Jean-Ann McGrane, CEO, has been driving innovation in conservation, public health and economic development for over 20 years. For more than 10 years, she was President of J.A. McGrane & Associates, a consulting organization in Gardiner, New York, specializing in solutions to complex conservation and economic development issues. 

For five years, Jean-Ann served as City Manager of the City of Newburgh, New York. There, she worked closely with elected officials, community representatives and business leaders to attract grant funding and investment partners to revitalize the city’s neighborhoods, downtown and waterfront. She also led the initiative to create its 25-year sustainable master plan.

At the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as Regional Director, Jean-Ann oversaw all environmental regulation, natural resource conservation initiatives and campground management for the Hudson Valley. Previously, she served as Assistant Vice President of the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation, establishing one of the nation’s first occupational and environmental health programs for health care workers.

Jean-Ann holds a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University, a Master of Science degree in Public Health from University of Illinois and a BA from Wellesley College. She is an avid outdoorswoman – a hiker, cyclist and swimmer – a choral singer and artist who looks forward to creating landscapes of Rhode Island scenes.

Nicole M. Kelly, Assistant Executive Director, Funding & Communications, was a Girl Scout in New Jersey. Nicole has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Virginia Tech and an MBA from University of Michigan. After ten years in the corporate sector, Nicole turned a passion for volunteering into a profession and founded Hands on Greenville, a nonprofit organization that made (and still does!) volunteering easy for busy, professional people. Nicole was the executive director of Hands On Greenville for nine years until she moved to Rhode Island. In recognition of her contributions to the Greenville, SC community, Nicole was selected to be a "Community Hero" torchbearer for the 1996 Summer Olympics. Nicole adopted her daughter, Caroline, from Vietnam in 1999.

Before coming to Girl Scouts in 2008, Nicole was a fundraiser for Kent Hospital in Warwick, RI. Nicole is on the board of directors of the Association for Fundraising Professionals - Rhode Island Chapter. She also serves on the board of South Providence Neighborhood Ministries.

Ernest J. Little, Director of Property Management, went to Paul Smith College in New York and served in the United States Naval Reserve as a CT.

Before he joined Girl Scouts of Rhode Island in 2007, Ernie held a variety of positions in several industries. He was the deputy director of aviation at the Burlington International Airport and, later, the director of aviation at Groton-New London Airport. In 1984, Ernie returned to his culinary aspirations and briefly became a part owner in a restaurant, in Mystic, CT and, with a friend, opened restaurants in Narragansett and New York City.  

Ernie was the food and beverage manager at Boulder Hills Golf and Country Club in Rhode Island and clubhouse manager and director of food and beverage for six courses located along the East Coast. He later became the general manager/COO at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, New York, one of the top ten courses in the United States. 

Susan L. Santos, Assistant Executive Director, Girl & Adult Services, has been employed with GSRI since 1985. She started her Girl Scout career in program and moved to membership. In 1998 Susan was promoted to her current position. She was previously employed as a grants administrator for the City of Providence - Parks Department and held various positions at the Opportunities Industrialization Center, a large human services organization that grew out of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s.

Susan earned her BA degree from RI College and received the Frances Hesselbein Award for Excellence to participate in Leadership RI. She currently serves on the Advisory Committee of John Hope Settlement House, is a member of the Cape Verdean Progressive Center, and is a board member of the RI Community Food Bank. In 2005, Susan received the Thanks Badge, the highest award an adult can earn in Girl Scouts.

Erik P. Silvestri, CFO/IT Director, joined GSRI with two decades of experience in finance, administration, and information technology management. He's worked in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors and was a member of the RI Department of Human Services MIS Task Force. Erik has also provided 20 years of technical and financial consulting services to clients in a variety of industries, ranging from manufacturing to health and human services. Most recently, Erik was the Senior Manager/Director of Finance, Administration and Technology for a nonprofit in southeastern MA. Erik is a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP). As Past Commodore of the University of Rhode Island, he spends most of his free time sailing and sport-fishing.