Growing up attending Providence Public Schools, Jorge knew that the school system can either be a force for social change, or it can be a force of continued inequality. It’s these personal experiences that inspired him to lead on education for his two terms as Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, and what drives him to fight for education equity here at DFER.

Jorge’s impressive accomplishments as Mayor include:

• Creating the city’s Eat, Play Learn initiative to expand out-of-school enrichment
• Launching a nationally recognized African American Ambassador Group to bring Black leaders into the center of policymaking
• Investing $400 million into repairing school buildings and supporting the expansion of quality public charter schools
• Taking the bold and unprecedented step to bring in the RI Department of Education to turnaround the city’s chronically underperforming schools

Read Jorge’s full bio here.