Projo Politics Blog

Tim Grilo has been appointed executive director of the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee. Grilo has worked since September 2005 as the party’s political director.

The post had been vacant since June, when Melba Depena resigned to become director of the Providence Human Relations Commission.

Before joining the party, Grilo worked as a legislative assistant on House Speaker William J. Murphy’s staff. He also coordinated the party’s efforts for General Assembly members in the last two election cycles.

The 30-year-old Newport native has also worked on the campaigns of U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, former gubernatorial candidate Antonio “Tony" Pires and former Coventry Rep. Rita Anderson’s special-election campaign for the House seat held by her late husband, Stephen J. Anderson, among others.

After leaving Pires in mid-campaign 2002, Grilo went to work for then-Secretary of State Edward S. Inman, but he was among the first Inman staffers Secretary of State Matt Brown fired when he won the office from Inman.

Grilo has a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Rhode Island.

He told Political Scene that he hopes to focus on fundraising and increasing the party’s grass-roots organization.

“Tim is a campaign veteran who will bring a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to this important position of running the day-to-day operations of our party,” Chairman William J. Lynch said in a statement. “After a tremendously successful election cycle, Tim will bring the political skills that are necessary to keep the Rhode Island Democrats moving in the right direction.”

-- Journal staff writers Elizabeth Gudrais, Scott Mayerowitz, Scott MacKay and Edward Fitzpatrick

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