Off Hours: Christopher Bizzacco ’03.5, campaign manager

Christopher Bizzacco landed a political science major’s dream job by being in the right place at the right time.

Bizzacco ’03.5, a political science and public policy major (below, at headquarters on Election Day), took a leave of absence last September to accept the position of campaign manager for David Cicilline ’83, the Democratic candidate for mayor of Providence.

“I knew it would be a great opportunity to gain some real-life experience,” said Bizzacco. “I’ve always wanted to help people, and politics seemed like a tangible way I could do it. ”

Bizzacco, of Smithfield, R.I., met Cicilline during the start of his campaign in May 2001, long before many other Democratic candidates entered the race.

“A friend of mine who is a member of the College Democrats told me the Cicilline campaign needed a summer intern and I applied,” said Bizzacco. “When the summer ended, David decided to offer me the position of campaign manager. I went straight to the dean to ask for a leave, and he said I’d be crazy not to take him up on his offer.”

With his personable nature, electric smile, and an ability to relate to all people, it’s no surprise Bizzacco won over the new mayor, his staff, and members of the community.

“Chris is exceptionally bright and quickly established his extraordinary wisdom,” said Cicilline. “We originally were looking for someone with more experience in campaign management, but ultimately came to the conclusion that we were in very capable hands with Chris.”

Darrell West, director of the Taubman Center and a political analyst, agreed that Cicilline had to have seen something special in the Brown undergraduate to place his political future in Bizzacco’s hands. “He has had a meteoric rise in Rhode Island politics,” said West. “I think it is quite unusual for a college student to have the kind of success Chris has had. He has demonstrated his abilities and has very good political instincts and was able to pull it off.”

Bizzacco knew there would be skeptics and was aware he had his work cut out for him. “I had never run a campaign before, so I learned day by day,” he said. “David hired some great people, and we all worked well together; I certainly didn’t do it alone. I think campaigns are won or lost in the organization of its operations center. If you have good people around you, it reflects in your message.”

Bizzacco comes from a politically active family. His mother, Rosanne, was elected to the North Providence School Committee in 1996; his late grandfather, John, was a former council president in Johnston. “My family said, ‘They’re going to tear you apart because you’re so young,’” Bizzacco stated, “but they knew it would be a great learning experience, so they said to go for it.”

Perhaps it was his youthful enthusiasm or uncanny insight, but his decision to stick to a positive and diverse campaign, which remained on message, proved to be a winning one.

Okay, the obvious next question: Will the successful campaign manager work for the newly elected mayor when Bizzacco graduates next December? Bizzacco said he doesn’t know yet, but plans to fulfill a lifelong dream and run for office one day. – Dionne Montgomery

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