Bank Rhode Island president and chief executive officer Merrill W. Sherman is Sen. Jack Reed's special guest tonight.

She spearheaded the creation of the bank in 1996, has been head of two other New England banks, and, before that, practiced law with a major Providence firm.

Mike Tracy, a cancer survivor from East Providence's Riverside section, is slated to be a guest of U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island.

According to Whitehouse's office, Tracy suffered from a misdiagnosed case of squamous cell carcinoma on his foot, and his cancer therefore went untreated for years. He was told his leg would have to be amputated to prevent the cancer's spreading. After he got a second opinion at a Boston hospital, his final diagnosis had to be delayed several weeks so his complete records could be moved from Providence, the release said.

“A mistaken diagnosis changed my life forever. Paper medical records meant I had to wait in limbo -- knowing my life was in danger -- while my chart was transferred from one hospital to another. Nobody should have to go through an experience like this,” Tracy said in the statement released last week. “We need to fix the health care system.”

Cumberland Mayor Daniel McKee, a Democrat, will be a guest of U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-Rhode Island, watching the speech from the House Gallery.

“Mayor McKee epitomizes the plight of mayors across the country facing diminishing resources from the state and federal governments, as well as the challenges innate in running a municipality,” Kennedy said in a statement last week. “He is quickly becoming known in national circles as an innovator and strategic thinker, particularly in the area of education.”

McKee stated he looks forward to the trip “and the opportunity to discuss some of the key issues that are having an impact on the state of Rhode Island."

U.S. Rep. James Langevin's guest at the State of the Union will be Anne Nolan, president of Crossroads Rhode Island.

“She works every day to make sure those less fortunate have a warm, safe place to lay their heads at night as well as all the support services they need to help get them back on their feet," Langevin said of Nolan in a statement.

Nolan joined Crossroads in 2000. Formerly Travelers Aid, Crossroads, under Nolan’s leadership, has opened a headquarters on Broad Street overlooking Route 95, including a state-of-the-art medical clinic, and launched Operation First Step, an emergency assessment shelter to the newly homeless.