Rhode Island Gov.-elect Gina Raimondo will nominate Stefan Pryor to the new post of commerce secretary subject to state Senate confirmation, she said Dec. 16.
As Rhode Island's first Secretary of Commerce, Pryor will oversee activities related to commerce and economic development.
Pryor was deputy mayor and director of economic and housing development for Newark, N.J., under Mayor Cory Booker from 2006 to 2011. Pryor was also president of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., created after Sept. 11 attacks to coordinate the economic rebound in that area.
Most recently, he was Connecticut's education commissioner, overseeing the state Department of Education.
"Stefan Pryor has the depth of experience and the drive to help me lead Rhode Island's comeback," Raimondo said in a statement. "Our focus from day one will be on creating opportunities for everyone by making Rhode Island a place where companies want to invest and grow."
