People on the Move: Prov. Adds De La Cruz, YMCA Names Merhige CEO, CCRI Recognizes Kelly
Friday, July 07, 2023
GoLocal's People on the Move is an update on new hires and promotions across southern New England. If your organization has an announcement, email it to us at [email protected].
Mayor Brett Smiley Announces Priscilla De La Cruz as Director of Sustainability
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMayor Brett P. Smiley announced Priscilla De La Cruz as the Director of Sustainability for the City of Providence. De La Cruz has 14 years of experience in strategic management and marketing, environmental and climate justice advocacy and coalition building on local, state and national levels.
“I am thrilled to welcome someone as experienced and well respected as Priscilla to our Administration,” said Mayor Smiley. “Priscilla will help lead the charge to ensure Rhode Island and Providence are climate resilient communities and poised for sustainable growth in the years to come. She brings unique expertise that will foster community engagement, advance key city initiatives, like our Climate Justice Plan and improve the quality-of-life we offer our residents.”
De La Cruz is a life-long Providence resident and previously served as the Senior Director of Government Affairs for the Audubon Society of Rhode Island. In that role, she worked to initiate and advance priorities at the state and local level to protect wildlife and Rhode Island’s environment. Before joining the Audubon Society, De La Cruz was the Rhode Island Director of the Green Energy Consumers Alliance, where she developed strategic management and oversaw advocacy initiatives. De La Cruz also served as President of the Environment Council of Rhode Island (ECRI). Under her direction, and working with other policy leaders and partners, the Council launched the Climate Crisis Campaign, playing a key role in advocating for the successful passage of the 2021 Act On Climate legislation.
“Serving my community in this way is an honor and I am excited to work with the many talented individuals in the Smiley Administration to build a better, stronger future for our city,” said
Director of Sustainability Priscilla De La Cruz. “Together, we will make Providence an equitable model of how communities can adapt to and fight climate change, while enhancing the lives of our residents without leaving anyone behind.”
De La Cruz will begin her role as Director of Sustainability on July 12, under the leadership of the Chief of Policy and Resiliency Sheila Dormody.
YMCA of Pawtucket Announces Jeff Merhige As CEO
The YMCA of Pawtucket announced that Jeff Merhige will serve as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective July 10, 2023. Merhige has almost 30 years of experience as a YMCA professional, and he is committed to creating a positive impact in the YMCA by building cultures of excellence.
Merhige has a consistent track record of executing organizational improvements and implementing best practice initiatives, which are attributes that the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Pawtucket felt made him an ideal choice to lead the organization.
“I am pleased to be joining the YMCA of Pawtucket team,” said Jeff Merhige. “This organization has made a real impact throughout the state and is committed to answering the call to serve when help is needed most. I look forward to building upon these tremendous accomplishments and working to further enhance the quality of life in the communities we serve.”
In his new position as Chief Executive Officer, Merhige will work closely with the Board of Directors in achieving the YMCA of Pawtucket’s mission of strengthening communities through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. He will maximize community partnerships and engage volunteers, as well as oversee the financial stability, community and philanthropic relations, staffing, development, and operation of the organization.
“We are privileged to welcome Jeff to the YMCA of Pawtucket,” said Eileen Ryan-Saeger, Chair of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Pawtucket. Jeff is an energetic, thoughtful leader with an unparalleled commitment to the community and the YMCA organization. We know that he will provide the leadership to guide the Y as it continues its mission of ensuring everyone in our community will have the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at the YMCA.”
Merhige most recently served as the Vice President of Camping Services for the YMCA of Middle TN, overseeing the Joe C Davis YMCA Outdoor Center, home of Camp Widjiwagan in Nashville, TN. He was responsible for the overall operations and support services of the 320-acre facility, accommodating over 7,200 campers and 35,000 year-round guests. He has extensive fundraising experience and building positive donor relationships, raising over $2 million in capital funds in the first 18 months and $8 million to date.
Merhige also served as the Co-Chairman of the YMCA of the USA Overnight Camp Cabinet for 6 years, representing all YMCA overnight camps and conference centers in the USA. During this time, he facilitated monthly all-camp town halls, provided support and resources to the camping industry, and established collaborations between the American Camping Association and YUSA. Other roles he has served in include the Executive Director of YMCA Camp Kern and Director of Financial Development and Camping Services for the Ann Arbor YMCA. Notably, he spearheaded the creation of the first YMCA Zipline Educational Canopy Tour named "Ozone Zipline Adventures” leading to increased tourism in Warren County, Ohio. Additionally, he is a regular speaker at national conferences and holds bi-annual, workshop round-tables for collaboration and brainstorming with other YMCA executives.
Merhige holds a Bachelor of Science from Bowling Green State University. Along with his wife, Amy and their two children, Luke and Sydney, the Merhige’s look forward to making their home in Rhode Island.
CCRI Cybersecurity Program Director Michael Kelly Earns Community Service Recognition Award
Community College of Rhode Island Computer Studies Assistant Professor and Cybersecurity Program Director Michael Kelly received a 2023 Center of Academic Excellence Community of Practice in Cyber Defense (CAE Cop-CD) Community Service Recognition Award at this year’s CAE in Cybersecurity Symposium for his outstanding contributions to the cybersecurity community.
Kelly – a 2019 recipient of the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) Excellence Award – has led efforts to increase enrollment and add new programs to the college’s Computer Studies department, securing CCRI’s reputation as a national leader in Cybersecurity education.
During the 2022–23 academic year at CCRI, which Kelly described as the Cybersecurity program’s best since prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kelly served as an At-Large Member of the CAE’s CoP-CD Steering Committee, which is comprised of individuals who have significant experience with the CAE-CD program gathering and sharing input from the broader community to provide continuous program improvement. The Community Service Recognition Award highlighted his work on the committee in addition to his work within the Cybersecurity community, particularly at CCRI, where the program continues to expand its outreach.
“The award was a surprise – very unexpected, but a nice achievement and certainly one more thing to help solidify our program,” Kelly said. “To me, it shows what we’re doing is working and that the program is heading in the right direction.”
In March, the program earned designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) through academic year 2028 by the National Security Agency (NSA), reflecting the college’s ability to meet the increasing demands of contributing to the protection of the National Information Infrastructure and addressing the critical shortage of professionals with cybersecurity skills. CCRI is also in the process of earning its National Center of Academic Excellence Designation, which focuses on the college’s internal and external outreach – from other college departments to statewide outreach – regarding Cybersecurity and limiting cyber threats.
A month later, CCRI hosted its second annual Cybersecurity Night at its Warwick campus featuring a keynote address from Rhode Island State Senator and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee Louis DiPalma, a leading advocate for cyber defense at both the state and federal level. The event featured guests from the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA) and other area colleges in addition to networking opportunities for faculty and students among industry professionals.
The program teamed with the University of Rhode Island in May at its annual CS4RI Cyber Summit, which brought more than 300 Rhode Island high school students to URI’s Kingston campus for academic demonstrations, presentations, and hands-on workshops. CCRI’s student-led Cybersecurity Club also enjoyed an increase in participation and competed in a series of events during the academic year, including the 2022 NSA Codebreaker Challenge, CAE-NCX 2022, the 2023 NCAE Cyber Games, and CyberSEED 2023.
“I’m very happy with the progress of the program,” Kelly said. “Cybersecurity Night was a success beyond our expectations and our Cybersecurity Club students enjoyed being able to participate in more events and provide a greater presence on campus. This entire year gave us a chance to continue spreading the word on what our Cybersecurity program has to offer, and I’m hopeful we can carry that momentum into the fall.”
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