NEW: Rhode Island Taxpayers Names Larry Girouard New President

NEW: Rhode Island Taxpayers Names Larry Girouard New President

The state's largest non-partisan taxpayer advocacy group, Rhode Island Taxpayers, announced today its new president, as well as leadership restructuring intended to strengthen the organization in anticipation of next year's critical elections. Larry Girouard, President of Business Avionix Company, now steps in as President of RI Taxpayers. In announcing the election of Girouard, Harry Staley, Chairman of RI Taxpayers, noted that Girouard has decades of experience in the manufacturing business sector.

"Larry's has provided a vital, in-the-trenches perspective to the RI Taxpayers' mission to represent the interests of the individual and business taxpayer," Staley stressed. "His first hand experience strengthening a broad range of businesses can help move us forward in our attempts to build a wider base of support."

Girouard has held management positions with DuPont, Keene Corporation, Cookson America, and at several high tech start-ups. He served as the Director of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Extension Service (RIMES) and of the NASA Technology Transfer Center for the State of RI.

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RI Taxpayers also announced that Monique Chartier, editor of the organization's newsletter, the RI Taxpayer Times, is now handling media relations duties.

"I've long been a supporter of RI Taxpayers and its mission," stated Chartier. "So I'm pleased and excited to now be stepping into this role for them."

The changes follow the departure in June of Executive Director Donna Perry.

"We are deeply grateful for Donna's leadership, dedication and communication skills that served RI Taxpayers so well during her tenure, first as Communications Director and then as Executive Director," Staley continued. "We will miss her but we are grateful also that she remains a supporter of our mission."

"Recognizing that Rhode Islanders will be facing critical choices in next year's elections, we intend to expand our membership and elevate our voice in the fight for the best interest of the state's taxpayers and businesses in the months ahead," Larry Girouard emphasized.

Rhode Island Taxpayers advocates for honest, effective, and fiscally sound government on behalf of Rhode Island taxpayers. Rhode Island Taxpayers, formerly RI Statewide Coalition, founded in 2003, was spun out of a South County oriented watchdog group called the “RI Shoreline Coalition”.