Joseph M. Polisena (born June 27, 1954) is an American politician from

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area and the seventh-least populous, with slightly fewer than 1.1 million residents as of 2020, but i ...

. He served in the

Rhode Island Senate The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of w ...

from 1993 to 1999 and again from 2001 to 2007. He is currently mayor of the Town of Johnston, having been elected in 2006, and sworn into office in January 2007. He is a Democrat.

Early life and education

Polisena was born to Julia Marie and Joseph Anthony Polisena on June 27, 1954. He graduated from Johnston High School in Johnston, Rhode Island in 1972. In 1985, Polisena graduated from the

Community College of Rhode Island The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) is a public community college in Rhode Island. It is the only community college in the state and the largest community college in New England. The college's primary facility is located in Warwick, with ...

with an associate degree in nursing. In 1988, he earned a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...

in health services from

Roger Williams University Roger Williams University (RWU) is a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams. The school enrolls over 5,000 students and employs over 480 academic sta ...

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city i ...

. In 1998, he completed a

Master of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum ...

through

Cambridge College Cambridge College is a private college based in Boston, Massachusetts. It also operates regional centers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, Springfield, Massachusetts, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, and Rancho Cucamonga, California. History Founding Cambri ...

Career

He was employed by the Community College of Rhode Island as a registered nurse and assistant professor. He also worked as a nurse at the Our Lady of Fatima Hospital. He worked as a firefighter for the Johnston Fire Department.

Rhode Island Senate

He served a total of twelve years in the Rhode Island Senate, from 1993 to 1999 and from 2001 to 2007. He served as Deputy Majority Leader. He served on a state commission studying improvements to the state fire code following a fatal 2003 fire, and he sponsored a 2005 bill to clarify and strengthen the state's fire code.

Mayor of Johnston

Polisena serves on the Rhode Island Municipal Pension Board along with Mayor

Angel Taveras Angel Taveras (born August 18, 1970) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 37th mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, from 2011 to 2015. Taveras was the first Hispanic mayor of the city and the third elected and fourth serving Domini ...

of Providence. He has been an outspoken proponent of pension reform throughout the state. He has proposed a plan to freeze cost of living adjustments (COLAs) in retirees' pensions. Polisena has also been a strong supporter of Governor

Lincoln Chafee Lincoln Davenport Chafee ( ; born March 26, 1953) is an American politician. He was mayor of Warwick, Rhode Island from 1993 to 1999, a United States Senator from 1999 to 2007, and the 74th Governor of Rhode Island from 2011 to 2015. He was a ...

's Municipal Relief Package for the cities and towns of Rhode Island. Polisena is not seeking reelection in 2022, and he endorsed his son, Town Council Vice President Joseph Polisena Jr.

Personal life

He is married to Lucille "Lucy" Polisena. His son, Joseph Polisena, Jr., is Polisena's campaign manager.

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Polisena, Joe Living people 1954 births Democratic Party Rhode Island state senators Mayors of places in Rhode Island People from Johnston, Rhode Island Roger Williams University alumni Cambridge College alumni Community College of Rhode Island alumni