Raimondo Announces Five Nominations to RI Board of Education

Governor Gina Raimondo has nominated five people to serve on the Rhode Island Board of Education. All but one, Rev. Dr. Jeffery Williams of Cranston, would be a new appointment.

The new members, announced Thursday, will be Barbara Cottam of Providence (Raimondo’s nominee for Board Chair), Jim Karam of Tiverton, Marta V. Martínez of Warwick, Betsy Shimberg of Providence and Williams.

They will replace Chairwoman Eva-Marie Mancuso, Patrick Guida, Antonio Barajas and Mat Santos.

“The individuals I’m nominating today bring a wide-range of experience to the Board,” Raimondo said in a statement. “I am incredibly thankful to Eva-Marie Mancuso, who has generously dedicated so much of her time to the state and our students for the past three years, to Patrick Guida for his more than a decade of commitment to the Board, and to Antonio Barajas and Mat Santos for their public service on behalf of Rhode Island’s children.”

Raimondo said she intends to designate Karam and Williams to the Post-Secondary council and Martinez and Shimberg to the K-12 council.

“I welcome this opportunity to serve on behalf of our students,” said Barbara Cottam. “A strong Rhode Island economy requires an educational system that prepares students for tomorrow’s jobs. I look forward to working with Governor Raimondo, the Board, parents, teachers, educators and students in ensuring every child and young adult receives a quality education and achieves his or her potential.”

More about the nominees:

Jim Karam
Jim Karam is the President and CEO of First Bristol Corporation, a real estate development and management company that builds shopping centers, office buildings, and hotels throughout Southern New England. For 10 years, Jim served as a Trustee of the University of Massachusetts, including 4 years as Chairman. Karam is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts.

Marta V. Martínez
Marta V. Martínez currently serves as Executive Director of Rhode Island Latino Arts, an arts education non-profit that provides cultural programs for K-12 students. Martínez is a former elementary school Spanish teacher, and she was previously chosen by Governor Sundlun to serve as the first ever Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Hispanic Affairs. Martínez is a graduate of Providence College, George Washington University and Georgetown University.

Betsy Shimberg
Betsy Shimberg is the Program Director for K-12 Education at the Howard R. Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University. She also serves on the boards of City Year RI and Generation Citizen. Shimberg was confirmed by the Senate in 2008 to the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education, serving in this role until 2013. She graduated from Wellesley College and earned a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration from Columbia University.

Rev. Dr. Jeffery Williams
Rev. Dr. Jeffery Williams founded the King’s Cathedral in 1999, which now owns five properties. Internationally, Dr. Williams oversees 43 congregations in six nations. Dr. Williams graduated from Brown University in 1981. He also has a Doctorate of Ministry degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.