Name: Kimberly Page

Address: 24 Eden Court, North Kingstown, RI 02852

Email address: [email protected]

Age: 51

Education: BS- Math & Business; Master in Education, Juris Doctorate & Doctoral Candidate at Johnson & Wales for Higher Education

Marital status: Married to Peter Pellegrino for 23 years

Number of children/grandchildren: 2 sons, Tyler who attends CCRI and Graham who attend NK High School

Occupation: Attorney

Have you run for elected office before? Yes, for North Kingstown School Committee

Have you held elected office before? Yes, 2 terms to NK School Committee

Why are you running for state Senate?

We moved to Rhode Island 10 years ago, due the military stationing my husband in Newport at the War Gaming Department; we decided to stay when he retired in 2007 because we really liked it. Rhode Island has beautiful beaches, historic landmarks, great food, talented entertainment, and we have people who are very loyal and committed to the state. We should have businesses wanting to come into Rhode Island. I want to be part of the solution to creating an open business environment.

My vision is that Rhode Island should have a workforce coveted by business and industry. I want to push for legislation and practices that retrain workers and prepare citizens to the latest innovative business practices and industries.

I have a vision that all schools in Rhode Island should have partnerships with local business to prepare our students for the workforce or college. At North Kingstown High School, we are pairing up with Electric Boat and other businesses to teach students the skills they need to be prepared to work in Rhode Island industries when they graduate. For East Greenwich, North Kingstown and Narragansett students who are going to college, there are more advanced placement courses offered than most schools in Rhode Island.

What are the most important issues facing our district? Our state?

I think the most important issues are the lack of well-paying jobs and the poor state of the Rhode Island economy. If we want new business to succeed and to consider moving to Rhode Island, we must have a two-pronged approach: we need to reduce taxes on business and we need a trained workforce. As a state senator I would vote to repeal the corporate tax for small businesses.

Our workforce needs to be appealing for business so they want to locate in RI. That means we also need well-
trained people who are innovative, highly technical, and experienced, as well as students who are career and college ready. We need leaders who understand the importance of a modern workforce and push policies that are friendlier to the business environment in R.I.

What distinguishes you from your primary opponent?

I have worked 6 of my 8 years on the NK School Committee in the minority Republican Party so I understand it is very difficult to get items on the agenda and discussed. I was elected the chair of the committee even as I was in the minority. I understand how difficult it is to work in an environment where the controlling side does not how to work with a Republicans.

The General Assembly is overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats. As a Republican, how would you be effective in the G.A. if elected?

I know being in the minority will be a very difficult position in the General Assembly. I have no illusions that I will find it easy to get my bills to the floor or be able to build a coalition of votes. However, I know how to speak and argue logically and vocally in order to have the people of East Greenwich and other three towns, have their views heard and known. I may not be in the majority in Providence, but I will represent the majority of views in East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Narragansett and South Kingstown.

Is there anything else about yourself you’d like to add?

I want to take what I learned about education (kindergarten-12), and the higher education issues I studied in the Johnson & Wales Educational Leadership program, and work on sound policies for the state. I am a licensed R.I. attorney and when I worked in the state of Washington 10 years ago, I was a prosecutor for the City of Oak Harbor. I understand the RI state legal issues. I am very involved in the RI community as a board member of the North Kingstown Food Pantry, a youth leader at my church, and I was an adjunct professor at CCRI. My experience, education and commitment to public service will be beneficial to the citizens of East Greenwich, North Kingstown, Narragansett & South Kingstown. I will continue to work hard to be an advocate for the district and the people who live here.