I
was saddened to learn of the passing of the first woman ever elected to General
Office in Rhode Island, former Secretary of State Susan L. Farmer. Farmer was
the devoted wife to Malcolm Farmer and a loving mother, as well as a
well-respected public servant and dear family friend.
From
an early age, Susan Farmer proved she had a big heart and cared for the
well-being of Rhode Islanders. Long before she started to serve the public as
Secretary of State in 1983, she had won respect for advocating for some of the
State’s most vulnerable populations.
After
leaving public office in 1986, she spent the next 17 years at the helm of Rhode
Island’s public television station, WSBE. Raising money for the station became
her mission, and when she left she had greatly increased donations and
visibility through her hosting duties for the stations’ fundraising efforts and
WSBE's political affairs show, A Lively Experiment.
On a personal note, she cared deeply about many causes but ensuring an increase in the number of women working in government was especially important to her. During the 2010 campaign, she took a leadership role in an initiative in which she asked all of the candidates to sign a pledge that if elected, we would double the percent of women appointed to boards and commissions, as well as high-level staff and cabinet positions. After I was elected Governor, she was persistent about the pledge, as she always was regarding issues that made Rhode Island a better place to live and work.
She is among one of the most beloved leaders of the State of Rhode Island. We have lost an extraordinary woman whose distinguished career has left a long-lasting mark on our State.
