The Commission

Marc Crisafulli is an experienced executive in legal, compliance and regulatory governance, having served in multiple C-suite roles over the course of his 30-year career. Mr. Crisafulli is recently retired as the Executive Vice President, Government Relations, Legal and Regulatory at Bally’s Corporation. During his tenure, he forged a powerful, three-way partnership between Bally’s, IGT and the State of Rhode Island, a deal requiring legislative approval which resulted in The Marc A. Crisafulli Economic Development Act being signed into law. Before Bally’s, he was President of Global Device Protection for Brightstar Corporation, a wireless services company owned by SoftBank; EVP of Suffolk Construction Company; Managing Partner of Hinckley Allen & Synder LLP; and President of the Gaming Solutions Division for GTECH Holdings Corporation. Mr. Crisafulli received his BA from Boston University in Economics and Political Science, and his JD from Georgetown University School of Law.

Barrett Bready, M.D., is Founder and CEO at Nabsys. Dr. Bready is an adjunct professor at Brown University were he teaches Biotechnology Management. He serves as a commissioner of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, a large land redevelopment project in downtown Providence with a focus on life sciences and other high technology sectors. He has received numerous awards including, in 2011, Rhode Island Innovator of the ear from Providence Business News. Dr. Bready received an MD and an ScB in physics from Brown University, both as part of Brown's Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME).

Sandra Smith is the Associate Dean of Executive Education at Brown University's School of Professional Studies. She brings 25 years of experience in strategy consulting and business management from her work at the Boston Consulting Group, Charles Schwab, Catalyst Strategies, and Recon Strategy.  She holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business and a BASc in Industrial Engineering with honors and a MASc of Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. Sandra is a member of the Executive Committee and Treasurer for the Wheeler School Board of Trustees.

Michael F. McNally retired as one of the nine members of Skanska's senior executive team responsible for the company's $20 billion global construction and development operations. While he was the president and CEO of Skanska USA, it grew to be one of the largest construction/development companies in the US with annual revenues in excess of $7 billion. 

He is currently the chair of the board of directors at Granite Construction (GVA), a member of the board of directors at Limbach Holdings (LMB), vice chair of the University of Rhode Island board of trustees, on the board of Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and a member of the I-195 Commission. From 2016 to 2019 he was the chairman of the US Green Building Council board of directors. Previous to his retirement, Mr. McNally sat on the national board of directors for the ACE Mentoring Program and the Association for the Improvement of the American Infrastructure. He was also on the US Chamber of Commerce's "Let's Rebuild America" leadership committee, vice chairman of the New York Building Congress, and the co-chair of the YMCA of Greater New York "Strong Kids" campaign. Mr. McNally holds a BSCE degree from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Rhode Island and is a National Association of Corporate Directors Leadership Fellow.

Bob McCann retired after over 30 years in the insurance industry. He was the founder and president of Group Benefit Advisors, a company that specialized in corporate benefits. He received both RFC and CMFC designations. As he retired, he also sold his real estate investment company, The 02908 Club, which owned a significant real estate portfolio in the city of Providence, Rhode Island. 

In 1991, Mr. McCann founded “The Make a Difference Foundation,” that helps provide turkeys to over 3,000 families throughout Rhode Island every Thanksgiving. He is also a member of the Providence College National Board of Overseers. Mr. McCann holds a BS in Finance and Economics from the University of Rhode Island. He is currently living in Newport, Rhode Island and Delray Beach, Florida with his wife Ann and has four adult children. 

Robert E. Azar, AICP, is the Acting Director of the City of Providence’s Department of Planning and Development. He sits on the Rhode Island State Planning Council and is an Associate Professor of the Practice of Urban Studies at Brown University.

In his 22-year career with the City of Providence, Mr. Azar has played a leadership role in every facet of city planning. He has co-managed the rezoning of the entire city; overseen complete streets, public open space, and brownfield remediation projects; and reviewed plans for billions of dollars of new construction.

Mr. Azar holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Massachusetts and a master’s degree in community planning from the University of Rhode Island. He lives in Providence with his wife and two sons.

Elizabeth (“Liz”) Tanner was appointed Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce in June 2022, under Governor Daniel McKee.

In that role, she administers the Executive Office of Commerce, the state agency charged with promoting commerce and fostering an economic environment in which Rhode Island’s businesses can grow and prosper.

Secretary Tanner oversees multiple state departments and quasi-governmental agencies. Among those, the Department of Business Regulation, of which she was Director prior to her appointment as Secretary, and the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, a quasi-state agency which collaborates with public, private, and nonprofit partners to offer consulting and funding assistance to businesses.

Known as a problem-solver with a passion for making it easier to do business in Rhode Island, Liz is a fierce advocate for governmental efficiency.

A graduate of the University of Rhode Island and Western New England University Law School, Liz has also received training from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.