Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council Announces Appointments

PROVIDENCE, R.I., June 14 -- Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. issued the following news release:

Four new members joined the Rhode Island Science & Technology Advisory Council (STAC) over the past year. Three of the members were appointed by Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, and one was appointed by Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed.

"We are fortunate to have three accomplished new members with impressive and diverse experience joining STAC leadership," Governor Chafee said. "They will be an asset to the Council, and I look forward to the innovative work they will do."

Governor Lincoln D. Chafee appointed Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Marcel A. Valois to the STAC most recently. Valois previously served as executive director of the RIEDC from 1995 to 1997, under Governor Lincoln Almond. He was vice president at The Economic Development Foundation of Rhode Island, Inc., a non-profit corporation, just prior to rejoining the RIEDC. From 1997 to 2012, he was chief operating officer then area vice president for Penske Automotive Group in Warwick, RI, where he oversaw total operations of the Inskip dealer group of over 500 employees and over $400 million in annual sales. Valois earned his bachelor's degree in liberal arts and a master's degree in Urban and Economic Geography, both from the University of Rhode Island.

Patricia C. Phillips, Governor Lincoln D. Chafee's second appointee, is dean of graduate studies and heads research initiatives at Rhode Island School of Design. Prior to her appointment at RISD in 2009, she was at Cornell University. Phillips' research and critical writing involve contemporary public art, architecture, sculpture, environment and the intersection of these areas. From 2002-2007, she served as editor-in-chief of the Art Journal, a quarterly publication on contemporary art published by the College Art Association.

Also appointed by Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, Jay Marshall is executive director of quality and quality site head for Amgen Operations in Rhode Island and Woburn, MA. With more than 14 years of experience at Amgen, he is a member of Amgen Rhode Island's Site Leadership Team and a member of the Amgen Foundation Site Review Committee for community philanthropy. He is responsible for all aspects of the quality function operations at the site. This includes overseeing the site quality management team, quality assurance operations, testing labs, regulatory compliance, environmental health and safety, and learning and development. Prior to joining Amgen, Marshall held positions in the quality organizations of Abbott Bioresearch Corporation in Worcester; <org>Hybridon, Inc., in Milford; and Aquila Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., in Worcester, all in Massachusetts. He has a bachelor's degree in medical technology from Union University Albany College of Pharmacy in New York and master's degree in healthcare administration from Framingham State College in Massachusetts.

An appointee of Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, Molly Donohue Magee is the executive director of the Southeastern New England Defense Industry Alliance (SENEDIA). SENEDIA is an alliance of defense-related businesses and organizations focused on preserving, protecting and furthering the interests of the defense and technology industry. After completing a 30-year career in the government, she started a woman-owned and managed small business focusing on providing engineering and financial management services to the Department of Defense. Her last government assignment was as the chief financial officer for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI, a one-billion-dollarDepartment of Navy research and development activity. Magee holds a Masters of Business Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island and an undergraduate degree in mathematics from Salve Regina University; she is a graduate of Leadership Rhode Island and the Defense Military Comptroller School. She is an incorporator and member of the board of directors of the Undersea Science and Engineering Foundation, which is focused on promoting STEM education. Magee has received many awards and recognitions, including Department of Navy Superior Civilian Service Award, University of Rhode Island Alumni Award for Business, Salve Regina University Alumni Achievement Award, Carnegie Mellon University/AMS Achievement in Managing Information Technology - Finalist and Association of Government Accountants Achievement of the Year Award.

"I'm very pleased to have had the opportunity to appoint such a well-respected entrepreneur to the Science and Technology Advisory Council," said President of the Senate M. Teresa Paiva Weed (D-Dist. 13, Newport, Jamestown). "Molly Donohue Magee brings not only a woman's perspective to the council, but also that of the defense industry, which is so vital to our economy. I am confident her voice will be a tremendous asset to the council."

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