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Business Beat: Shawn Sullivan New CCRI Interim VP for Workforce Partnerships and Institutional Advancement
January 2, 2026/
As part of its continued commitment to serve as the state’s premier provider of workforce education and training, the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) today announced the appointment of Shawn Sullivan as Interim Vice President for the Division of Workforce Partnerships and Institutional Advancement.
Sullivan brings more than 20 years of experience in workforce strategy, talent acquisition, and employer engagement. Most recently, he served as Director of Talent Acquisition for CharterCARE Health Partners, where he led a system-wide workforce strategy for a multi-hospital healthcare network. In that role, Sullivan rebuilt recruitment infrastructure, stabilized critical workforce pipelines, and worked closely with executive leadership during a period of significant organizational and financial complexity.
Previously, Sullivan held senior leadership roles at Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, where he helped place thousands of Rhode Islanders into jobs by aligning employer demand with talent pipelines across manufacturing, healthcare, and professional services. Earlier in his career, he served in executive and regional leadership roles in consulting, information technology, and financial services, with direct responsibility for employer engagement, revenue generation, and performance outcomes.
Sullivan’s blend of hands-on workforce leadership and business acumen positions him well to lead CCRI’s workforce enterprise and to strengthen long-term employer partnerships across Rhode Island. Sullivan earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and an MBA at Bryant University. He is a resident of Smithfield.
About CCRI
The Community College of Rhode Island enrolls nearly 18,000 students in credit-bearing degree and certificate programs and an additional 8,500 individuals in workforce development programs and adult education courses annually. With passionate commitment to students, CCRI provides Rhode Islanders with an outstanding college education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful postsecondary credential attainment, and robust labor market outcomes. For more information, please visit ccri.edu.
The Community College of Rhode Island enrolls nearly 18,000 students in credit-bearing degree and certificate programs and an additional 8,500 individuals in workforce development programs and adult education courses annually. With passionate commitment to students, CCRI provides Rhode Islanders with an outstanding college education that leads to strong learning outcomes, successful postsecondary credential attainment, and robust labor market outcomes. For more information, please visit ccri.edu.