Rhode Island Commodore, is Rhode Island's highest honor, and an honorary title bestowed upon individuals by approval of the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

. It is not a

military rank Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships, within armed forces, police, intelligence agencies or other institutions organized along military lines. The military rank system defines dominance, authority, and responsibility in a ...

, requires no duties, and carries with it no pay or other compensation. However, the Rhode Island Commodores are organized as a non-profit, non-partisan organization with the purpose "to assist and stimulate economic enterprise within Rhode Island by direct action through education, economic promotion, and hospitality."

Organizational history

The Rhode Island Commodores was established in 1968 by then governor

John H. Chafee John Lester Hubbard Chafee ( ; October 22, 1922 – October 24, 1999) was an American politician and officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Republican Party (United States), he served as the 66th Governor of Rhode Island, as ...

. Commissions as a Rhode Island Commodore have always been given to prominent citizens who are business or civic leaders in Rhode Island upon nomination by a commodore and appointment by the governor. The Governor of Rhode Island, currently

Daniel McKee Daniel James McKee (born June 16, 1951) is an American businessman and politician serving as the 76th governor of Rhode Island since March 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as Rhode Island's 69th lieutenant governor from 2015 to ...

, serves as commander-in-chief of the Commodores and the organization led by its admiral, currently Colin P. Kane and its board of directors. It is administered by the

quasi-public A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...

Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, and its director, currently Marcel A. Valois, serves as vice admiral and as an ''

ex officio An ''ex officio'' member is a member of a body (notably a board, committee, council) who is part of it by virtue of holding another office. The term '' ex officio'' is Latin, meaning literally 'from the office', and the sense intended is 'by right ...

'' member of the board of directors. As of 2011, there are about 260 Rhode Island Commodores. Prominent speakers are often featured at meetings of the Commodores, but in 2011 the Rhode Island press criticized the organization for their long-held policy of excluding reporters from their privately held meetings.

Charitable and business development activities

The Rhode Island Commodores is a

501(c)(6) A 501(c) organization is a nonprofit organization in the federal law of the United States according to Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 501(c)) and is one of over 29 types of nonprofit organizations exempt from some federal income taxes. S ...

non-profit organization that is devoted to a number of causes, including promoting economic development in Rhode Island, promoting Rhode Island products, conducting educational activities, promoting tourism and serving as goodwill ambassadors toward visitors to the state and while traveling out of the state. Activities of the Commodores in support of economic development have included participation in efforts to bring new businesses into the state, the co-sponsorship of a statewide business plan competition, and efforts to bring the

America's Cup The America's Cup, informally known as the Auld Mug, is a trophy awarded in the sport of sailing. It is the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one f ...

races back to

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay Europe Ireland *Newport, County Mayo, a town on the ...

. The Rhode Island Commodores were a prime proponent of the 1984 ''Greenhouse Compact,'' a proposed state

industrial policy An industrial policy (IP) or industrial strategy of a country is its official strategic effort to encourage the development and growth of all or part of the economy, often focused on all or part of the manufacturing sector. The government takes m ...

developed primarily by Ira Magaziner to transition the state away from traditional manufacturing industries toward an innovative high technology economy.Feldman, Allan. (1984) Rhode Island: Sunset for Industrial Policy. ''Policy Review'' No. 30(Fall 1984):84-86
pdf version
As proposed, the Greenhouse Compact would provide $250 million of state funds that would be invested to provide low interest loans to businesses to hire new workers, to provide for a fund for new product development by businesses, to provide start-up funds for new businesses, and to provide $50 million in business-related research at

Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...

and the

University of Rhode Island The University of Rhode Island (URI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is the flagship public research as well as the land-grant university of the state of Rhode Island ...

. When the measure was submitted to the voters in a special referendum held 12 June 1984, the proposal was defeated 121,079 to 29,998.

Notable commodores

Below is a partial list of notable Rhode Island Commodores: * Lincoln Almond *

Donald Carcieri Donald Louis Carcieri ( ; ; born December 16, 1942) is an American politician and corporate executive who served as the 73rd Governor of Rhode Island from January 2003 to January 2011. Carcieri has worked as a manufacturing company executive, aid ...

* Lincoln Chafee *

Trudy Coxe Gertrude M. "Trudy" Coxe (born 1948) is an American environmental activist and historic preservationist who is the current CEO of the Preservation Society of Newport County and the former Secretary of Environmental Affairs in the Commonwealth of ...

Donald J. Farish Donald J. Farish (December 7, 1942 – July 5, 2018) was a Canadian American biologist and zoologist who served as the 10th president of Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. He was president of Rowan University in Glassboro, New Je ...

* Robert G. Flanders, Jr. *

J. Joseph Garrahy John Joseph Garrahy (November 26, 1930 – January 24, 2012), known to Rhode Islanders as J. Joseph Garrahy or just "Joe", was an American politician. He served as the 69th Governor of Rhode Island from 1977 to 1985. Early life Garrahy was born ...

Alan G. Hassenfeld Alan G. Hassenfeld (born ) is an American former chairman and chief executive officer of Hasbro Toys. Career He is the brother of Stephen D. Hassenfeld, who preceded him in the post. Hasbro was founded as a Hassenfeld family business in 1923. A ...

Frank Licht Frank R. Licht (March 3, 1916May 30, 1987) was an American politician and the 67th Governor of Rhode Island from 1969 to 1973, serving as the first Jewish governor in Rhode Island state history. He was also an associate justice of the Rhode Is ...

Ronald Machtley Ronald Keith "Ron" Machtley (born July 13, 1948) is an American politician and former president of Bryant University. Machtley served as a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Rhode Island from 1989 to 1995. From ...

Maxwell Mays Maxwell Mays (August 13, 1918 – November 16, 2009) was an American painter known for his whimsical depictions of Rhode Island. Early life and education Harry Maxwell Mays was born August 13, 1918, in Providence, Rhode Island to W. Clarke ...

* Philip W. Noel * Claiborne Pell *

Michael A. Rice Michael Alan Rice, (born March 4, 1955) is an American professor of fisheries and aquaculture at the University of Rhode Island and former state representative from South Kingstown, Rhode Island. A Democrat, he served in the Rhode Island House ...

Bruce Sundlun Bruce George Sundlun (January 19, 1920 – July 21, 2011) was an American businessman, politician and member of the United States Democratic Party, Democratic Party who served as List of governors of Rhode Island, 71st governor of Rhode Island ...

Ted Turner Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour United States cable news, cable news ch ...

References

{{reflist

External links

Rhode Island Commodores website
Honorary titles of the United States Governor of Rhode Island American awards State awards and decorations of the United States

Organizational history

Charitable and business development activities

Notable commodores

See also

References

External links