Meet the Commissioners

Chairman Elia Germani

Chairman Germani was appointed to the R.I. Public Utilities Commission by Gov. Lincoln Almond in May 2000 and reappointed to a six-year term commencing March 2001.

Chairman Germani was General counsel for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island for 18 years. He also was a partner in the law firm of Tillinghast, Collins & Graham and served as attorney and assistant secretary of the Narragansett Electric Company.

Chairman Germani earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard University Law School and a B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Rhode Island. He serves as chairman of the R.I. Energy Facility Siting Board and has been a member of the Board of Governors of Higher Education and the Board of Regents for Elementary and Secondary Education. He currently serves as a member of the Directors of Justice Assistance, which is a non-profit criminal justice agency, and as a member of the Board of Governors of the Providence Boys & Girls Club. He also is president of The Harvard Law School Association of Rhode Island.

Commissioner Robert B. Holbrook

Commissioner Holbrook was appointed to the Public Utilities Commission by Governor Carcieri to serve a six-year term commencing May, 2003.

Commissioner Holbrook served in a number of executive positions during a 26-year career with the Old Stone Corporation, a Providence, RI based thrift holding company, and several of its subsidiaries, including the Old Stone Bank. He was the Controller of Old Stone Corporation for ten years and subsequently Senior Vice-President of the Old Stone Bank in charge of the Mergers and Acquisition Group. He also served as  the President and Chief Financial Officer of Old Stone Development Corporation, a commercial real estate investment subsidiary. Prior to his appointment to the Public Utilities Commission, he served for four years as Chief Financial Officer of The Meeting Street Center, overseeing business operations of the 200 employee, not-for-profit organization serving children with special needs. He also served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Southeast New England Shipbuilding Corporation, “SENESCO”, a start-up shipbuilding company in North Kingstown, RI.

Commissioner Holbrook earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, majoring in accounting, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rhode Island. He also completed various work related, executive and financial study programs at Williams College, Stanford University, The Wharton School and Columbia University.

He has held a number of elected and appointed positions in the public sector, including twelve years on the East Greenwich School Committee, including four years as Chairman, eight years as a member of the East Greenwich Town Council, and two years as a Commissioner on the Rhode Island State Board of Elections. He is currently a member of the East Greenwich Planning Board.

Commissioner Mary E. Bray

Commissioner Mary E. Bray was appointed by Governor Carcieri to serve a six-year term commencing August 2005.

Commissioner Bray most recently had been Director of the Office of Community Services and Advocacy for the Catholic Diocese of Providence, a position she held since 1999. In that role, she oversaw a multi-purpose organization that offers educational, social and advocacy services to minorities, the elderly and the poor. She previously served as Business Manager of the Holy Spirit Catholic Community in Central Falls, managed office operations for Advanced Transportation in Lincoln, and was credit card operations manager for Rhode Island Hospital Trust Bank.

She has an Associates degree in Social Services from the former Rhode Island Junior College and has completed various business courses at Bryant University.

Commissioner Bray has been a member of the Pawtucket City Council since 1992. She serves on the boards of directors of several community organizations, among them, the Pawtucket/Central Falls Emergency Shelter, the Pawtucket Police Athletic League, and previously, the Cape Verdean Community Development Corporation. She has also been a member of the Martin Luther King Holiday Commission, Ireland's “32” Society, and various church committees.