Ralph Mollis | |
|---|---|
| Secretary of State of Rhode Island | |
| In office January 1, 2007 – January 6, 2015 | |
| Governor | Donald Carcieri Lincoln Chafee |
| Preceded by | Matt Brown |
| Succeeded by | Nellie Gorbea |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1961-05-24)May 24, 1961 (age 63) North Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Children | Michael, Angelo, and Briana |
| Alma mater | Saint Anselm College (BA) |
Angelo Ralph Mollis (born May 24, 1961) is an American politician who served as theSecretary of State ofRhode Island from 2007 to 2015. A member of theDemocratic Party, he assumed office on January 1, 2007. He was reelected to a second term beginning January 4, 2011 and was succeeded by fellow DemocratNellie Gorbea on January 6, 2015.
Mollis attendedSt. Anselm College and theSouthern New England School of Law, but he left law school to pursue a career in finance with LAMCO Pension and Investment Advisory Firm, simultaneously serving as Town Councilman ofNorth Providence from 1986 until 1996. Mollis rose to Vice President/Director of Office Operations of LAMCO.
Mollis served as Town Council President in 1993 and 1994 and becamemayor of North Providence in January 1997. He was re-elected in 2000 and 2004, In 2006, he was electedSecretary of State. In 2010, voters gave him a second four-year term. As secretary of state, Mollis has pushed various electoral reforms.[1] While he served as the state's chief elections official, Rhode Island broke records for the number of registered voters as well as primary and general election turnout.[2] By law, the Secretary of State also has a number of business-related duties. To make it easier for businesses to meet their state-mandated reporting requirements, Mollis introduced on-line filing of documents such as annual reports.[3] Working with the state's Economic Development Corporation, Mollis rolled out a "We Mean Business" initiative to help start-up and emerging companies get fast answers from government agencies.[4] In his role overseeing the State Archives, Mollis introduces students to state history by bringing historic documents such as Rhode Island's version of the Emancipation Proclamation to schools all over Rhode Island.[5]
Mollis was prevented from running for reelection as Secretary of State in the2014 elections byterm limits.[6] He ran forLieutenant Governor of Rhode Island,[7] but lost the Democratic Party's nomination toDaniel McKee.[8] In 2017, Mollis was hired as the town manager forNorth Kingstown, Rhode Island.[9][10]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forSecretary of State of Rhode Island 2006, 2010 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Secretary of State of Rhode Island 2007–2015 | Succeeded by |