August
17-20
2025 Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island
2025 Annual Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island
Welcome from the 2025 Co-chair and the 2025 Host Committee
Dear Colleagues,
It is a pleasure for us to invite you to CSG East’s 64th Annual Meeting and Regional Policy Forum in Providence, Rhode Island. Although the smallest state, Rhode Island’s attractions are vast! Enjoy Gilded Age mansions, famous restaurants, and all the sailing capital of the world has to offer.
The theme for this year’s meeting is Housing: The Policy Cornerstone. Join us August 17-20, 2025 for the largest gathering of state officials in the East. Explore CSG East’s policy areas, including agriculture and rural development, education and workforce development, energy and environment, the Council on Communities of Color, fiscal, health, housing, territorial relations, Canada/U.S. relations, and transportation.
Registration is now open! As always, the Annual Meeting is family friendly with special activities planned for adult guests and children aged 6 to 17 years old. For more information, please contact AR Braver.
Sincerely,
The Rhode Island Host Committee
Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi
Senator Valarie J. Lawson
Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski
Representative Michael W. Chippendale
Senator Jessica de la Cruz
Joseph Shekarchi
Representative K. Joseph Shekarchi, Speaker of the House, 2025 CSG East Co-Chair
K.
Joseph
Shekarchi
is
the
current
Speaker
of
the
House
in
Rhode
Island.
He
was
elected
in
2021
and
again
in
2023.
In
his
role
as
Speaker,
Shekarchi
has
focused
on
housing
legislative
initiatives,
as
well
as
economic
reform,
climate
...
policies,
and
pay
equity
legislation.
As
Suffolk
Law
School
graduate
and
lifelong
Warwick
resident,
Representative
Shekarchi
has
served
in
public
office
since
2013.
He
previously
served
as
the
chairman
of
the
House
and
Labor
Committee
in
2016,
before
becoming
Speaker.
Shekarchi
serves
more
than
82,000
constituents
in
Rhode
Island’s
23rd
District.
Read More
Valarie Lawson
Senator Valarie J. Lawson, President of the Senate; 2025 CSG East Co-Chair
Valarie
J.
Lawson
is
the
President
of
the
Rhode
Island
Senate.
She
was
elected
President
of
the
Senate
in
April
2025.
She
previously
served
as
majority
leader
and
majority
whip.
Lawson
has
represented
East
Providence
(Senate
District
2)
in
the
...
Senate
since
2019,
introducing
legislation
on
education,
public
health,
protections
for
senior
citizens,
and
the
East
Providence
community.
Sen.
Lawson
is
a
lifelong
East
Providence
resident.
She
earned
both
a
B.A.
and
M.A.
from
Rhode
Island
College.
She
taught
in
East
Providence
public
schools
for
32
years
and
is
the
former
President
of
the
East
Providence
Education
Association.
In
2023,
she
was
elected
President
of
the
National
Education
Association
Rhode
Island.
Read More
Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski
Representative Christopher R. Blazejewski, House Majority Leader
Christopher
R.
Blazejewski
represents
District
2
in
Providence,
Rhode
Island.
As
House
Majority
Whip,
he
has
focused
on
issues
of
climate
change,
housing
affordability,
and
public-school
funding.
Representative
Blazejewski
also
advocates
for
reproductive
rights
and
co-sponsored
legislation
regarding
gun
safety
...
restrictions.
He
was
first
elected
into
public
office
in
November
of
2010.
He
has
served
as
House
Majority
Leader
since
2020.
He
is
a
graduate
from
Harvard
Law
School
and
worked
as
an
attorney
at
Sherin
and
Lodgen
LLP.
He
is
a
father
of
two
and
lifelong
Rhode
Islander.
Read More
Representative Michael W. Chippendale
Representative Michael W. Chippendale, House Minority Leader
Representative
Michael
W.
Chippendale
is
the
House
Minority
Leader.
He
has
been
in
public
office
since
his
first
election
in
2010.
Representative
Chippendale
was
unanimously
elected
by
his
colleagues
as
the
House
Minority
Whip
from
2018-2022.
He
serves
on
the
...
Oversight
Committee,
Committee
on
Corporations,
and
the
House
Committee
on
Healthcare
Oversight.
In
his
various
leadership
roles,
Representative
Chippendale
has
focused
on
economic
policies
and
keeping
businesses
in
Rhode
Island.
He
is
a
Rhode
Island
native,
father
of
two,
and
a
self-employed
manufacturing
consultant.
A
previous
real
estate
CEO
of
Intrepid
Enterprises
and
a
graduate
of
the
New
England
Institute
of
Technology.
Read More
Senator Jessica de la Cruz
Senator Jessica de la Cruz, Senate Minority Leader
Jessica
de
la
Cruz
represents
the
23rd
District
of
Rhode
Island,
serving
as
the
Minority
Leader
in
the
Rhode
Island
Senate.
Senator
de
la
Cruz
was
first
elected
to
the
Senate
in
November
2018.
She
has
been
Minority
Leader
since
...
2022,
and
previously
was
the
Minority
Whip
from
2020
to
2022.
The
Senator
is
a
former
member
of
the
Senate
Judiciary
Committee
and
was
awarded
a
spot
on
the
2022
“Women
to
Watch”
list.
During
her
time
in
office,
Senator
de
la
Cruz
has
focused
on
issues
of
hospital
funding,
constitutional
rights,
and
criminal
justice
reform.
She
is
a
Rhode
Island
native
and
is
a
mother
to
three
children.
Read More