The Honorable
Daniel McKee

Lieutenant Governor
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations

Award Profile

Courageous Thinking and Action
Dan McKee has a lifelong record of bringing about change by bringing people together. He served six terms as Mayor of Cumberland and several years on the Town Council. Dan’s record is one of strong fiscal management, visionary education initiatives and thoughtful economic development.

Dan’s tenure at the State House had been marked by the same leadership approach. He is using the lieutenant governor’s office to support small businesses, improve the state’s economic situation, and be a champion of Rhode Island’s cities and towns.

Vision and Innovation
Dan has spent much of his life working with young people, which ultimately inspired him to get involved with government. As Mayor, Dan started Rhode Island’s first Office of Children, Youth & Learning which provides after school and summer programming to help thousands of students excel in reading, science, art, math, leadership and technology. In 2018, Dan launched Rhode Island’s first Lt. Governor’s Entrepreneurship Challenge, a business pitch competition that allows high school students to compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships. Through this program, Dan engaged over 100 young entrepreneurs and awarded over $20K in scholarships.

Inspiring Leadership
Dan has always been the kind of leader who believes that you don’t always have to be right, but you always have to do what’s right. As a Mayor, Dan brought a coalition of mayors together to help communities save hundreds of thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. As Lt. Governor, Dan brought the same coalition of mayors together to combat the opioid crisis and help bring prevention and treatment resources to our communities.

Community Mindedness
For over 25 years, Dan was a member of the board of directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland-Lincoln, serving as past president of the executive board and chairman of the endowment committee. Dan’s father helped start the club over 50 years ago and to this day, Dan does all he can to support the club and carry on his father’s legacy.

For many years, Dan was also a basketball coach, coaching young people at all levels and from different economic and cultural backgrounds. Off the court, Dan mentored many of the boys and girls who played on his team. On the court, he helped the team earn two State AAU Basketball Champions in 1998 and 2000.

JA Mission Moment
Each year, I participate in JA Leaders Day, one of my favorite events at the State House. I enjoy the time I get to spend talking with students one-on-one. We discuss their interests, their career goals and their ideas for making our communities stronger. Many of the students remind me of the kids I coached in basketball for many years. They have such diverse life experiences and unique perspectives on how we can create real change for young people in Rhode Island. I always tell the students what I used to tell the young people I coached: My dad always said, success is there for you, all you have to do is earn it. JA has put thousands of Rhode Islanders on the path to earn that success.