With an eventful election year drawing ever closer, the Rhode Island Democratic Party has hired Tolulope Kevin Olasanoye as the party’s executive director, RIPR has learned.
Olasanoye has most recently served as director of purchasing for the City of Providence, a job he was hired for in May 2015.
He will be the first African-American to serve as executive director of the Rhode Island Democrats.
“Kevin is a gifted and highly respected attorney who has a deep appreciation of what’s at stake in the Democratic Party, and for this state and nation,” Chairman Joseph McNamara said in a statement. “He comes to us with experience in government — particularly with service to women, minorities and people with disabilities — and has recruited and trained volunteers in national and statewide campaigns, including Connecticut’s Obama for America, and was a staff assistant to U.S. Senator Jack Reed in his Washington, D.C. office. Kevin will be a true asset in building our Party for the pivotal elections ahead.”
Olasanoye is set to start in his new role June 7.
“I am really excited about the opportunity to lead the party into the next election cycle and to be responsible for putting the building blocks together to be successful going forward,” said Olasanoye.
The state Democratic Party has been functioning with one full-time staffer recently, with Ann Gooding doing communications. Annie Pease formerly led field efforts for the party, but now works as a staffer for U.S. Rep. David Cicilline. Jon Boucher left as executive director in 2015 to work for the City of Providence, before later taking a job in New York City. In addition, former longtime party chairman William Lynch was recently rehired for a second time to bolster the party’s messaging capacity.
“Great choice,” Boucher said of Olasanoye, on Twitter.
Olasanoye, a Providence native, also worked for Charles Fogarty’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign. As a Providence native, he graduated from Classical High School and Roger William University Law School, following URI.
Olasanoye’s hiring comes ahead of a busy election season in 2018, including races for governor and four other statewide offices, as well as General Assembly and U.S. House and Senate.
This post has been updated.
