After two days when McKee refused to release salaries for new employees, he cancels, big increases for some

Thursday March 4, 2021
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee – who made offers to staff members just four weeks ago – had refused to provide a list of staff salaries until Wednesday. The information, which is public, was eventually made public regarding the salary information of senior executives.
Its transition team communications director, Mike Trainor, had refused to release the information until GoLocal informed him that the news company would file a request for access to the public records.
Some McKee staff kept the same titles and got big raises. McKee Chief of Staff Tony Silva received an increase of $ 38,000 from $ 148,960 to $ 187,421.
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Paulette Hamilton, who was deputy chief of staff, moved to the municipal affairs office and received a raise of $ 6,000.
Christopher Abhulime, Deputy Chief of Staff – $ 154,198
Antonio Afonso, Senior Deputy Chief of Staff – $ 162,045
Kim Ahern, Director of Policy and Senior Counsel – $ 129,023
Suzanne Augenstein, Director of Executive Operations – $ 78,673
Guerline Aurelus, Director of Client Services – $ 78,673
David Barricelli Jr., Constituent Services Associate – $ 48,307
Jonathan Bissonnette, Writer and Content Manager – $ 55,677
Joseph Casoli, Governor’s Office Liaison Officer – $ 26,000
Cheyenne Cazeault, Policy Advisor – $ 62,339
Alana Cerrone-O’Hare, press officer – $ 90,487
Eileen Cheng, associate lawyer – $ 139,085
Tara Chicharro, Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff – $ 70,039
Rosa DeCastillo, Director of Community Affairs and Outreach – $ 93,766
Ronald Desiderato, Special Assistant to the Governor – $ 78,055.90 (on loan from the Ministry of Administration)
Tabatha Dube, Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff – $ 70,039
Craig Dwyer, Director of Appointments – $ 93,766
Christopher Farrell, Senior Advisor to the Governor – $ 123,982
Paulette Hamilton, Director of Municipal Affairs – $ 93,766
Kevin Horan, Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs – $ 123,982
Corey Jones, Policy Advisor – $ 58,119
Lexi Kriss, Assistant Director of Communications – $ 90,378
Christine Lopes Metcalfe, Governor’s Senior Advisor on Education – $ 155,225.46 (on loan from Rhode Island Department of Education)
Brenna McCabe, Senior Advisor to the Governor – $ 149,163
Meredith McKenna, Legal Administrator – $ 78,673
Thomas Mullaney, Senior Advisor – $ 199,794 (on loan from the Office of Management and Budget)
Andrea Palagi, Director of Communications – $ 118,946
Joseph Polisena Jr., assistant political lawyer – $ 93,766
Claire Richards, Executive Lawyer – $ 164,079.30
Victoria Scott, Policy Advisor – $ 58,119
Anthony Silva, Chief of Staff – $ 187,421
Joy Vaudreuil, Director of Planning – $ 78,673
Americo Vota, Deputy Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs – $ 113,911
An additional staff appointment was also announced: Jennifer Fondeur, Office Manager – $ 70,960
The following appointment, announced yesterday, has been updated: Becky Rodrigues, Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff (formerly appointed Chief of Staff) – $ 73,448.18 (on loan from Human Resources Department)
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