Veteran attorney tabbed to head up turnpike and bridge authority


SILVEIRA

SILVEIRA

An attorney who has been practicing law in Rhode Island for 36 years has been named executive director of the Rhode Island Turnpike and Bridge Authority.

Lori Caron Silveira will replace Buddy Croft as chief overseer of the four bridges connecting Aquidneck and Conanicut islands to the mainland. The agency, which is headquartered in Jamestown on East Shore Road, is charged with the operation and maintenance of nearly 28,000 feet of roadway above Narragansett Bay via the Newport Pell, Jamestown Verrazzano, Mount Hope and Sakonnet River spans.

Silveira, 61, becomes the eighth director, and first woman, to lead the authority.

“She is a woman of intelligence and integrity who has vast experience with the operations,” said Stephen Waluk, chairman of the agency’s board of directors. Silveira, who received her law degree from Boston University after studying in Costa Rica and Spain, was appointed by the board in January.

Prior to her appointment, Silveira was a partner at the Providence law firm Adler Pollock & Sheehan for 11 years, representing clients in cases that involved labor, procurement, bond covenants and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. As an attorney, she has worked with quasi-public agencies in Rhode Island including the airport corporation and the public transit authority. Because of this background, Waluk said, she has gained experience with the restructuring of operational divisions, including engineering, and has been directly involved with technological changes and sophisticated equipment.

As director, Silveira will oversee an agency with 126 employees, including 80 full-time workers, with an operating budget of $35.67 million.

Her predecessor, Croft, retired Jan. 31 after 14 years. During that time, he oversaw implementation of electronic tolling and the installation of a median barrier on the Pell Bridge. There were no toll increases during his tenure. Croft departed his post with a plea for the next generation of workers.

“The public sector can be a very rewarding career,” he said. “However, resources are somewhat limited and expectations are high. When you add to this the growing lack of civility in today’s society, public sector jobs can be challenging at times. This lack of civility, combined with the intensity of social media and the news cycle in today’s digitally carried internet-delivered communications channels, can often pose significant challenges.

“Despite these challenges, I urge young people to consider a career in the public sector. You feel good at the end of the day when you might have made a positive impact on your neighbor’s lives. With our polarized country and the many challenges ahead, we need young people entering the public sector now more than ever.”