About RIPEC
Overview
Since its founding in 1932, RIPEC has worked to develop solutions to critical challenges facing the Ocean State by providing objective research and analysis. Focusing on the most pressing topics of the day, RIPEC has been at the forefront of major issues facing state and local government for almost nine decades.
A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt research organization, RIPEC is primarily supported through the annual contributions of its membership.
Our Mission
To advance fiscally responsible government, competitive tax policies, and economic opportunities for all in Rhode Island by providing objective and nonpartisan research and analysis.
Michael DiBiase
President & CEO
m_dibiase@ripec.com
Michael DiBiase began serving as President & CEO of the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council in January of 2020. Prior to his appointment as President & CEO, Michael served for five years as Director of Administration for the State of Rhode Island. His prior experience includes senior positions in government relations for Fidelity Investments, as well as serving as Chief of Staff for Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Almond. Michael is a graduate of Boston College and University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Justine Oliva, Ph.D.
Manager of Research
j_oliva@ripec.com
Justine Oliva joined the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council in October 2018. Before joining the team, Dr. Oliva earned a PhD in History from the University of New Hampshire. Her doctoral dissertation examines the interplay between political, economic, and social power in the nineteenth-century United States and was completed with support from institutions like the University of Virginia Library and the American Antiquarian Society. Dr. Oliva holds a BA in Secondary Education and History and an MA in History, both from the University of Rhode Island.
Amber Martin
Policy Analyst
a_martin@ripec.com
Amber Martin joined the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council in June of 2019. Prior to joining the team, Amber received her BA in Anthropology from Rhode Island College and an MS in Environmental Anthropology with a focus on Food Policy from The University of Kent. Her previous research includes urban political ecology of food, brownfield site remediation, and financial analytics. She is recently completed a MS in Data Analytics at SNHU and is interested in data driven policy analysis.
