PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Dacia Read, a dynamic leader who brings more than 15 years of experience across government, nonprofit and private sectors, has been appointed chief of staff to the president at Brown University, effective Aug. 19.

Reporting directly to the president and serving as a member of the President's Cabinet, Read will support Brown President Christina H. Paxson in advancing University goals, provide strategic advice on key priorities and oversee all operations in the Office of the President.

Paxson said that with an exceptional track record in strategic project management, policy development and community engagement, Read is well positioned to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, alumni, local community members and other essential Brown partners.

“Building on her robust background in public policy and law, Dacia excels in synthesizing information, building relationships and leading teams toward solutions on complex challenges,” Paxson said. “She’ll be an excellent addition to our senior leadership team, and I look forward to working closely with her as we advance important objectives and confront pressing challenges for the Brown community.”

Read served most recently as vice president of strategic government growth at Unite Us, a technology company that builds networks of health and social service providers with a focus on improving patient care. She led comprehensive strategic planning, go-to-market activities and government relations strategies across 50 states, propelling a major growth trajectory for the company over three years and cultivating bipartisan investments in social determinants of health and related infrastructure.

Previously, Read held positions in Rhode Island government, serving as chief of staff at the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and as deputy chief of staff to former Gov. Gina Raimondo. During the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic, Read led Rhode Island’s whole-of-government response, implementing measures to significantly reduce test positivity and expand health care capacity, including efforts to erect two auxiliary field hospitals in four weeks. Her negotiation skills and strategic foresight were instrumental in distributing over $250 million in federal relief funding to health care institutions, further mitigating the pandemic's impact on the state’s health system.

Throughout her career, Read has been deeply engaged in community leadership related to education, public health and human services, including in Rhode Island. She currently serves as a board member for Family Service of Rhode Island and is the former advisory council chair for Breakthrough Providence at the Wheeler School. She focused on advocacy and improving the well-being of children and families through early-career roles, including in positions focused on expanding health education in New York City schools, and advocating for juveniles engaged in the justice system at the Children’s Defense Fund.

Read said that after a fulfilling tenure with Unite Us, the transition to higher education presents an opportunity to bring her skills and experiences to a new environment at the right time. 

“Ultimately, I love to build, support and contribute to teams focused on making a positive difference,” Read said. “The impact of Brown’s research, teaching and community engagement initiatives in addressing community challenges facing families, the economy, education and health care is clear, and I’m excited to play a part.”

As a Rhode Island native now raising a daughter in the Ocean State, Read says she is committed to and invested in Rhode Island both personally and professionally.

“In addition to the work of faculty, staff and students across campus, President Paxson’s leadership on health care and other important local issues has been undeniable,” she said. “I could not be more honored to become part of this community as Brown continues to impact our state and the world via the pursuit of knowledge, free inquiry and their useful application.”

Read is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, where she earned her juris doctor, receiving recognition for her contributions to public interest law and women's rights. She holds a bachelor of arts in urban studies from Columbia University.

She succeeds Brown Class of 2015 alumna Marguerite Joutz, who has served as chief of staff to the president since 2019 and will depart this summer to pursue a master of business administration degree at Harvard.