wants policies that are aligned with a robust economic comeback for all Rhode Island businesses,” Ahern said, “while also ensuring that our education system is one in which all students can succeed. In particular,…, Joe Polisena Jr. ’15, . With a J.D. from RWU Law and an M.B.A. from Providence College, the former Rhode Island public defender has served as legislative counsel to the Rhode Island House of Representatives and as vice-president of the Johnston Town Council. He remembers being particularly inspired by a law seminar taught by U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) at Roger Williams. Polisena’s role in the McKee…, In the General Assembly, Meanwhile, in the General Assembly,, Jake Bissaillon, ’16, serves as Chief of Staff to the Rhode Island Senate President. Like Polisena, he has paired his RWU Law J.D. with an M.B.A. from PC. He served as Chief of Staff to the Providence City Council from 2011 to 2014, during Angel Taveras’ tenure as mayor. In that capacity, he worked with the Senate, the mayor and the council president on an action plan to eradicate a $110 million structural deficit…, Joanna M. Achille ’07, , Director of Legal Services for the Senate & Legal Counsel to the Senate Labor Committee;, Nicholas Parrillo, ’13, , Legal Counsel to the Senate Committee on Rules, Government Ethics, and Oversight; and, James Rhodes ’12, , Legal Counsel for the Senate Committee on Environment and Agriculture., From the Executive to the Legislative Branch, Meanwhile,, Nicole Verdi ’14, has been getting herself up to speed as the new Chief Legal Counsel to the Rhode Island Senate President, working for both the Senate and the Senate President. When Governor Raimondo announced that she was becoming United States Commerce Secretary, Verdi – who had been serving as Raimondo’s Deputy Chief of Staff – saw an opportunity in the retirement of the Senate’s longtime Chief Legal Counsel,…, summa cum laude, , she served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Maureen McKenna Goldberg at the Rhode Island Supreme Court before becoming an associate at Adler Pollock & Sheehan in Providence. Today, as Chief Legal Counsel, she works with the Senate President, majority leader, majority whip, and committee chairs, as well as managing the multiple part- and full-time attorneys who work in the chamber.…, Dawn Euer ’10, , D-Newport, was, incidentally, the bill’s lead sponsor in the Senate]. This is a big step forward for Rhode Island.” Verdi said all of her past experiences have informed her current position as well. “There’s no way anyone could be 100 percent prepared for this job, but my time in the Governor’s Office, along with the other experiences that I’ve had, allowed me to hit the ground running on day…, Steve Hayes ’98, also works part-time in the office, as Legal Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee., A View From Across the Aisle, Unlike the other RWU Law alumni discussed in this story, all of whom are Democrats,, Brandon Bell ’97, is an outspoken Republican. He was, in fact, Chair of the Rhode Island Republican Party from 2015 to 2019, and since January has served as Chief of Staff to Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere, and Legal Counsel to the Senate Minority Caucus. “Republicans are a super-minority in this state,” he noted, “and in our two-party system, having a loyal opposition is critical in my view.” For the past…, represented, politicians, both Republican and Democrat, before the Board of Elections, the Ethics Commission, and various other boards and commissions. I’ve represented a city council here, a town council there.” But pre-2011, his actual experience in public office was limited to a four-year stint on the Cumberland, R.I., planning board, along with a few commission and board appointments. “Then someone had…, Providence Journal, ’s Katherine Gregg described him as the GOP’s “legal bulldog filing one legal challenge after another” against the Democratic leadership. At the statehouse, “I would help the Republican members of the House caucus and the Senate caucus,” Bell said. “I developed some good relationships here. So when I was asked in January if I’d be interested in becoming Legal Counsel, I said, ‘Are you kidding me…, love, to do it!’ In my mind, it was a great change of pace after 23 years of running from court to court all over the place. I love the law and I love politics. Why not combine the two?” Four months into the job, he has no regrets. “It’s extremely rewarding work,” Bell said. “There hasn’t been a dull moment. It’s a small caucus, but I have been given the latitude to run with that, to deal with…, ‘Camaraderie and Civility’, As for Bell's relations with fellow RWU Law graduates on the Democratic side? “Nothing but complete graciousness,” Bell said. “Welcoming and accommodating. I was so impressed with that. Everyone here has been just amazing. I am not talking about partisan matters here, mind you – but if I need something from the ‘third floor,’ as they say in this building, I just have to pick up the phone and I…, is, Kim Ahern,” he said. “I respect her both as a fellow Roger Williams alumnus – and as an absolute rock star in the building! She was Deputy Counsel for Gov. Raimondo, and now she’s Director of Policy and Senior Counsel for Gov. McKee. That’s not just a strong testament to Kim and her work ethic – it’s an indicator of just how deep RWU Law is starting to run in Rhode Island government. And I think…, - NOTE: This article was edited and updated on May 6, 2021, to include Doris Adesuyi, who formally joined the group shortly after the interviews and photography were completed.
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