Valois Headlines June 20 Eggs & Issues Breakfast

Marcel A. Valois, newly appointed Director of the Rhode Island  Economic Development Corporation, will be the guest speaker at the Chamber’s June 20, 7:45 a.m. Eggs and Issues Breakfast at Kirkbrae Country Club, 197 Old River Road in Lincoln.

Prior to the speaking portion of the event, there will be time for networking with other business professionals.

Join fellow business leaders as we “welcome home” the new director of the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation (RIEDC). Valois is an economic-development professional with decades of experience working in Rhode Island, and is once again leading the agency he helped develop and then led from 1995 to 1997.

Valois served, most recently, as Vice President of the Economic Development Foundation of Rhode Island, Inc. (EDFRI). He previously served as Chief Operating Officer and Area Vice President of Penske Automotive Group, a publicly traded company, where he was responsible for overseeing total operations of the Inskip dealer group with more than 500 employees and over $400 million in annual sales.

As Executive Director of the RIEDC, under Governor Lincoln Almond, he spearheaded the development of a master plan for the 3,000-acre former Quonset / Davisville Navy Base and led the marketing efforts for the passage of a $72-million bond issue for investment in the facility.

He also led the state's negotiating team for the development of the Providence Place Mall; and successfully recruited Fidelity Investments to Rhode Island, representing over $500 million in new investment and the creation of 3,000 jobs, an achievement that was cited by Site Selection magazine as one of the top ten development deals in the United States in 1996. Plus he was the architect behind geographical customer service representatives focused on medium and small companies. Prior to that, Valois served as Executive Vice President of the Blackstone Valley Development Foundation, Inc., and Director of Planning & Development, as well as City Planner & Planning Analyst, for the City of Woonsocket.

With such deep roots in northern Rhode Island, this is one Eggs and Issues Breakfast you won’t want to miss.

The Cost to attend the breakfast is $20 for members pre-registered; $30 for member walk-ins; $40 for non-members. For additional information and to register on line, visit the Chamber’s website at www.nrichamber.com or call the office at 401-334-1000.

The Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce represents the interests of businesses in the communities of Burrillville, Central Falls, Cumberland, Glocester, Lincoln, North Smithfield, Pawtucket, Smithfield and Woonsocket.