2020 -- H 7949

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LC005215

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020

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H O U S E   R E S O L U T I O N

COMMENDING THE RHODE ISLAND FOUNDATION AND NEIL D. STEINBERG,

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE RHODE ISLAND

FOUNDATION

     Introduced By: Representatives Mattiello, Shekarchi, Abney, Kennedy, and Noret

     Date Introduced: March 03, 2020

     Referred To: House read and passed

     WHEREAS, Neil D. Steinberg is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode

Island Foundation, the largest philanthropic organization in Rhode Island, working to address the

needs of our State's diverse communities through philanthropy, grant-making, and community

leadership; and

     WHEREAS, In 2008, Mr. Steinberg came to the Rhode Island Foundation, after serving

as Vice President of development at Brown University, his alma mater. He had previously

worked for FleetBoston Financial, where he had served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

of Fleet Bank Rhode Island; and

     WHEREAS, In addition to his esteemed financial credentials, Mr. Steinberg has gained

invaluable wisdom through his associations with a panoply of educational, business, and altruistic

organizations; and

     WHEREAS, Most recently, The Rhode Island Foundation, under Mr. Steinberg's

leadership in conjunction with key stakeholders, has issued two reports creating statewide, long-

term plans for both education and health; and

     WHEREAS, Engaging the shared vision of a 30-member executive leadership group, the

Rhode Island Foundation unveiled a 10-year plan to address healthcare inequity in Rhode Island,

entitled "Health in Rhode Island: A Long-Term Vision." The report calls attention to health

disparities in Rhode Island, such as the fact that “the infant mortality rate for Black and African-

American Rhode Islanders is 2.6 times that of whites,” and that “Hispanic and Asian residents are

far more likely to go without a primary source of care”; and

     WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Foundation is supporting the long-range planning efforts

with a $1 million commitment to "kick-start" the process which will focus on health outcomes,

not health care. An “Evaluation Framework” committee was established and will continue to

convene a few times a year and will annually release updated data for tracking the progress

toward achieving health equity in order to make Rhode Island the healthiest state in the nation;

and

     WHEREAS, In February of 2020, The Rhode Island Foundation released an 18-month

study by a team of educators, nonprofit leaders and business executives entitled, "Chart a Course,

Stay the Course" that established a set of broad goals to chart the course for a long-term vision to

improve the state's public education and hold students to high standards, including continuing

rigorous testing, improving teacher preparation and investing principals with more authority. The

Rhode Island Foundation has committed $1 million for improving public education in our State;

and

     WHEREAS, Mr. Steinberg has gained a vast reputation for his innovative collaborations,

vision, and leadership of the Rhode Island Foundation, resulting in the positive outcomes for

myriad issues that face Rhode Island, and he is eminently worthy of our gratitude and

recognition; now, therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby recognizes and thanks the Rhode Island Foundation and Neil D.

Steinberg along with the leadership groups comprised of senior stakeholders in education and

healthcare for their visionary leadership and commitment to improving the quality of education

for the children of our State and healthcare outcomes for all Rhode Islanders; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That this House hereby urges the Department of Health, the Commissioner

of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Rhode Island Department of Education, and all

stakeholders in our State's health care and educational systems to continue to work together to

advance and enhance the quality and delivery of health care and education in order to improve

outcomes for all our citizens; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to Mr. Neil D. Steinberg, President and Chief

Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Foundation, Nicole Alexander-Scott, Director of the Rhode

Island Department of Health, and Angélica M. Infante-Green, Commissioner of Elementary and

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Secondary Education for the State of Rhode Island.

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