About Us
Our MissionCommon Cause of Rhode Island is a nonpartisan organization whose mission is to promote representative democracy by ensuring open, ethical, accountable, effective government processes at local, state and national levels by educating and mobilizing the citizens of Rhode Island.
Our Organization
Common Cause is a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization. It achieves its goals through the hard work of a national office of staff and volunteers in Washington DC, as well as state organizations located across the nation and thousands of members and supporters. Common Cause of Rhode Island is a state office of the national organization, and its Board selects and focuses on its own issue agenda to promote open, ethical, accountable government here in Rhode Island.
Our Founders
Common Cause was founded in August 1970 by John Gardner, a Republican who had come to Washington, DC to work for Democratic President Lyndon Johnson.The Rhode Island chapter of Common Cause was founded in 1970 by Rhode Island businessperson Natalie C. Joslin, who was its first president, served as president again in the 1990s, and continues to actively assist the organization to this day.
Our Leadership
Kevin McAllister, President
Charles Sturtevant, Vice President
Joan Gray, Treasurer
Tory McCagg, Secretary
Greta Abbott, Jane Austin, Susan Belles, Thomas R. Bender, Susan Blume, Vickie Cummings, Frank DiGregorio, Lara Ewens, Jr., Alan Flink, Doree Goodman, Brian Heller, Burt Hoffman, Tim Kuhner, Scott Metcalfe, Eugene Mihaly, Don Pryor, Nancy Rhodes, Bruce Ruttenberg, Helen Sebesta, Daniel G. Siegel, Tibelrosa Tarponweh
PRESIDENTS EMERITUS
Natalie C. Joslin, James C. Miller, Nancy Rhodes, Daniel G. Siegel, Cathy Speer
Advisory Council
Kevin McAllister & Charles Sturtevant, C0-Chairs
John Gardner Fellows Alan G. Hassenfeld, Natalie C. Joslin, Lila & John Sapinsley, Henry D. Sharpe, Jr.
Phil Anderson, Gerry Billings, David A. Brown, Helen Buchanan, Joseph L. Dowling, Jr., Thomas Ewens, Robert G. Flander, Fred Franklin, Patricia Fuller, Warren Galkin, Artemis Joukowsky, Robert Kilmarx, James C. Miller, Jack Partridge, Tom Quill, Ford Sayre, Neil Severance, Richard Silverman, Cathy Speer, Nondas Hurst Voll, Rob Walker, Richard Worrell
STAFF
John Marion, Executive Director
Mary Elizabeth Marshall, Associate Director
