In her role as Program Director at the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH), she took all public program initiatives from inception to implementation - for example, she convened a working group of over 100 previously disconnected individuals and organizations statewide to produce Freedom Festival, an outstanding series of programs for all ages commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of transatlantic slave trade, and celebrating African-American heritage in Rhode Island.

During her years at the Providence Athenaeum Library (established in 1753), in addition to creating a variety of quality programs, she was responsible for the annual fundraising event, implementing cultural trips here and abroad, raising awareness of the mission, and increasing non-traditional membership recruitment and retention.

As a person growing up during the Civil Rights Movement Risa has spent her lifetime deeply concerned with the issues of leadership, equality, diversity, and justice that face our communities.  Growing up in New York City fostered her lifelong interest in the arts and cultural community, and that interest has been supplemented and has grown stronger through the years.  Living in Mexico for a year gave her fluency in Spanish, and a genuine appreciation and love for cultural exchange.  Risa is devoted to bringing opportunities and access to arts and culture to communities of all types, by nature. 

Risa’s innate curiosity makes her a “lifelong learner” and this wonderful opportunity to work with courageous women from Afghanistan is well-suited to her dreams and hopes of making a difference in the global community.

Risa has two children and a beautiful granddaughter.  Her interests are in the humanities, particularly literature, and the arts, music and dance, and she LOVES the peace of the beach.