PBN December 25-31, 2020

PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS

PBN pbn.com

DECEMBER 25-31, 2020

ONE LAST THING

Empower each other

Rep. James R. Langevin | 23

YOUR SOURCE FOR BUSINESS NEWS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND | VOL. 35, NO. 40 | $5

BEYOND COVID

THE 2020 INTERVIEW ISSUE GOV. GINA M. RAIMONDO

SHANNON SULLIVAN

SANDRA J. PATTIE

J.L. “LYNN” SINGLETON

PETER KING

DAVID OSBORNE

KAREN A. SANTILLI

JOSEPH R. PAOLINO JR.

KELLY RAMIREZ

DINO PASSARETTA

JHONNY LEVYA

REV. KENNETH R. SICARD

MAYOR JORGE O. ELORZA

MARK DEPASQUALE

ALAN G. HASSENFELD

2021

January

21 2 0 2 1

4pm

For more information turn to page 24

CONTENTS EDITORIALS

BEYOND COVID Fifteen individuals discuss the toll the COVID-19 pandemic has taken on the Ocean State and what the future will hold for various sectors once the crisis has passed.

Gina M. Raimondo Governor, Rhode Island....................................................4 J.L. “Lynn” Singleton President, Providence Performing Arts Center...............5 Peter King CEO and president, WaterRower Inc...............................7 David Osborne CEO and president, Virgin Pulse Inc.............................. 8 Karen A. Santilli CEO and president, Crossroads Rhode Island............... 9 Joseph R. Paolino Jr. Managing partner, Paolino Properties LP.....................10 Kelly Ramirez CEO, Social Enterprise Greenhouse...............................11 Dino Passaretta CEO, Downtown Restaurant Group................................ 14 Shannon Sullivan President and chief operating officer, Women & Infants Hospital.............................................. 15 Sandra J. Pattie CEO and president, BankNewport................................. 17

Vaccines bring hope for recovery in 2021 The arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in the Ocean State has brought a glimmer of light to the end of the very long, dark tunnel many of us have been feeling our way through in this pandemic year.

What will the recovery look like? And what will it take to get there? The answers, of course, depend on the depth of the pandemic’s effects on the particular business, industry and community, and the perspectives of those who will lead the way in Rhode Island.

We asked 15 of the state’s leaders and doers to share their insights and plans for 2021. They represent many of Rhode Island’s most-affected industries and constituencies.

The consensus? If 2020 has been about survival, then 2021 will begin the recovery. Yes, it will be another challenging year for many, as the depth of the economic, health and social damage becomes clearer. But as Gov. Gina M. Raimondo and others featured in PBN’s 2020 Interview Issue said, with widespread availability of a vaccine will come rebuilding.

“It’s going to take a while to get back on our feet,” said the governor. n

Jhonny Levya President, Heroica Construction Inc.............................. 19

POLL CENTRAL

Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard President, Providence College...................................... 20

PBN.COM POLL

Jorge O. Elorza Mayor, Providence........................................................... 21 Mark DePasquale Founder and CEO, Green Development LLC................ 22 Alan G. Hassenfeld Executive director, Hassenfeld Family Foundation...... 22 One Last Thing: Rep. James R. Langevin................................................ 23

THIS WEEK’S FEATURED COMPANIES BankNewport

17, 18

Black Contractors Association of Rhode Island 19 Butler Hospital Care New England Health System

15 15, 16

Centro Restaurant & Lounge

14

Community College of Rhode Island

17

Crossroads Rhode Island

9

Downtown Restaurant Group

14

Green Development LLC

22

Omni Providence Hotel

14

Paolino Properties LP

10

Providence College

17, 20

Providence Performing Arts Center Public Kitchen & Bar

5 14

30%

51%

No, I can barely afford essentials this year

0%

Social Enterprise Greenhouse

11

•Y es, but not to the point that they jump ahead of federal guidelines for distribution of vaccines

The VIG

14

Vanda Cucina

14

Heroica Construction Inc.

19

Kent County Memorial Hospital

15

Virgin Pulse Inc.

8

Lifespan Corp.

16

WaterRower Inc.

7

Locanda

14

Women & Infants Hospital

15

WHAT’S HAPPENING? SUBMIT YOUR NEWS AT PBN.COM/PBNCONNECT/

Director of Sales and Marketing: Annemarie Brisson, 680-4800 Marketing and Events Manager: Donna Rofino, 680-4832 Marketing, Events & Social Media Coordinator: Tracy Hoyt, 680-4818 Senior Account Managers: Linda Foster, 680-4812 Jim Hanrahan, 680-4816 Advertising Coordinator: Joyce Rylander, 680-4810

Editor: Michael Mello, 680-4820 Managing Editor: William Hamilton, 680-4826 Web Editor: Chris Bergenheim, 680-4886 Copy Editor: Matt Bower, 680-4824 Special Projects Editor: James Bessette, 680-4838 (EDUCATION, NONPROFITS)

Staff Writers: Alexa Gagosz, 680-4828 (HEALTH CARE, HOSPITALITY/TOURISM, WORKFORCE)

Nancy Lavin, 680-4822 (ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, FINANCIAL SERVICES) (GOVERNMENT, MANUFACTURING, REAL ESTATE/DEVELOPMENT)

PRODUCTION

•Y es, because they have been among those most affected by the virus

22

Advertising@PBN.com Fax: 401-274-0270

Researcher: Cassius Shuman, 680-4884

3%

9

Hassenfeld Family Foundation

ADVERTISING

I don’t know

R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp.

6, 11

President & Publisher: Roger C. Bergenheim 680-4848 | Publisher@PBN.com

Mary MacDonald, 680-4830

R.I. Department of Education 21

R.I. Commerce Corp.

7

Subscription Services: 855-813-5805

15%

Should Rhode Island’s communities of color and other residents living in high-density areas be prioritized for COVID-19 vaccines?

Rhode Island Manufacturers Association

Main Phone: 401-273-2201

Editor@PBN.com Fax: 401-274-0670

Yes, but only if the prices are competitive

No, local businesses are getting enough government help

400 Westminster St. Providence, RI 02903

EDITORIAL

Will you go out of your way to “buy local” this holiday season to help those businesses survive the pandemic? DEC. 11-17 Yes, it’s an investment in the local community

PBN

THIS WEEK’S POLL:

•N o, an individual’s underlying health risks should be the only priority consideration •N o, after the elderly and essential workers, residents should have equal access to vaccines

Production Director: Anne Ewing, 680-4860 Art Director: Lisa Lagreca, 680-4868

CIRCULATION PBN@cambeywest.com 1-855-813-5805

ADMINISTRATION Fax: 401-274-6580 Business Manager: Tammy D’Antuono, 680-4840

©2020 Providence Business News Inc.

• I don’t know To vote, go to PBN.com and follow the link on the home page

www.facebook.com/providencebusinessnews @provbusnews

Providence Business News is published weekly

by Providence Business News, 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903 (USPS 002-254) (ISSN 0887-8226) Periodical postage paid at Providence, R.I.

www.linkedin.com/company/providence-business-news

2 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to 400 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

PANEL DISCUSSION Local business experts from various industry sectors providing thoughts on the Ocean State’s economic trends and forecasts for 2021, as well as industryspecific viewpoints.

TOPICS TO INCLUDE (not limited to):

• Congress has approved a second stimulus package. What is the impact to the markets?

What industries could be helped that were excluded from the first round?

• What are the trends going forward in the commercial real estate markets?

• What is the tone of the current bond market? What should we expect near-term? And how will the results of the presidential race influence fixed income in 2021 and beyond?

KEYNOTE SPEAKER PBN’s 2021 Economic Trends Summit will feature a keynote address by Thomas Tzitouris, Head of Fixed Income Research, Strategas.

SAVE THE DATE

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

VIRTUAL SUMMIT | 9AM

• What are some of the notable provisions from the proposed Biden tax plan and what could be the impact be to companies and individuals?

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PARTNER SPONSOR

For sponsorship and advertising opportunities, contact Advertising@PBN.com | 401.680.4800

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 3

BEYOND COVID school, more so than if you didn’t have as much testing, mask wearing, contact tracing. We set up the systems that allowed us to continue to live our lives safely enough so that our hospitals don’t get overwhelmed.

What is your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

That will be 2021. As I end this year, obviously the focus this year is getting through the pandemic.

2021 will be all rebuilding. Rebuilding our economy, making sure all of these businesses hanging on by their fingernails will be able to get back on their feet. So many people have been put out of work in industries [such as] restaurants, hospitality, retail. I worry a lot that some of those jobs will not be coming back. So we have to be there for those people and retrain them and place them in jobs. We really have to lean into hotels and retail and restaurants and catering, the businesses that have been most affected. And also women. Women have fallen out of the workforce at a much greater rate than men. I think because they’ve borne the brunt of the extra family obligations. When the kids are learning from home or somebody gets sick. It’s a real rebuilding year. Making sure we are mindful of who has been hardest-hit.

‘It’s going to take a while to get back on our feet’

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

CRISIS MANAGER: Gov. Gina M. Raimondo has had to make many difficult decisions in 2020 as Rhode Island grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, and she says the recovery process may be difficult, too.

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

GOV.

Gina M. Raimondo started 2020, her sixth year as governor, by outlining her priorities to improve education, affordable housing and job opportunities for Rhode Islanders. Within months, the COVID-19 pandemic upended those plans.

Raimondo declared a state of emergency on March 9 due to the dangers COVID-19

posed to health and life, and for much of the year, it was her voice that state residents heard on

There are so many. The very first thing is we have to get people vaccinated. I’ve had probably five hours of meetings and phone calls today on the vaccine. We have to successfully get the vaccine out to Rhode Islanders as safely and as quickly as possible. Until we really put a lid on the virus and vaccinate the majority of Rhode Islanders, we’re not totally out of the woods. That’s point No. 1.

Point No. 2 is I think … there’s a lot of industries, say commercial real estate, where because remote working is here to stay, I worry a lot about commercial real estate, how are we going to rebuild that? That is a barrier. Airlines, which isn’t a particular issue for Rhode Island, but people are going to be afraid to travel for awhile. So I think some of the hangover effects of COVID will be challenges. By the way, state deficits are enormous. So at a time when we need to be investing, if we don’t have the money, that will be a challenge. I think 2021 is going to be a challenging CONTINUES ON PAGE 6

the pandemic response. Her decisions determined how and whether businesses could operate. She discusses some of the implications of the past year on the state’s budget and economy, and what her priorities are for 2021.

What has been the greatest challenge faced by state governments during the pandemic and how has that affected Rhode Island government?

The greatest challenge is there’s a tension between what you have to do to control the virus and save lives and the economy. So, it’s clear that the more you restrict the economy, the less the virus spreads and the fewer people get sick. However, then you put a lot of people out of business and they lose their livelihoods. The hardest thing has been balancing those two interests. I think that’s

[a challenge] in Rhode Island, [and] everywhere.

What was your response to that challenge?

No. 1, I have really just focused on our hospital system. The thing we could not have was an overwhelmed hospital system, such that hospitals were not able to take care of people. Secondly, we really invested in testing and contact tracing … if you test enough and very quickly identify positives and get them into isolation, and also, if you have mandatory mask wearing, then you can allow people to go to work, allow people to go to

4 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

There’s really no time for drama or fighting.

It’s time to sit down and solve problems.

BEYOND COVID Curtain will go up again, but slowly

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

J.L.

“Lynn” Singleton, president of the Providence Performing Arts Center, has had to overcome hurdles since joining PPAC nearly four decades ago. The COVID-19 pandemic may be one of the biggest hurdles yet. Even though live performances haven’t taken place at the 3,100-seat theater since last spring, Singleton remains optimistic about its future.

It’s been months since PPAC was open to the public. What has your team been up to?

We had to immediately cancel and postpone hundreds of performances. The ironic thing is that we were like, ‘OK, we can’t have the Blue Man Group come in the middle of March, so we’ll just move it to Memorial Day weekend.’ That’s just how naïve we were. But we are currently replacing much of the terracotta on the front of the building. It’s the original, and this is just about the best time to do it while we are closed. It’s the largest renovation restoration project PPAC has ever done since moving the back wall in 1994. The total cost of the project is about $2 million.

How have you been reaching out to the community for the last nine months?

We’ve continued a lot of our community outreach

programs. We’ve also created this program called Experience PPAC, which has a goal of bringing every high school sophomore in the state of Rhode Island to see a Broadway show. We won’t just provide the tickets, but also pay for the buses. Until we can bring kids back, we’ll start livestreaming these performances for students.

What staffing changes have taken place at PPAC? We initially furloughed some people, thinking they would be able to return in six weeks. We immediately laid off a lot of our part-time event people and part-time employees who work during the day. We normally have seven operations people to clean the building. Presently, we have one. In addition, our full-time staff typically consists of 50 people. Now, we are operating with

We will not sacrifice safe for soon.

20, and they have had a 20% to 50% pay reduction.

The people who are remaining have really done a good job, and it has been difficult. But I’ve been at PPAC for 38 years and I’ve had some bumps along the way. But no matter what happens, I’ll always be the person that moved the back wall 12 feet so we could do “Phantom [of the Opera].” I tell my staff [that] their legacy is that they helped PPAC get through the pandemic. Right now, we are in a war, and we must do what we have to do to get to the end of it.

How has PPAC been able to remain financially stable throughout the last nine months, even while closed?

We’ve eliminated about two-thirds from our operating budget of about $5 million. We’ve had some short-term reserves and used those. Hopefully, we don’t have to exhaust our reserves to get through this crisis.

What are the biggest challenges that the art sector is facing right now?

From a 500-foot view, the effects that COVID-19 has had on arts, entertainment, cultural events and even sports have been catastrophic for business. Given the current capacity restrictions, which rightfully exist, it will take a while to come back.

How are you preparing now to reopen in the future?

We started to go down the road of protocols when we can reopen to the public, investigating everything from touchless bathroom fixtures, touchless credit card systems, new ventilation system that has [ultraviolet] lights. Because [even with] the vaccine [being] distributed, the public – rightfully so – will look for a higher level of protocols to give them comfort.

Are you seeing any proof that people want to return to live performances in a postCOVID-19 economy?

We initially realized that after a short period of time that our fall Broadway shows were going to be postponed, and we held our breath to see how people were going to react. But we renewed our Broadway series [subscriptions] at nearly 80%, and I was stunned. It’s one of those things where people know us, people trust us and solidified that we are not going away. But I was very personally and professionally gratified by the loyalty of our patrons. People want to come back to events.

What should the audiences of PPAC expect when the curtain goes up again?

NOT QUITE SHOWTIME: J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, Providence Performing Arts Center president, says getting the theater up and running to the level it was before the pandemic won’t be “like turning the light switch on.”

PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

As we bring back staff, it’s not like turning the light switch on. We’ll have to do local events first, and some one-nighters. You’re not going to roll in a month of “Frozen.” And, candidly, 75%-80% of our net revenue is generated from national tours and Broadway. People are going to be late to the party, and they’re going to be reluctant. People are going to have to feel safe and secure. We will not sacrifice safe for soon. We have been around for 92 years, and we’re going to be around for 92 more. But we’re going to do it right. n www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 5

BEYOND COVID CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

year. Not as bad as 2020, that’s for sure. But it’s going to take a while to get back on our feet.

How fixed is the schedule for who will get the vaccine first and what considerations went into that? How fluid is this?

We are pretty sure. However, what we’ve learned, and we’re learning it now with this: you can have a theory on paper and then once you put it into action, you always learn things that were unexpected. So I think the broad categories are correct.

You want to get the health care workers. You want to get the first responders. You want to get to the people in nursing homes. But when you’re executing this stuff on the ground, you run into challenges or practical realities you didn’t always think of. So it might be a little bit fluid around the edges.

There are some groups, I’m thinking of some that have been in the national news, such as the hospitality industry, teachers, even shipyard workers, apparently who are advocating for moving up in line. Will they be allowed to move up in line?

No. The broad categories and guidelines are not likely to change. We know we need to do health care workers, and the most vulnerable first. …

But here’s the good news: I’ve been talking to a lot of the vaccine manufacturers this week. They’re anticipating their ability to manufacture is really going to ramp up in January and February. So I think we’ll have a lot more of it next year.

Is the state going to have enough doses to get everyone who wants a vaccination inoculated by the late spring?

I think so, yes.

Is that because the manufacturers feel confident they can produce these vaccines?

That’s what they’re telling us. For instance, we were on a call yesterday with Johnson & Johnson, who has a vaccine that hasn’t yet been approved, but hopefully they’ll get approved. And once they do get approved, they’re using a tried-and-true manufacturing process and they think they can start ramping up very quickly.

How will the vaccine program impact your reopening of business activity? Will it be dependent on how many people are getting the shot in Rhode Island? I’m wondering if that’s going to become a data point for you.

Yes, it will become a factor. Once you have all of your health care workers and your nursing home residents and all of your first responders vaccinated, obviously that takes a lot of the risk off the table.

Looking ahead to the fiscal 2022 budget, what is your position on higher income taxes for wealthier Rhode Islanders? A lot of progressives would like to see a higher income tax rate for people who make more than a few hundred thousand a year.

I’d like to avoid it. I’m not ruling it out because it may be necessary.

What will you do to ensure the R.I. Commerce Corp. incentive programs remain a

PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

part of the fiscal 2022 budget? Rep. K. Joseph Shekarchi, the presumed next House speaker, said that although the sunset has been extended, the merit of these programs may be discussed in the next session.

Well, I think that’s fair. Every dime that we spend of taxpayers’ money should be debated and evaluated, to make sure it’s appropriate. I do support those programs because they’ve created thousands of jobs. I will say that next year, we need to be investing in job growth. We need to be helping small businesses, helping people find jobs, helping to stimulate our economy. Everything we do should be to stimulate the economy. Hopefully the legislature will do their debate and look at the facts. The facts speak for themselves on those initiatives. They’ve created thousands of goodpaying jobs. And I think we need to keep investing in what works to get people back to work.

Are you going to try again to legalize recreational marijuana?

Yes, I will try to do that again. I tried to do it this year. I’m in favor of it. And it’s also revenue, which would help the state when we need it.

Manufacturers have said they’re nervous about this because they worry about their workforce coming in under the influence.

Can safeguards be put in place to prevent that or to give them more control?

I do [think safeguards can be put into place]. And I hear them. I hear the concern. I share the concern.

But the reality is it is [coming into] Rhode Island.

Anyone who lives in the East Bay who does their shopping over the line in Seekonk or Attleboro knows that. There are stores there. I live in Provi-

6 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

dence and you’re in South Attleboro in six minutes. If you talk to the state police, they’ll tell you the same thing. They see it in our community, on our roads. I would rather have us legalize it here and have proper regulations, so we can regulate it and keep everyone safer, than to pretend it’s not here. It is, because Massachusetts is so close.

You went from very high approval ratings in the spring when the pandemic first started to less-so this fall. I’m wondering what you made of that shift and does it affect your decision-making?

No, it does not affect my decision-making at all. I have never looked at those polls. I have a job to do and everything else just doesn’t matter.

How do you expect your working relationship with [the next House speaker] Shekarchi will be different than with his predecessor, with whom you didn’t always agree on economic issues? What should Rhode Islanders expect in terms of a relationship between your office and the General Assembly?

I think very highly of the incoming speaker. I think he is very smart. He’s a can-do person. And he knows how to build consensus. My administration worked very closely with him when he was the majority leader on the Qualified Jobs tax incentive program. He was really the lead on that and we worked with him. I’m optimistic.

Look, this is a crisis and next year will be really difficult. So there’s really no time for drama or fighting. It’s time to sit down and solve problems.

And that’s what Joe likes to do. Sit down and solve problems. n

BEYOND COVID Pandemic has been an ordeal … and a boon, too

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

PETER

King is CEO and president of WaterRower Inc., a manufacturer of rowing exercise machines that has seen its sales expand in the pandemic because of an increase in the purchases of personal fitness equipment. COVID-19 also took its toll on the Warren-based company. Early in the pandemic, an outbreak hit

many of WaterRower’s employees, causing sickness and absences. One of the workers at WaterRower died of the virus.

What has happened to the market for Water­Rower in 2020? Have you found more demand for your recreational or exercise equipment?

The rowing machine market has two distinct parts: the commercial market, which entails gyms and studios, etc. … and the home market. The pandemic has closed many gyms and those that have not closed have seen markedly reduced patronage. Notable bankruptcies have included 24 Hour Fitness, New York Sports Club, Boston Sports Club, Gold’s Gym. In the vacuum created by these closures, lockdown directives and home-working initiatives, home-fitness sales have exploded.

WaterRower sold six months of product in a space

of six weeks. The market is up 40% to 50%.

What have been the challenges faced by your industry during the pandemic and how have they affected your company?

Home fitness is booming and supply lines have been strained by this demand, and COVID closures as well. As a manufacturer, we were fortunate that the Rhode Island government jumped behind support for the state’s manufacturers right at the onset of the pandemic, driven by the advocacy of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association. The government was appreciative of the impact to manufacturers of [the] forced shutdown.

When supply lines that took many, many years to build are broken, it can sometimes be impossible

We have expanded our manufacturing two–fold … to keep up with demand.

to rebuild, leading to failure. We cannot, however, operate without our workforce, and at the height of the first wave of COVID, we had 70-plus people absent for reasons including anxiety, child-minding duties, infection, quarantine, etc.

What has been your response to those challenges?

We have expanded our manufacturing two–fold over the last six months to keep up with demand and have invested in many new items in the plant to do so.

What is your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

Our conundrum is whether the COVID-driven demand lessens once the pandemic is behind us, whether consumer choice reverts to pre-pandemic days or whether the change in consumer habits sticks. For example, home and connected-home fitness as opposed to gyms.

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

Our main challenge is to continue to ramp up our production. In doing this, we need to maintain and expand our workforce. Keeping the workforce healthy and at work is essential. We have faith in our many installed mitigations but realize that any infection is going to come from outside, and when it does, how we detect it and protect from it are keys to this challenge.

How have you kept your employees motivated through the crisis this year?

We continue to be meticulous with our mitigation efforts, being as visible as we can. We know that this has been much appreciated by our employees in that we are going above and beyond in an effort to keep them safe. We hope that these mitigationcentered work habits are being sensibly transferred to their out-of-work life. We fear [that] may be not [happening]. With our over-full order book, we have implemented new bonus structures to share the success with employees.

What happened this year that you didn’t expect? Anything unrelated to COVID-19 that you had to adjust operations for?

PLAYING IT SAFE: Peter King, CEO and president of WaterRower Inc., says the company has been meticulous about safety measures after a COVID-19 outbreak in the spring.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

The transformation in the business in the wake of COVID-19 has been a catalyst for many changes in the business, and it can be difficult to see anything else. One of the non-COVID, unexpected changes has been the sudden implementation of a 25% punitive tariff by the European Union on many U.S.-made goods as a reaction to the Boeing/Airbus subsidy disputes. The broader category of fitness equipment, including rowing machines, has been included in the list of these goods. Given that 65% of our product is exported – 80% of which goes to Europe – this has been a sudden, unanticipated hit, and clearly accentuated by being in the middle of a pandemic. In these times, I do not know what these EU bureaucrats were thinking! n www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 7

BEYOND COVID David Osborne

CEO and president, Virgin Pulse Inc.

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

Virgin Pulse provides a digital health and wellness platform for employers. How has the company responded to COVID-19?

to move because he can work from home. It’s competitive.

We were quick to respond to the COVID-19 public health guidelines and built it directly into our platform.

We pulled forward a product called VP Passport, which is basically our own scenario of “is someone safe to come into the office” by answering 10 questions.

During non-pandemic times, the Providence office is typically full of happy, engaged people. It’s a collaborative culture. Everyone has a standing table, there are pool tables, shuffleboard, ping pong and group lunches.

Because of the environment, we build products faster than anybody else in our space, we acquire companies faster than anybody in our space and then we celebrate those wins together.

We’ve proven to ourselves more than anything that we can still be productive working from home.

What challenges is the tech sector facing in this crisis?

Hiring great engineers is still really hard. For example, an engineer gets a call from Silicon Valley in prepandemic times, and he’s not going to return the call because there’s no way he’s moving there. Fast forward to now and in post-pandemic times, that engineer is going to take the call because he just increased his salary [by taking a job with a Silicon Valley company], and he doesn’t have

What challenges have you faced at Virgin Pulse in downtown Providence?

Do you anticipate Virgin Pulse will reduce its downtown presence?

I don’t anticipate it. As much as we say we will hire remote workers, we do have a large focus on hiring in Providence.

We’ve proven to ourselves … that we can still be productive working from home.

COURTESY VIRGIN PULSE INC.

Are there any challenges you’re seeing with your own staff?

People are working harder and are probably more stressed out. You can’t really go anywhere on vacation, so what do you do? You might as well work. I don’t think they’re taking breaks and we’re trying to encourage them to do that more. Everyone is responding differently, too. People have child care needs, they are homeschooling, they’re worrying about

elderly parents. So, we’re trying to address ... how do you maintain a proper work-life balance.

How are you overcoming those challenges?

We’re rolling out a flexible workfrom-home program. It will have flexible [personal time off] so you don’t have to track hours and we’re going to have a more flexible schedule.

We’re relooking at our benefits. n

Cargill is Now Hiring for Production roles in North Kingstown, RI! Cargill is one of the largest, most diverse and most successful food companies in the world, and our purpose is to nourish the world in a safe, responsible and sustainable way. We prioritize our employees’ health and well-being, who are essential to the food supply chain. Our broad scale and scope allow you to take your career anywhere you’d like; providing you with new opportunities for you to grow, develop and make an impact on the future of our business. Choose Cargill and take your opportunity to thrive!

Compensation: $1,200 Bonus!

Starting Pay Rate: $14.00 - $19.15/hr Full-Time Permanent Positions & 4-day Work Weeks!

Benefits:

Find meaningful employment.

Build upon your skills.

Create positive change.

Overtime Potential, Vacation & Holiday Pay, Health Insurance, 401(k), Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance & Short Term Disability, Employee Discounts, and much more!

Apply Online Today!

Visit: careers.cargill.com/northkingstown-ri or text “Jobs” to (952) 800-1459 Cargill is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Disability/Vet.

8 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

Scan the QR code with your smart device to apply!

BEYOND COVID Karen A. Santilli

CEO and president, Crossroads Rhode Island

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

What have been the challenges faced by Crossroads Rhode Island during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization?

The pandemic has challenged our operations and threatened the population we serve in ways that would have seemed inconceivable just one year ago. In March, it quickly became clear that we would need significant resources to continue providing our critical services safely and without interruption. Unfortunately, that required resources that we just did not have at the time, some of which we still don’t have. We needed funding to adapt our facilities and space to relocate the beds that we had to remove from our shelters for social distancing.

through [R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp.], we were also recently able to add capacity for 30 more beds at a temporary emergency shelter … in Providence. Although COVID-19 allowed us to cut through some of the red tape, opening that emergency shelter has taken months and required thousands of hours of work.

Once the need for emergency shelter beds subsides, we plan to redevelop that property into permanent, sup-

portive housing.

What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

In anticipation of increased need, we plan on redoubling our focus on building more permanent, affordable and supportive housing throughout the state. This will require continued funding from state and federal leaders, as well as the continued com-

mitment from our many community partners and the generosity of the donors that sustain our work.

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

What has been your response to those challenges?

Reducing the number of beds in our shelters for social distancing and finding new space to relocate those beds was a real challenge. As a shortterm solution, we partnered with the state to set up temporary housing in a hotel that would have otherwise been closed due to low demand. Thanks to COVID-19 relief funding awarded

Those hardest-hit by these worldchanging events are often the slowest to recover.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

Sadly, we expect that many people in Rhode Island will continue to struggle with economic and health-related fallout from the virus, even [now that a] vaccine [is] available. As we saw with the Great Recession, those hardesthit by these world-changing events are often the slowest to recover.

Additionally, the housing market was also facing significant capacity issues prior to the pandemic. The cost of owning and renting a home will only continue to increase unless we add additional units that people can afford. It’s pretty clear that we are facing an uphill battle. n

Reflections & Gratitude In a year of uncertainty and change, we reflect on what matters the most... be grateful for all we have cherish our families and friends give back to our local communities stay connected, healthy and safe and, be thankful for our clients’ confidence and trust

From Our Family to Yours...We Wish You Great Health and Happiness in 2021

401-824-5100

pldolaw.com www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 9

BEYOND COVID Joseph R. Paolino Jr.

Managing partner, Paolino Properties LP

BY MARY MACDONALD | MacDonald@PBN.com

As a building owner and landlord, what did you take to be your responsibility this year for encouraging tenants to feel safe?

What has been your response to those challenges?

In addition to the advanced cleaning protocols and hand-sanitizing stations … we installed thermal temperature scanners at the entrances and ultraviolet air purifiers in the HVAC [heating, ventilation and air conditioning] systems of our multi-tenant office buildings. We have also been diligent in our communication to our tenants and to the public. I feel it is my responsibility as a community leader to share best practices.

We were cognizant that some companies had more of an ability to pay rent than others, so we handled each request for deferment on a case-bycase basis. We hired a consultant specifically to engage with our tenants and help them through the process of applying for Paycheck Protection Program loans. We have been in constant contact with them to ensure that

I feel it is my responsibility as a community leader to share best practices.

it is not our goal to throw them out but to help them through this unprecedented time.

What is your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

It’s going to take some time for the economy to bounce back. We believe that businesses will have different priorities moving forward, so we are trying to plan accordingly. Compa-

What have been the challenges, in general, faced by your industry during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization?

nies may want different floor layouts or more square footage to allow for more space between their employees.

I believe tenants will also be more concerned about the health of the overall building, so we are making investments in HVAC upgrades at our properties. Health may indeed be the next building amenity.

Presents

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

The rollout of the vaccine will certainly be a challenge as we look toward a recovery. I think people are eager to return to normal. Remote work is possible but it’s not ideal for collaboration, and isolation is certainly not beneficial for our mental health. The routine of going to the office each JoinPresents Jon Gordon asday hemay hosts this monthly webcast have been taken for granted featurin in the past,minds and I am optimistic that America’s top business and thought leaders. people will be eager to come together again when it is safe to do so. n PBN FILE PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Rent collection has been the biggest challenge. How can you tell a small mom-and-pop business, who can barely tread water with all their customers gone, that they have to pay rent in full and on time or lose their property? You just can’t. This has affected our organization directly since rent collection is our primary means of income.

BE OUR GUEST. REGISTER NOW.

onthly webcast featuring nd thought leaders.

Go to: businessforumusa.com

JAN. 13

11:00AM CST Join Jon Gordon as he hosts this monthly webcast featuring America’s top business minds and thought leaders.STEVE FORBES Presents

Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media and former presidential candidate

BE OUR GUEST. REGISTER NOW.

Presents

Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editorin-Chief of Forbes Media. Steve’s newest project is the podcast “What’s Ahead,” where he engages the world’s top newsmakers, politicians and pioneers in business and economics.

Go to: businessforumusa.com

JAN. 13 JAN. 11:00AM 13 CST

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

JAN. 13

EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED SPONSORSHIPS AVAILABLE

CST hosts this monthly webcast Become an exclusive11:00AM partner with PBN for thisfeaturing 2021 monthly webcast STEVE featuring topFORBES business minds and thought leaders. ness minds series and thought leaders.

For information

Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media andaccount former contact your presidential candidate

manager or Advertising@PBN.com

UEST. REGISTER NOW. Forbes is Chairman and Editor10 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS Steve NEWS | www.pbn.com

in-Chief of Forbes Media. Steve’s newest project is the podcast “What’s Ahead,” where he engages the world’s top newsmakers, politicians and

mer e

Steve Forbes is Chairman and Editorin-Chief of Forbes Media. Steve’s newest project is the podcast “What’s Ahead,” where he engages the world’s top newsmakers, politicians and pioneers in business and economics.

AN. 13

Go to: businessforumusa.com

t featuring aders.

BE OUR GUEST. REGISTER NOW.

Editor-in-Chief Forbes Media andofformer Forbes Media and former presidential candidate preseidential candidate

STER NOW.

Join Jon Gordon as he hosts this monthly webcast featuring America’s top business minds and thought leaders.

STEVE FORBES STEVE FORBES Editor-in-Chief of

musa.com

11:00AM CST

BEYOND COVID Kelly Ramirez

CEO, Social Enterprise Greenhouse

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

What have been the challenges faced by your industry during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization?

Small businesses are facing significant challenges. Many people have experienced job cutbacks and/or losses.

Historically excluded businesses and communities have been even more negatively impacted. These challenges have made SEG’s mission to help people launch and grow businesses more urgent and needed.

What has been your response to those challenges?

We have taken all our programs virtual and made our services pay-whatyou-can to eliminate barriers. We have partnered with R.I. Commerce Corp. to ensure that more businesses and organizations, particularly those that are less connected to business supports and services, have access to CARES [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act resources such as free technology, free website development and intense expert

coaching. We even held a COVID-19 incubator to help people start organizations that respond to social challenges emerging as a result of the pandemic.

This is admittedly a hard climate to start or scale a business.

Has that affected participation or demand for SEG’s business programs and services?

Demand for our programs and services has actually increased during this time. Last year we served 300plus businesses and entrepreneurs and this year that number increased to almost 900. Some people have more time to pursue an idea, some find virtual programming more accessible, and others are trying to supplement income through self-employment.

What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

It will be more important than ever for people to be able to create their

One of Rhode Island’s strengths is our connected and collaborative ecosystem.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

own opportunities and for businesses to get the support that they most need.

We will continue to listen to the needs of the business community and offer services and support in both English and Spanish to best respond to these needs. We will continue to prioritize reaching and serving historically excluded businesses. The role business can play in creating positive social impact in our communities is more important than ever.

What long-term impacts do you think the pandemic will have on how groups like SEG support the small-business community?

The work of business-support organizations will be more important than ever. There are many unknowns. We all need to continue to be adaptive and partner to help address the longterm economic challenges. But one of Rhode Island’s strengths is our connected and collaborative ecosystem. n

WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER

CHISHOLM CHISHOLM KILPATRICK

BEQUEST MANAGEMENT | VETERANS LAW | LTD & ERISA LAW 401.331.6300

cck-law.com www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 11

BEYOND COVID

H APP Y BIRT HDAY S –

This year, Amgen turned 40 and Amgen Rhode Island turned 15 Ours is truly a unique origin story.

A history of singular achievements

It was in 1980 that AMGen (Applied Molecular Genetics) first became a company, boasting a staff of three and occupying a shared building, today called “Building 1.”

Before defining its ultimate mission - the treating and curing of disease - the Company’s scientists engaged in a wide variety of early experiments, among them creating organisms to extract oil from shale; growing chickens faster; making specialty chemicals; cloning luciferase (the light source for fireflies) and creating a process for producing indigo dye in E. coli - an achievement that scored the prestigious cover of Science magazine.

Over the next four decades, Amgen set off on a journey of unbroken successes:

In 1983, the stakes were raised considerably.

• The 2000s find the Company in space (on the space shuttle Endeavour, to study the effects of rapid bone loss on astronauts); on a mission (founding Breakaway from Cancer, a national initiative to increase awareness of important resources available to people affected by cancer; and in Rhode Island (opening Amgen Rhode Island).

Their job was staggering: finding a gene on a single fragment of DNA among 1.5 million fragments of the human genome. Yet, in 1983, a team led by a young Taiwanese researcher was tasked with doing exactly that - finding and cloning the erythropoietin gene. After working tirelessly for two years, the mission was accomplished. It was a groundbreaking achievement that enabled the creation of one of the most successful drugs in biotech history, EPOGEN.

And it was the breakthrough that launched Amgen.

12 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

• By the end of the 1980s, the FDA approves EPOGEN which is named Product of the Year, by Fortune magazine - and Amgen goes international.

• In the 1990s, more blockbuster drugs are developed and FDA-approved, the Amgen Foundation is formed as a means of giving back to the community, and Amgen becomes the first biotech company to receive the U.S. Department of Commerce National Medal of Technology.

• Last decade, Amgen RI built the Company’s first U.S. Next-Gen Plant, designed for greater flexibility, speed and efficiency - manufacturing products for the U.S. and global markets.

• And just this year, Amgen joined the Dow Jones Industrial Average. What a long, satisfying trip it has been. Over 40 years, we’ve grown from that small team in a California office park to a global biotech leader in 100 countries.

BEYOND COVID With a future that’s just as bright Today at Amgen RI, the work continues.

We’re manufacturing protein therapeutics in the areas of oncology, bone health, cardiovascular, inflammation and nephrology medicines that can and do have dramatic impacts on patients’ lives.

Amgen RI and our community.

Thanks to a workforce that volunteers every chance it gets, we are extremely active in our local communities - for example, Amgen’s Biotech Experience, our hands-on science program, brings science professionals and area high school students together.

We’re proud to have donated millions of dollars to the State of Rhode Island and other worthy organizations through the Amgen Foundation since 2004.

Most recently, AMGEN donated $500,000 to the Rhode Island COVID-19 Response Fund and $250,000 to social justice causes statewide.

R V ALU ES

At Amgen RI, we’re guided every day by our deeply rooted corporate values.

BE SCIENCE-BASED COMPETE INTENSELY AND WIN

CREATE VALUE FOR PATIENTS, STAFF AND STOCKHOLDERS.

BE ETHICAL

TRUST AND RESPECT EACH OTHER

OU

OUR GOAL IS AS VITAL NOW AS IT WAS IN 1980 - TO SERVE EVERY PATIENT, EVERY TIME.

ENSURE QUALITY WORK IN TEAMS COLLABORATE, COMMUNICATE AND BE ACCOUNTABLE

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 13

BEYOND COVID Restaurant rebound will be ‘joint effort’

BY BRUCE NEWBURY | Contributing Writer

DINO

Passaretta is CEO of the Downtown Restaurant Group, which operates five Rhode Island restaurants: Public Kitchen & Bar in Providence, Centro Restaurant & Lounge in Providence, The VIG in Providence, Locanda in South Kingstown, and Vanda Cucina in Warwick. It’s no secret the restaurant industry has been hit hard

by COVID-19. The statewide “pause” instituted on Nov. 30 was just one more hurdle for Passaretta and other restaurateurs.

What have been the challenges faced by the state’s restaurant industry during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization?

The [capacity limits on dining]. It is difficult enough to operate a restaurant at full capacity.

Margins in our business are just dwindling. Prices are rising from suppliers. Something has to happen in our industry. Also, the initial money that the government handed out actually worked against us [in the business]. We had to lay off our staff, who then ended up making more money than ever from the $600-a-week bonus in their unemployment [benefits]. It wasn’t worth their while to come back to work until that ran out.

[Everyone who collected] was in the same boat.

There was lots of money in everyone’s pocket to

go out, to get takeout. Now that is gone ... and so people are hurting.

What has been your response to those challenges?

We decided to open for takeout. We had to change our menu to do takeout. In Warwick, the community was begging us to open. But Vanda was always the place to go for special occasions. The center of the plate is always perfect. When people are [ordering] food to take home, they are not looking for perfection. They need to eat! So we served pasta with meatballs, baked lasagna that either we baked or that could be finished at home. We were selling house-made pasta with quarts of sauce or pesto. A lot of “grab-and-go” items. We [gradually] got away from that when we reopened for the summer. We went back to what Vanda was about.

What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

We absolutely will bring back our outdoor dining.

People loved it. We did it right. We have a very wide sidewalk around [Vanda’s] building with an overhang. I never would have done it if I had to put up a tent. We have to bring our prices up. But it has to be a joint effort from everyone. If I raise my [menu] prices and the guy down the street keeps his low, I’m going to get the reputation of being the expensive place. And realistically, that guy is not making money. He is just doing it to get people coming in the door to create cash flow.

I’m following [New York City celebrity chef and restaurateur] David Chang. He says [repositioning price point] has to be a joint effort. I might like to do a market at Vanda with items that can be taken home or where you can come and eat. And we will continue taking orders online, which we were not able to do before COVID.

People are hurting, just like we are hurting.

Do you think guests/customers might give you some slack on price given what we have all been through? Or are we going to go back to our bargain-hunting ways?

We will definitely go back to our bargain-hunting ways. [Keep in mind] everything was fine and dandy the first time we shut down. Everyone had that extra $600 in their pocket. People were spending money, going out and getting takeout. Some had never had that much [extra] money in their pocket before. But that is no longer available and people are hurting, just like we are hurting.

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

It all depends on the type of restaurant. Vanda is upscale Italian. Italian food is all about product.

We make our own sausage every day. We make our own ricotta. We make pasta every day and make our own sauces. Everything is made from scratch.

How have the towns and cities you operate in handled the pandemic?

PERMANENT CHANGE: Dino Passaretta, CEO of the Downtown Restaurant Group, says the pandemic forced his businesses to make adjustments that will remain after the crisis has passed, including outdoor dining and online ordering.

PBN FILE PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

14 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

I think Warwick has done a really good job. The permit process was smooth. The only thing [the city] asked us to do was put up barriers in our outdoor area to protect our customers from the cars.

We did not deal with Providence at all because we were closed. We tried to open Public [Kitchen & Bar] for three months and finally closed it Nov. 30.

We were losing money every week on salaries and inventory. There was no one there. We put it on pause when the state went on pause. The [Centro in the Omni Providence Hotel] was not an option because it never opened. It may reopen Jan. 1. And The VIG is dictated by [the Dunkin’ Donuts Center]. If The Dunk doesn’t open, the hotel doesn’t open, so we don’t open. It may be next spring or beyond. n

BEYOND COVID Redoubling focus on women’s health

BY ALEXA GAGOSZ | Gagosz@PBN.com

patients who had it and the infection-prevention pieces of it. At this point, we sort of have a handle on that. The second challenge was around caring for patients without COVID-19 who still needed to access care and how we were going to provide it that was both safe for them and our staff. I think the real challenge has been remaining financially viable in these times. The cancelation of elective surgeries for all the hospitals across the state was devastating financially. It was the right thing for our patients, but it made a lot of us to start operating in the red.

What has been your response at W&I to address those challenges?

Women & Infants is lucky because overall, we’ve had [fewer] COVID-19 patients than most of the other hospitals. We took a proactive approach from the very beginning by ensuring that all our policies and protocols were in place. We had enough [personal protective equipment] and we really limited visitors.

How do you think COVID-19 has impacted women’s health care and access to that care?

There was a decline in women getting preventative care, such as mammograms, colonoscopies, endoscopies and pap smears. It leaves us to worry about what that might mean in the future. We’ve seen somewhat of an uptick in our breast-cancer diagnoses this fall at Women & Infants. Women have also been affected a lot more by the economics surrounding the pandemic. More women lost their jobs than men; many women have chosen not to return to their jobs because of children learning at home or they are taking care of an elderly family member. And this all leads them to having less access to health care in the long run, and [fewer] opportunities in the workforce.

What have you done to combat this at W&I? ACCESS ADVOCATE: Shannon Sullivan, Women & Infants Hospital president and chief operating officer, says she’s concerned that fewer women have sought health screening during the pandemic and the effects that might have in the future.

PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

WHEN

cases of COVID-19 were spreading quickly across the country in the spring, Kent County Memorial Hospital executive Shannon Sullivan was tasked with assembling a team and transforming a former office building

in Cranston into a 335-bed field hospital to handle the expected surge of sick people. It was completed in less than a month. Since then, Sullivan has been promoted to president and chief operating officer at Care New England Health System’s Women & Infants Hospital, Rhode Island’s only specialty hospital for women and infants.

It’s been about nine months since COVID-19 really changed life as we knew it. How has your role changed within CNE? I’ve personally had a bit of transition since last March. When this pandemic started, I was at Kent [County Memorial] Hospital as the vice president of operations. Quickly, we realized that our leadership was going to need to split up and be able to take on different roles. I took on the setup of the [Cranston] field hospital and then transitioned to Women & Infants Hospital. At Women & Infants,

we’ve been focused on really good postpartum care, making sure our ambulatory sites remained open for access, keeping our mammography open so that women could come in and get routine mammograms during this time.

What have been some of the biggest challenges faced by the health care sector during the pandemic?

There’s been a few. We were really learning with COVID-19 to figure out how to care for the

We’ve committed to keeping all our diagnostic imaging open throughout the next phase of whatever happens with COVID-19. And we’ve moved a lot of our diagnostic imaging off campus, so women don’t have to come into the hospital if they’re uncomfortable doing so. Also, we partnered with Butler Hospital for significant behavioral-health programs centered on the unique needs of women, whether its prenatal, postpartum, adolescent or for a variety of other areas of their life.

You told PBN in July that under your leadership, Women & Infants would need to “spend more time [ensuring] that our revenue streams and operations were sound.”

It’s been five months. How’s that going?

There’s been ups and downs. We’ve had some good months and some really difficult months.

We’ve been focused on building strong alliances throughout the region around women’s health.

We’re working with hospitals that aren’t just in the CNE system as we help them build their women’s health programs. They have our expertise, and we can bring that academic level of women’s health care into the community and it’s securing more revenue streams.

What are the challenges that W&I faces when trying to stay sustainable right now?

It’s going to be [similar] to the challenges we’ve seen so far. It’s making sure that we’re able to keep our services open and safe for our patients and keep our staff safe at the same time. Moving forward, the most important thing is for women to be able to access the health care they need, when they need it – whether there’s a surge [of new CONTINUES ON PAGE 16

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 15

BEYOND COVID CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15

­ OVID-19 cases] or not. When we ramped down C on services in the spring, it did have a real impact on women in our community. We’re just not willing to do that again unless we must.

What is your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis becomes manageable and eventually passes?

We’re going to need to concentrate more on our population health strategy. The healthier we keep the population, the less reliant we’re going to be on some of the systems that we put in place to care for the sick. The second is diversifying the types of care we provide in the hospital setting and how we financially make ourselves viable in a lot of different ways. When you rely only on inpatient care, or rely only on elective surgeries, we’ve learned that in a crisis, any of those things can go [away] in a heartbeat.

What could hospital systems lean on if they’re not reliant on elective surgeries?

With the Affordable Care Act, the country has moved toward quality as opposed to quantity. We have payer contracts that reward organizations for high-quality work in a meaningful way that is going to be important. As a country, we haven’t made that total transition yet, so we still rely on volume in a lot of different areas. But we’re slowly and surely building those systems to really focus on quality and collaboration, and population health.

PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

A lot of hospitals have been buoyed by funding from the [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act. Care New England [Health System] hasn’t had that luxury of receiving a lot of CARES Act money up to this point because we’re in this unique situation of having two specialty hospitals [W&I and Butler Hospital]. But we can no longer function as a standalone health system. So, the merger with Lifespan [Corp.] is going to be important for us to come to fruition.

the ability to have more capital to renovate our labor room like we’ve been planning to for the past few years to being able to redo our division and programs in women’s oncology. I also think that it will be exciting to be able to collaborate with women’s health providers across the state and not be limited by your own health system.

And that’s obviously exciting for Lifespan, too. A woman won’t have to skip between health systems anymore. She will be able to get her complete and total care across the state. We’ll have one integrated health record, one integrated group of doctors, to be able to care for you throughout your entire life. That’s exciting to me.

What would a merger with Lifespan mean for W&I?

How have the staffing levels held up at W&I during the pandemic?

How do you estimate how long a recovery will take at W&I?

We’re going to need to look at how we bring our care regionally and branch out from just the small area that we currently serve. We’re one of the top women’s health programs in the nation, and so we should be serving a much larger scope of women than we are right now. We might not be able to currently have as big a footprint as we want to because of insurance regulations in another state and that’s really a shame. A woman in Fall River or a woman in New London, [Conn.,] should all be able to get the same level of care that a woman in Providence, Cranston or Barrington can get.

From the perspective of women’s health, what will be your major asks from an eventual Lifespan-CNE merger?

For W&I, it will be access to capital. We have things that we haven’t been able to do because we have not had access to strong capital funding. So,

There was a decline in women getting preventative care.

We certainly always have staff who are out on quarantine or who are out sick themselves. With the uptick of community spread, it’s also impacting our staff because they live right in our community. Overall, we’ve been able to retain all the services we’ve had. It’s gotten close and we’ve certainly had to get creative when some services have had less staffing.

What will W&I need from the next generation of health care workers in Rhode Island as they graduate and move into the workforce?

Right now, Women & Infants is really focused on diversifying our workforce because it does not represent the community we serve. We’re whiter and much older. As we move forward, we’re looking to not only build a nursing workforce that provides the highest quality of care but also one that looks like the community we serve. [In October] we hired Sandra Victorino as the director of workforce development, and we’re really working with her to not only attract but [retain] people so that we can do a better job representing the Rhode Island that we serve right in our building.

Why hasn’t W&I’s workforce been reflective of the community it serves?

I don’t know the answer. I think that many companies as a whole are late to recognizing that we serve diverse communities and that we also have to have opportunities for people in those diverse communities. Health care is one of the biggest

16 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

employers in the state, so frankly we should be doing a better job.

How has what you’re looking for in candidates changed since you first worked for W&I nearly 20 years ago?

The core values are the same. We’re still looking for kind, compassionate workers who really want to do the best job they can and are committed to our vision of the future in terms of community health and the importance of women’s health care in our region. But I think the other piece that we’re really looking for is people who are willing to grow with us, who are open-minded and can pivot, who are interested in developing themselves and being committed to the community. So it’s less about core values and it’s more about the ability to be flexible.

Do you think that this pandemic is going to motivate younger people to want to go into the health care industry in the next five to 10 years?

I hope so. I hope that people see that those in health care have a real impact every day on people’s lives. I hope they see that working in health care isn’t just a way to make a decent living, but also a way to really give back to the community you live in.

From the perspective of a health care professional who has seen the good and bad of the past nine months, how have you kept hope during this pandemic? And how do you encourage others to do the same?

It can be easy to get bogged down. I have three small children and watching them throughout the pandemic has been painful. They have been cut off from their friends and teachers and are unable to play freely like children are supposed to. As a parent, and as a professional, it can be really overwhelming. But I have seen more goodness in people in the last nine months than I could have ever imagined. I’ve watched health care professionals volunteering to do things that frankly put them in harm’s way. I think in some ways, we’ve seen our best selves in this pandemic because we’ve been able to really focus less on our differences and more on how we’re going to care for each other now and into the future. n

BEYOND COVID Banking’s biggest challenge in 2021: Uncertainty

BY NANCY LAVIN | Nancy Lavinz@PBN.com

SANDRA

J. Pattie serves as CEO and president of BankNewport, a position she has held since 2012. She is the first female CEO in the bank’s 200-year history and has more than 40 years of experience in the industry. Pattie is a graduate of the Community College of Rhode Island, Providence

College, the University of Wisconsin’s School for Bank Administration and the College of Financial Planning at Northeastern University.

What have been the challenges faced by the banking industry during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization? What has been your response to those challenges?

Our biggest challenge was meeting our customer needs. Customers still wish to meet in person for a number of different transactions and we can continue to do so through in-person appointments, drive-thrus, our call center and personal teller machines, and more.

It’s very interesting to us that we continue to see transaction volume very similar to 2019, so even though we’ve seen a lot of different methods to connect to our customers, I can’t say we’ve lost any momentum.

The pandemic, of course, is our most visible challenge. We have seen some financial challenges as well, although it’s more in line with today’s interest environment, not directly related to the pandemic. The low-interest-rate environment is favorable to consumers, so customers are borrowing and we’ve experienced an interest in loan originations. That does mean we’re seeing higher-earning assets being replaced by lowerearning assets.

The third item we’re dealing with, which is directly related to the pandemic, is managing credit risk. Banks are seeing a need to increase loan reserves to assist borrowers who have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. But a lot of what we will be seeing in credit losses … we won’t see until next year or even the following year. This is definitely a long-term credit crisis, especially among the hospitality industry.

for lenders to advise their clients on best practices/spending?

“Lots of twists and turns” has certainly been the case. In general, we advised clients as best we could. However, in a lot of cases we had to direct them to the [U.S. Small Business Administration] Rhode Island District Office or some of the [frequently asked questions] that the U.S. Treasury or the SBA put out. But in a lot of cases, there simply weren’t answers to the questions they had. The [Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security] Act that created the PPP program was clear that banks were to have a limited role in vetting and answering specifics of the program. In reality, the banks were just the funding mechanism.

Overall, we feel the program was a tremendous benefit to many small businesses in our community, and we think the positives certainly outweigh the challenges along the way.

Are there ways you think the program could have been structured to make it easier and more efficient for lenders?

Honestly, to get funds out in as short of a period as it occurred, no matter what they did, there were going to be items that were going to come up as being unclear. It was so important to have funds in [small businesses’] hands right away. I think they took on a terribly large task and I think did very well with it.

Banks across the country and state, including BankNewport, saw a significant increase in in-market deposits this year compared with the prior year, according to regulatory data. To what do you attribute this increase?

I think the pandemic has caused consumers to spend less and to save more. They are anxious about the economy and some people find other CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

When the Paycheck Protection Program started, a lot of banks turned away or did not prioritize applicants who were not existing clients. BankNewport, however, accepted applications from these so-called “orphaned businesses.” What made the bank take this approach?

BankNewport felt the purpose of PPP was to help all small businesses, not those that happened to already bank with us. We really made the commitment from the beginning that we were there to help our communities in Rhode Island, and it didn’t make a difference to us if someone had already banked with us or not. Thankfully with the second round of PPP rounds that were available, it wasn’t necessary to turn away any businesses that came to us. Any business [that] applied before the final decision was able to get a loan as long as they qualified.

The PPP process has taken a lot of twists and turns that make it hard for lenders to advise their clients, including now with the forgiveness process. Did the changing rules and uncertainties make it more difficult

BRANCH DEVOTEE: Sandra J. Pattie, the CEO and president of BankNewport, says the in-person experience at branches will remain a key part of the community bank’s strategy despite the pandemic pushing many customers to digital platforms.

PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 17

BEYOND COVID CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

It will be at BankNewport.

investment options such as the stock market too volatile. The safety and security of banks – and for BankNewport in particular, we’re a 201-year-old [federally] insured bank – are a good option for people during these tumultuous times.

Financial services continue to be a maledominated industry. Have you personally encountered gender discrimination or obstacles because of your gender?

I have never personally experienced any discrimination. Rhode Island, and New England in general, have always been very friendly to women in banking roles, from managers to loan officers and CEOs. While I may be the first female CEO at BankNewport, our board has had female representation for at least the last 50 years, so I think we have been a little ahead of the trend in welcoming everybody equally.

Within our own team, I have five executives, two women and three men, and for most of my senior management, it’s a pretty equal split.

There’s also a lot of people making less money right now. Does that counteract this at all?

I’m not sure if deposit growth is permanent dollars. I think people still have some stimulus funds, some unemployment funds they’ve stockpiled, and everybody looked at this early on and thought they didn’t know how long it will hold out. I’m sure some of the funds people have on deposit now will be used to cover basic living expenses.

When will you know whether this will be a long-term trend or a short-term jump?

Why do you think it is important to have women in leadership positions in this industry?

I wish I had a crystal ball to answer that. It would make budgeting a lot easier.

Acknowledging how much of this is still so uncertain, what’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

The impact from the pandemic is going to be felt for a long time, even [now that] we have a vaccine. Interest rates are low, so it certainly creates a good environment for lending. So, different industries will continue to grow. BankNewport has been in the lending business throughout this crisis and every other crisis we’ve had in our 200year history. It’s really about business creation and business growth to create revenue streams for consumers, produce higher taxes, employment and wage growth ... those will really help get us out of this crisis that much quicker.

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

The banking industry will have a difficult year in 2021. We are still all working with our commercial customers to really understand the depth of the harm that has been caused by COVID. We will be working closely with our customers to help them get through this.

It’s easy to say business is returning to normal, but we don’t know how many businesses are going to be able to hold on however long this lasts.

Uncertainty is the biggest challenge.

How has the increasing reliance and popularity of online and digital banking platforms (both prior to and since the onset of COVID-19) impacted long-term strategy and areas of investment for community banks?

For us, branching remains a key part of our strategy. There is a need to balance technology with the ability to have an in-person experience in a branch when that is needed. We’ll continue to make an investment to modernize branches in a thoughtful manner, much as we did to our

We’re working ... to really understand the depth of the harm that has been caused.

PBN PHOTO/KATE WHITNEY LUCEY

flagship Washington Square branch in Newport.

And even though we’re seeing a trend of transactions moving toward digital channels, in-person experiences in a branch are shifting to a deeper conversation within the branch, should it be lending, financial planning and the like.

Is what you’re doing similar across the industry?

I think everybody’s strategic plan is a little different. We all have our strengths that differentiate ourselves from one another. We at BankNewport believe in high touch, as well as having good technology. Part of that high touch is having oneon-one conversations and deepening our relationships with our customers. We don’t look at it as transactions. Community banking really does believe in personal relationships.

BankNewport also launched real-time payments in June. How does that compare with industry trends and offerings? Are they necessary for banks to remain competitive?

Absolutely. In banking, just like everything else we do as consumers, we want instantaneous response, so it’s nice when you conduct a transaction to see it immediately concluded. We are one of the few community banks in the country dealing with real-time payments, so I don’t know what other banks’ strategic plans are.

In addition to its traditional bank services, BankNewport also has separate divisions for marine lending, wealth management and insurance. Does having a more diverse revenue stream allow banks generally to be more resilient during economic crises?

The revenues and fee income the bank realizes from these non-lending or non-interest business lines does allow the bank to be more resilient in times of economic or social crisis. COVID is not only economic but also changing the way people socialize and spend. The strategic objective behind all of these business lines is to diversify our revenue streams beyond interest and income.

Loan volumes and interest rates are subject to the ups and downs of the economy while these other revenue streams really help mitigate some of that risk.

Is this going to become a more popular/prevalent strategy across banks and ­financial institutions?

18 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

I think women bring a different element to the conversation. It’s always important to have diverse representation on all management teams.

All managers have similar leadership traits, but I do think women are a bit more creative and openminded, so our leadership style flexes to match the situation more. It’s exciting and about time women are continuing to move into a visible role in all industries. For example, it’s just great to see the Miami Marlins have named a woman as the general manager.

Speaking of diversity and representation, the Black Lives Matter movement has brought new attention to discrimination that people of color face by banks. How has BankNewport worked to address practices that might be unintentionally discriminatory against people of color?

We have never had any discriminatory practices.

I think we’ve been fair from the beginning of our organization. Our workforce, customers and community are made up of diverse groups and our employees are as well. We believe our policies are equitable and we try to address any barriers an underrepresented group may encounter, internally through hiring or professional development, as well as meeting customer needs. We pride ourselves on being a bank that is welcoming and inviting, and our community outreach is based on true partnerships with the organizations we serve.

Does the industry as a whole, though, need to reexamine structures that are inherently discriminatory or put people of color at a disadvantage, whether it be through qualifying for a business loan or the interest rate on your mortgage?

Truly, I can’t speak on behalf of the industry. I can only speak on what I know intimately well, and that is what we do at BankNewport.

Some banks have also started donations and funding streams dedicated to minority businesses or consumers, as well as enhanced racial awareness training for employees. Has BankNewport done or considered that? Do you support these efforts?

We have not this year because overall, the way we supported organizations with grants and sponsorships and board representation has always been equally spread among all organizations.

Generally, do I think it’s good that this has been raised as an issue? Absolutely. I think diversity should be a situation addressed fairly at all organizations and that all groups have a voice. n

BEYOND COVID Crisis ‘insurmountable’ for some minority businesses

BY NANCY LAVIN | Nancy Lavinz@PBN.com

JHONNY

Levya is president of Heroica Construction Inc., growing what was a family business when he purchased it in 2009 into a multimillion-dollar company. He also heads the Black Contractors Association of Rhode Island, which advocates for equity and opportunities in state and local govern-

ment contracting with minority business owners.

What have been the challenges faced by minority business owners during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization?

Minority businesses are taking a big hit because of the pandemic. They have lost revenue and have had to lay off employees. The challenges facing Heroica during the pandemic have been a loss of revenue when we really needed it. Earlier in the year, half of our jobs were shut down due to COVID-19, forcing us into a difficult situation to figure out how not to layoff our key employees.

The challenges … for some minority businesses are insurmountable and many will not survive.

Heroica hopes to leverage the work we have on the books to get us on the other side of the pandemic, when we might resume the normal pursuit of business.

The Black Lives Matter movement has highlighted long-standing racism and discrimination faced by minority business owners. Do you think this is enough to prompt changes?

Coronavirus has not stopped us from bidding projects and working with our colleagues and clients in pursuit of contract work we can do given the restrictions for social distancing, wearing masks and practicing good hygiene.

Thanks to the Black Lives Matter movement, local and national leaders are starting to pay attention to the plight of Black and brown people. I sincerely hope that the Biden administration truly commits to addressing the lack of education, jobs, health and economic opportunities that we need and want for the improvement of our people.

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

What specific changes do you think are most needed?

What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

Leaders are starting to pay attention to the plight of Black and brown people.

I would like to see the state and federal government carve out large portions of the budgets for work that Black and brown contractors can perform. The more successful we are as entrepreneurs, the more we hire and support the families of people of color. The wages and benefits are very attractive – setting the stage for families to buy homes, send their kids to good schools and enjoy the American middle-class way of life.

Have you personally faced racism and discrimination, and if so, what impact has that had on your ability to grow and maintain your business?

Yes, I have personally faced racism and discrimination. Honestly, it is very hurtful because the intent is to make you feel less than the person discriminating and, in many cases, it is subtle and institutional. The impact … on minority business results in slow to no growth potential and creates barriers that are difficult ... to overcome.

More generally, what are the biggest ways racism hurts minority business owners?

It attempts to destroy any motivation or drive to pursue opportunity. The barriers and impediments to meet underwriting requirements for loan and surety bonding alone is subjective and more difficult for minorities than their white counterparts.

You have also advocated on behalf of the Black Contractors Association for equity in government contracting. What improvements would you like to see?

Government should construct a program to carve out work to be bid on and performed by Black contractors, be they primary or trade contractors.

Another initiative would be to process payments according to the needs of the Black contractors; currently, it takes months to get paid by the ­government.

Why are these important to leveling the playing field for government contractors?

Construction is a very old industry, and many of the companies we have to compete with are in their second, third and fourth generation in the business. They can leverage millions of dollars in surety bonding and finance payroll and meet the qualification requirements established by the industry, which Black contractors are just beginning to play a part in, but [they] cannot [compete] because the playing field is not level.

What long-term impacts do you think COVID-19 will have for minority business owners?

HE’S STILL STANDING: It’s been a struggle, but Jhonny Levya has kept his business, Heroica Construction Inc., operating during the pandemic.

As head of the Black Contractors Association of Rhode Island, he’s unsure how other minority-owned businesses will weather the crisis.

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

The long-term impact is difficult to know. Many in the Black community have been victims of COVID-19 both health-wise and financially by being laid off.

Why is it important for the state to have a thriving, successful minority business community?

[It] is an asset to the state and country. We are more likely to train and employ minority people.

We are more likely to do business with other minority businesses and support initiatives in our community. A thriving minority business community pays ... all the essential fees and taxes that support our state and country. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 19

BEYOND COVID A lot riding on recruiting next freshman class

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

THE

Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard became Providence College’s 13th president after the Rev. Brian J. Shanley stepped down at the end of the 2019-20 academic year. Sicard served as PC’s executive vice president and treasurer for 14 years before being appointed president.

What have been the challenges faced by the college during the pandemic and how have they affected the school?

a boatload of money on COVID-related things, it would have been a lot worse if the students haven’t been here.

The big thing was when we had the significant outbreak in September. In the space of about four days, we had about 100 students test positive [for COVID-19]. That was a huge challenge for us because not only did we have to isolate the 100plus students, but there were also a lot of close contacts to get in touch with and quarantine. We have also had some financial challenges. For the fall, we’ve spent $5 million [on COVID-19-related expenses] – $2.1 million just on testing. We anticipate another $3 million [in related costs] for the spring. We also need to remember, if we had gone entirely remote [learning], we lose $1.5 million a week on room and board if the students aren’t here on campus. So, even though [PC has] spent

How has the college managed to handle those challenges financially?

We stopped making contributions to the retirement plans for our employees, and we cut back on a lot of other expenses. Obviously, nobody was traveling this semester, so that saved us quite a bit of money. There are a lot of college programming [initiatives] that we could not do. The funds we saved helped pay for the COVID-19 expenses, and a lot of it came out of the normal operating margin. We also put a hold on construction projects. The athletic teams are not traveling, so that also saved some money, but … the seats are empty, so that’s costing us a lot, too.

I think we’re shooting for 1,000 [students] …

I’m optimistic that we can do that.

What is your plan for Providence College’s recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

Building up the incoming [student] classes. This is really important for us because this is the time [when] we’re recruiting early-decision and early-action students. I think we’re shooting for 1,000 [students] next year for the freshman class.

I’m optimistic that we can do that. We have a strategic plan in place, but we put it on hold for a couple of months. There are a lot of good academic initiatives, and a lot of initiatives related to diversity, equity and inclusion. We are just beginning to refocus our energy on that, and I think that will help us with recruiting. Another thing that could help with recruiting … and we began it this semester, is a program where we are paying for book rentals for all of our students. We are working with Barnes & Noble with it.

What are the challenges for the college in getting to that recovery?

We want to be sure that we can make up the [freshman] class for next year. That has been a challenge because one of our biggest selling points is when students visit the campus and see how beautiful it is, meet some of the faculty and other students and they fall in love with the place. Doing virtual tours is not the same, and the in-person visits have been pretty limited – one family at a time.

Is the college in a good financial position to maintain normal staffing levels for the foreseeable future?

We have been lucky. We have not had to furlough or lay anyone off. That’s because we’ve remained open. If we, God forbid, have to go entirely remote … we would have to look at furloughing and laying off employees. That’s the last thing we want to do. I can’t say it will never happen; I hope it won’t. We’re in good shape financially, and we’re well-managed. I think we are going to be OK, as long as we continue making up our [incoming] classes, and I’m very optimistic about that.

Will there be future financial assistance for students?

CAMPUS PRESENCE: The Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, Providence College president, says the fall semester went relatively smoothly, despite an outbreak of COVID-19 among about 100 students in September.

PBN PHOTO/ELIZABETH GRAHAM

20 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

We have increased our financial aid this year and I feel it is going to be the same for next year.

Our discount rate has been about 37%. It is probably going to be about 40% to 41% for this year and next year. A lot of students’ families have suffered financially during the pandemic pretty substantially. We have had a lot of appeals for financial aid, and we’re doing everything we can to help students with that. Our donors have been generous to us and a lot of [those financial gifts] have been directed toward financial aid.

Dominican [Friars] are known for begging, so we continue to do that. We have an Angel Fund that people donate to and it is directed toward students whose financial situations have changed drastically. n

BEYOND COVID Fixing racial injustice, failing schools remain priorities

BY ANDY SMITH | Contributing Writer

MAYOR

Jorge O. Elorza has been in office since 2015, but after being reelected in 2018, he is

now term-limited and cannot run for mayor of Providence again in 2022. City residents and businesses have been hit particularly hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, Providence has been wrestling with fixing a failing school system and addressing a rekindled racial-justice movement.

What have been the biggest challenges faced by your administration as a result of the pandemic? What has been the city’s responses to those challenges?

As the center of commerce and activity for the state with an extremely dense population, we knew we were at higher risk of becoming a virus hot spot. Because of that, we have been aggressive and proactive in enacting restrictions to mitigate spread. We prioritized testing in the hardest-hit communities, and we are supporting our community with basic needs such as food and housing supports.

PLENTY ON HIS PLATE: Providence Mayor Jorge O. Elorza is not only leading the city government through the COVID-19 pandemic, but he’s also signed an executive order to start a truth-telling and reparation process for Black and Indigenous people.

How can your administration help the city recover, particularly economically, once the pandemic crisis has passed? What are the biggest obstacles the city will face?

In any crisis, the best time to begin the recovery process is immediately. And that is exactly what we are doing in the city by waiving tangible taxes below $10,000; approving over $1 million in loans at zero percent interest for the first year to our businesses; and doing everything we can to help small businesses and restaurants adapt and stay afloat. Even with all these programs, we need national leadership to help our people and businesses get to the other side. I am hopeful that the Biden administration will advance the national relief packages and stimulus programs our communities desperately need.

There’s been some disagreement about the size and the role of the Providence Police Department. What are your thoughts about the police force in a post-COVID-19 era?

About 20 years ago, the city of Providence made a decision to go all-in on community policing. It was derided and resisted by some folks at the time, but sticking with that approach has helped us achieve record-low levels of crime over the past few years.

We were on the forefront of policing 20 years ago, and I want us to be on the forefront of policing 20 years from now. That means that we must do two

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

things: build off of what has made us successful and further strengthen the culture of continuous improvement. Most of the challenges we face are best addressed by developing deeper relationships between police officers and the communities they serve. And in order to allow officers to build those relationships, we need to both invest in services, such as for mental health, that will free up valuable police time, and we need to address, through training and continued accountability, instances of insensitivity and racism in policing.

Over the summer, you signed an executive order to start a truth-telling and reparations process in the city. Where does the process stand? If reparations are recommended, what would they look like? And with the city under fiscal pressure, can taxpayers afford them?

The wounds of racial injustice run deep and in order to address them, we have to go to the source.

That is why we launched a three-phase process that will entail truth telling, reconciliation and reparations. We are currently in the first phase and have engaged local researchers to compile the

In any crisis, the best time to begin the recovery process is immediately.

history of the Black community in our city. Once we complete this phase, we will work with the African American Ambassador Group to engage the community in a process of racial reconciliation.

And once that second phase is underway, we will then ask the community to make recommendations on the shape that reparations should take.

The Providence Public School District was troubled even before COVID-19. How can the city, in partnership with the state, help it to improve?

The reality is that in spite of the efforts of myself and previous mayors, our schools were simply not making the grade. That is why I brought the state in to invoke the Crowley Act [which authorizes the R.I. Department of Education to take over failing schools and school districts] and help us turn around our school district. Although I no longer oversee the day-to-day operations of the schools, I am playing five separate roles: 1) investing $300 million in our school buildings, 2) investing in out-of-school learning supports, 3) lifting the voice of the community in this process, 4) being a thought-partner with ... [R.I. Education] Commissioner [Angélica Infante-Green], and 5) supporting ... Superintendent [of Schools Harrison Peters] in any way I can. In addition, I am strongly advocating for the expansion of high-achieving charter schools such as Achievement First and Excel Academy. n

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 21

BEYOND COVID Mark DePasquale

Founder and CEO, Green Development LLC

BY NANCY LAVIN | Lavin@PBN.com

What have been the challenges faced by the renewable energy industry during the pandemic and how have they affected you?

Our No. 1 priority has been ensuring our workers are safe. Luckily, outdoor construction has continued. The biggest challenge has been working with municipalities, banks, customers because of shutdowns and elimination of in-person meetings. Additionally, permitting and approvals are taking double the time they were prior to COVID-19. That said, we have been fortunate to grow the company during the pandemic, hiring close to 30 additional employees.

ing environment that the pandemic dictates. Adaptability is the key to operating a business during a pandemic.

The state has been working to incentivize solar development in locations such as parking lots and brownfields, rather than on forest and farmland. Do you have any interest in developing on these types of properties?

We remain open to any and all opportunities to develop meaningful renew-

able energy projects to help the state meet its goals. It doesn’t have to be an either-or proposition. No one should discount the impact our projects have had on preserving farmland that has belonged to families for generations.

We have been able to preserve large swaths of farmland while having a minimal impact on tree cutting. We are currently working on solar canopies and several rooftop solar projects.

What long-term impacts do you think the pandemic will have

What has been your response to those challenges?

Rhode Island is well-positioned for growth in the renewable sector. on the pace and growth of the renewable energy industry in Rhode Island?

We remain optimistic about 2021.

Rhode Island is well-positioned for growth in the renewable sector as we still lag behind many other states.

The Biden administration will be more supportive of the ... sector.

How will the change in presidential administration affect the state renewable energy sector?

The ability to have in-person meetings is most efficient, but as everyone has transitioned to virtual meetings, the pace of things has started to become steadier. We can only be patient and supportive of our municipal partners during these challenging times.

What’s your plan for recovery once the coronavirus crisis has passed?

There’s no magic bullet here. We will simply continue to adapt to the work-

PBN FILE PHOTO/DAVE HANSEN

We are transitioning from a president who has continued to suggest wind turbines cause cancer – that in itself is a step forward. [President-elect Joe] Biden has stated he will invest $400 billion over 10 years as one part of a broad mobilization of public investment in clean energy and innovation.

He has also committed to achieve economywide net-zero emissions no later than 2050. n

Alan G. Hassenfeld

Executive director, Hassenfeld Family Foundation

BY JAMES BESSETTE | Bessette@PBN.com

What have been the challenges faced by your foundation during the pandemic and how have they affected your organization?

When the pandemic first started, what I did was go out to people who approached me [for funding] and said, “For the time being, I’m not going to be committing major gifts except for

dire need within our own communities. We will not be giving globally the way we had in the past.” I believe that many of the problems we see around the world, we’re seeing the same problems here in the U.S., whether it’s health care or education.

What’s your recovery plan once the coronavirus crisis passes?

The most important thing for us is we would love to see the light at the end of the tunnel in a sense of both from an asset standpoint and, on the other side, it’s time to understand where we can best be helpful for society and social justice and taking care of dire need. The difficulty is we can’t give to every organization. So, what I’m hoping for is seeing a little bit more clarity and we can decide on a few organizations that we’re going to support in a bigger way.

What are the challenges getting to that recovery?

We don’t have clarity as to how much damage has been done to small businesses and wonderful young people.

We know more and more people are going hungry. I’m just trying to better understand that when we are able to deploy dollars, that me and our board want to make sagacious decisions on what we’re giving to.

PBN FILE PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

22 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com

What’s important for Rhode Island to recover from this crisis?

One of the most important things for the state of Rhode Island is education.

I think we have to really make sure the curriculum that comes out of the junior colleges and the tech schools is the proper curriculum for the new jobs that are going to be out there. It all starts with education … if you give people education or a skill to a job, they will be meaningfully employed.

How long do you think it will take for Rhode Island to fully recover from this crisis, both economically and socially?

I think that 2021 is going to be a very difficult year. We’re hopeful for the vaccine. There’s hope that by the spring, there will be some type of an abatement of the continual rise in COVID-19 cases. The vaccine is going to help. I think we’ll have much more rapid testing some time in 2021. I’m much more optimistic about 2022. n

If you give people education or a skill to a job, they will be meaningfully employed.

ONE LAST THING DURING

turbulent times, it’s easy to lose focus on the path forward and instead concentrate on the obstacles before us. We must bear in mind that, just as we did when confronting the economic crisis of 2008, we will make progress by empowering each other, realizing we are in this together, and by coming up with common sense solutions to overcome the problem that we face.

Rhode Island has a wealth of talent and world-class institutions, as well as committed leadership at the ready to ensure we turn the corner on COVID-19.

Collaboration among stakeholders to tap into our strengths is key. And we must remain steadfast with a policy approach that reinvests in our economy, encourages innovation, improves education, and protects businesses and consumers.

The Ocean State has all the building blocks necessary to thrive, and by empowering others to be their best – whether in health care, academia, industry or business – we will move forward.

I am proud that through collaboration, Rhode Island became a leader in wide-ranging areas, including health care and biomedicine, defense manufacturing, agriculture and tourism.

Rep. James R. Langevin | D-R.I. Rep. Jim Langevin has been in the U.S. House since 2001, after serving as Rhode Island secretary of state. He’s recognized as a leader on national security, workforce training and development, and cybersecurity. He serves on the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees and co-chairs the Congressional Career and Technical Education Caucus and the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus, which he co-founded.

To recover from this crisis, we must continue investments that unlock the potential of our greatest resource – our people. Workforce training and development must remain a priority to prepare Rhode Islanders for success in a 21st-century economy.

Empowering Rhode Islanders today will help create a brighter tomorrow. We can and will overcome this pandemic by working together and bringing out the best in each other. n

Empower each other COURTESY U.S. REP. JAMES R. LANGEVIN

www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | 23

PBN’S BEST NETWORKING EVENT IS GOING VIRTUAL IN THE NEW YEAR! 2021 January

21 2 0 2 1

4pm

Register for this virtual networking event, hear from some of the PBN 2020 Most Influential People, see who’s made the lists and receive your free copy of the 2020 Book of Lists!

Presenting Sponsor

Partner Sponsors

register now at PBN.com 24 | DECEMBER 25-31, 2020 | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | www.pbn.com