Treasurer Diossa Hosts Municipal Training and Education Conference
Published on Wednesday, October 29, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2025
Contact: Grace Voll
Treasurer Diossa Hosts Municipal Training and Education Conference
PROVIDENCE - More than 70 municipal finance officials from across Rhode Island, agency heads, and related professionals attended a municipal training and education conference today hosted by General Treasurer James A. Diossa.
The conference, held at New England Tech’s East Greenwich campus, included several panels and presentations on emerging issues in public finance, including the integration of AI technology, data transparency, and cybersecurity. The Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns moderated a panel discussion on municipal markets. Brown University professor Wendy Shiller offered the keynote address.
“Ensuring that our cities and towns have the tools and information necessary to maintain fiscal stability is a priority for our team. From running the Public Finance Management Board to assessing the health of locally run municipal pension plans, Treasury aims to be a resource for local government officials across Rhode Island,” said Treasurer Diossa. “Today’s conference is a great opportunity to bring these officials together to hear about opportunities and challenges in municipal finance. I am grateful to all our partners in government for their participation.”
The conference was coordinated by the Treasurer’s office and the Office of Debt Management.
The panels and speakers were as follows:
How to Use AI to Improve Productivity and Efficiency
- Dea Biancarelli, Accenture
- Noah Lebowitz, Nixon Peabody
- Tyler Traudt, CEO, DebtBook
Financial Data Transparency Act – Getting Ready Now
- Tyler Traudt, CEO, DebtBook
- Neal Pandozzi, Troutman Pepper Locke
Cybersecurity
- Nate Loura, State of Rhode Island Enterprise Technology Strategy & Services (ETSS)
- Neal Pandozzi, Troutman Pepper Locke, Bond Disclosure Requirements for Cybersecurity
- Omid Rahmani, Director, Fitch Ratings, Public Finance Cybersecurity Lead
- Scott Shad, Associate Director, S&P, State of Rhode Island Lead Analyst & Member of Cyber Team
RI League of Cities and Towns, Financial Advisors & Municipal Market Update
- Randy Rossi, RI League of Cities and Towns
- Steve Maceroni, PFM
- Matt Blais, Hilltop
- Ilya Perlovsky, CFA, Vice President, Market Strategist, Fidelity Capital Markets
RI League of Cities and Towns, Financial Advisors & Municipal Market Update
Keynote Speaker, Wendy J. Schiller, Ph.D., and Alison S. Ressler Professor in Political Science, Brown University
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