Finance committee forwards mayoral appointees to Providence School Board

The Providence City Committee on Finance on Jan. 23 recommended that several mayoral appointees be forwarded to the full City Council for confirmation, approving motions to advance the nominations by voice vote.

The committee approved motions to forward Melissa Hughes, Angel Newman, Jenny Mercado and Najim (Nigel) Morinabo (listed in the packet as “Najim/Nigel”) and also swore in Steven Williamson for presentation. Each nomination drew questions from committee members about experience, priorities and how the appointees view a return to local control of the district.

The endorsements came after each applicant briefly described their background and answered committee questions. Melissa Hughes told the committee she had served one year on the Providence School Board and was elected school board secretary; she said the board’s policy committee had revised the district’s school-closure policy for the first time since 1991 and noted that work with the superintendent’s cabinet and equity and family engagement offices had informed that effort. “The greatest accomplishment of that committee was . . . we were able to pass a revised school closure policy,” Hughes said.

Angel Newman, who said she applied while pregnant and later served on the board, described relationship-building as a priority and urged more work between meetings: “If anything is really gonna happen, it needs to happen between the board meetings,” she said. Newman and other candidates were asked about the timing and conditions for returning the schools to local control; several said they support return to local control when a sustainable staffing and finance plan is in place.

Jenny Mercado, who said she immigrated from Nicaragua at 15 and works as a nursing assistant, told the committee she wanted to help bilingual and immigrant families navigate the schools and cited plans to expand parent engagement and translation resources. Najim (Nigel) Morinabo, who described himself as a refugee community leader and said he chairs a health and awareness committee on the school board, said his priorities include bilingual education, attendance and student mentoring.

Committee members praised the nominees’ community experience and moved approval motions for each appointment. For Melissa Hughes, committee records show the motion to approve “number 5” was made by Councilor Sanchez and seconded by Councilor Andrew Ball and was approved by voice vote. Similar motions to advance the other nominees were made and seconded and recorded as approved by the committee.

The committee’s actions are recommendations to the full Providence City Council, which will take final confirmation votes in a later meeting. The committee also took time to receive letters of support and to administer oaths for appointees during the meeting.

Votes at a glance - Motion to forward appointment “number 5” (Melissa Hughes): moved by Councilor Sanchez, seconded by Councilor Andrew Ball; committee voice vote: aye; outcome: recommended to full Council. - Motion to forward appointment “number 6” (Angel Newman): moved by Councilor Tiff, seconded by Councilor Sanchez; committee voice vote: aye; outcome: recommended to full Council. - Motion to forward Jenny Mercado (item number as listed in packet): moved by Pastor Ganondorf, seconded by Pastor Taylor; committee voice vote: aye; outcome: recommended to full Council. - Motion to forward Najim (Nigel) Morinabo (item 19 in packet): motion to approve moved and seconded; committee voice vote: aye; outcome: recommended to full Council. - Motion to forward Steven Williamson (item 9 in packet): motion to approve moved by Councilor Lee and seconded by Councilor Taylor; committee voice vote: aye; outcome: recommended to full Council.

Ending The committee discussed coordination between councilors and regional school-board members and asked appointees to work closely with city councilors and community groups. The nominations now move to the full City Council for final confirmation.