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May 20, 2008

Carcieri taps Kempe to replace Neal as press secretary

PROVIDENCE -- Amy Kempe, who has recently served as a spokeswoman for Newport Grand, will replace the governor's press secretary, Jeff Neal, the governor's office announced today.

Kempe, 36, is a vice president/team leader at public relations firm Regan Communications Group with clients such as Newport Grand, Dunkin’ Donuts and the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association. From 1997 to 2000, Kempe, of Newport, was public relations supervisor for lottery giant GTECH.

She is due to start her new job July 1. Neal announced in March that he would be leaving his post after more than five years on the job. He was one of the only members left of Governor Carcieri's inner circle.

Kempe also has a role in organizing and publicizing today's rally at the State House by the organization the Rhode Island Disability Vote Project aimed, in part, at drawing attention to a bill up for a hearing today that would require ramps and other accomodations to ensure polling stations are accessible to disabled people.

"Amy boasts over ten years of public relations experience in Rhode Island and already has strong connections with a number of reporters in the state and region," Carcieri said in the statement. "With that experience in mind, I believe Amy will do a terrific job of working with the local media to convey my views and public policy positions to the people of Rhode Island.”

The governor's office said Kempe has a master of arts in modern European history from the University of Rhode Island and a bachelor's in political science from the University at Albany – State University of New York.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney, with reports from Katherine Gregg, Journal State House Bureau

Posted by Mike McKinney  at 3:37 PM | Permalink

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Elizabeth | May 20, 2008 6:05 PM link

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