Following a more than two month nationwide search for its Chief Impact and Equity Officer, United Way of Rhode Island has filled the position from within, promoting Larry Warner.

Warner previously served as the organization’s director of grants and strategic initiatives.

The executive leadership position will serve a vital role in achieving the ambitious goals put forth by United Way of Rhode Island in its recently released strategic plan, LIVE UNITED 2025. United Way is committed to building racial equity in Rhode Island and creating justice and opportunities for all, and will invest $100 million over the next five years in support of this mission.

“Larry is an extraordinary leader who fosters an environment of teamwork, inclusion, and hard work,” said Paola Fernandez, chair of United Way’s Community Investment Committee and VP, Community Development Officer at Centreville Bank. “In this defining moment, as United Way embarks on the transformational work of dismantling systemic and institutional barriers in our state, I have no doubt Larry will lead the charge with distinction.”

With deep experience managing millions of dollars in grantmaking and community investment strategies, Warner will lead United Way’s work to make Rhode Island more equitable and inclusive, with racial equity and justice at the center of its initiatives. In particular, he will oversee the development and implementation of programs that advance childhood reading proficiency among Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) youth, increase access to safe and affordable housing, support workforce development and adult education, more efficiently connect Rhode Islanders to social services, and that alter policies that perpetuate inequities for people of color.

“I’m excited to take on the role of Chief Impact and Equity Officer, especially at such a pivotal time in United Way of Rhode Island’s work, and our history in general,” Warner said. “The launch of our LIVE UNITED 2025 strategic plan could not be more important or timely. I look forward to working alongside our president and CEO, Cortney Nicolato, the entire United Way team and our partners in the community in pursuit of our goals and the vision of a thriving Rhode Island.”

Warner is co-chair of the Rhode Island Commission for Healthy Advocacy and Equity, and serves on both the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Subcommittee and the COVID-19 Equity Council, among his many community involvements.

He lives in Cranston with his family and earned a B.A. in Health and Society and a Master of Public Health degree at Brown University. He is currently a doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where he is studying Health Equity and Social Justice. Prior to joining United Way in 2019, Warner was the strategic initiative officer for the Healthy Lives initiative at Rhode Island Foundation.