Governor-elect Raimondo Appoints Peter Gaynor EMA Director

PROVIDENCE, RI  – Governor-elect Gina Raimondo today appointed Peter Gaynor to lead the Rhode Island Department of Emergency Management. This morning she also participated in a tabletop exercise to simulate an emergency situation.

“Pete Gaynor has done an outstanding job as the head of emergency management for the City of Providence and I know he will serve all Rhode Islanders with the same dedication, expertise and professionalism,” Governor-elect Raimondo said. “His military background and extensive training will help us prepare for emergency situations and keep Rhode Island families safe.”

Before joining the Providence Emergency Management Agency as Director in 2008, Gaynor served 26 years in the United States Marine Corps. Gaynor is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). Under Gaynor’s leadership, the City of Providence became the first municipality to meet national standards of excellence and receive accreditation under the Emergency Management Accreditation Program.

Governor-elect Raimondo praised outgoing EMA Director Jamia McDonald, and indicated that she would continue to serve in state government. “Jamia has served Rhode Island with leadership and professionalism,” Raimondo said. “We are confident that she will continue to serve ably, as she has for the past two administrations, in a new role in state government.”

“I am excited to join the Raimondo administration as the Director of Emergency Management,” Gaynor said. “I look forward to the opportunity to contribute my skills and background to keeping Rhode Islanders safe in an emergency.”

This morning’s drill ran through a blizzard scenario and was held at the state’s emergency management headquarters in Cranston. The goal of the exercise was to familiarize the governor-elect with all of the steps and decision points that arise when managing the state’s response to an emergency. Participants included representatives of the Rhode Island State Police, as well as representatives from the Departments of Emergency Management, Transportation, and Environmental Management.

“Keeping Rhode Islanders safe is one of the most important jobs as governor,” Raimondo continued. “I take this responsibility extremely seriously and am taking steps prior to taking office to be as prepared as possible.”

“We are excited to add another great person to our team,” said Joy Fox, transition director. “When it comes to personnel, we are focused more on quality than on moving quickly. We are making great progress, but we fully expect to continue filling positions even after Inauguration Day.”

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