Alumni Association inducts nine new members into Society of Knights and Squires

10/16/2024

Nine Community College of Rhode Island alumni were inducted into the college’s Society of Knights and Squires as part of the CCRI Foundation and Alumni Association’s 2024 Outstanding Alumni Awards.

This prestigious event honors CCRI alumni who have excelled as community leaders, achieved personal and professional success, and have given back to the college and the community. This year’s Outstanding Alumni are: Joanne M. Daly '79, Doris Mayleni De Los Santos '02, Thomas W. Quinlan '96, Dr. Justin D. Bibee '18, Mileiry "Milly" De La Cruz ’18, Rebecca E. Dupras, Esq. '98, Chris G. Hopkins '80, Malida Khim '19, and Michael L. Kinch '94.

De La Cruz, a Providence, RI, native, is the Associate Director of Operations and Communications for Student Accessibility Services at Clark University. As a first-generation student at CCRI, she worked in the Enrollment Services office in addition to serving as a tour guide at various on-campus events in her role as a Student Ambassador. She enrolled in the college’s Joint Admissions Agreement program and transferred to Rhode Island College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications in 2020, and later obtained her master’s degree in Higher Education from Providence College in 2022. De La Cruz also returned to CCRI and worked as a Donor Engagement Officer for the Foundation in 2021. Most recently, she received the 2024 American Council on Education (ACE) Women’s Network Massachusetts Emerging Leader Award for her hard work and dedication to serving students.

Dupras, of Providence, RI, is the owner and founder of Dupras Law ­– launched in 2011 – which specializes in Planning Services, Administration & Guardianship Services, and Nursing Home and Medicaid Planning. She graduated from CCRI with a 4.0 GPA, earning her associate degree in Paralegal Studies, and was the President of the Student Paralegal Association, before earning her Bachelor of Science from Roger Williams University and her Doctor of Law (JD) from Suffolk University Law School. Dupras began her career as an attorney in 2006 as an associate at Moses Afonso Ryan, Ltd., dealing in Estate Planning litigation, which remains her area of focus today. She was also an associate at Orson & Brusini, Ltd. Dupras has also served as the Vice President of Development at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation and Director of Gift Planning for Georgetown University, in addition to her development role at the Rhode Island Foundation. She is a national speaker on topics focused on charitable planning and legacy giving.   

Daly, of Wakefield, RI, is a Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley who recently celebrated 20 years as a Certified Divorce Analysis and a Family Wealth Advisor. Daly works in assisting clients and families in making greater financial decisions. At CCRI, she discovered her passion for accounting and earned her associate degree before transferring to Bryant University to finish her bachelor’s degree in Accounting followed by her Master of Science in Taxation (MST). In addition to her work, she is actively involved in her community, serving on the boards for Girl Scouts of Southeastern New England, United Way of Rhode Island, Women’s Fund of Rhode Island, and the Rotary Club of Wakefield. She is also a former board member and a member of the GFWC Women’s Club of South County and was a past member of the Rhode Island Foundation Advisory Council.

Born in the Dominican Republic, De Los Santos, now a Director of Supplier Diversity & Sustainability for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, came to Rhode Island in her 20s enrolled at CCRI with limited English proficiency. Since earning her associate degree at CCRI, she has spent her career in assisting her community in a variety of settings, including national, state, and city government, and in several different sectors, including education, housing, and healthcare. De Los Santos also received a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pedro Henriquez Ureña University in the Dominican Republic and her master’s degree in Community Development from Roger Williams University in 2020. As BCBSRI’s first Director of Supplier Diversity & Sustainability, she is responsible for spearheading the integration of equity, equality, diversity, and inclusion (EEDI) and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives into the procurement process in support of the company's strategic and annual business plans. Outside of BCBSRI, she was a co-chair of the Rhode Island Complete Count Committee in 2010 and 2020 Censuses, and was the leader for the Lead Hazard Mitigation. She has also earned numerous awards, including the 2023 BlueAngel of the Year from BCBSRI, the Outstanding Leader of the Year from the Latina Leadership Institute Alumni, the Extraordinary Women Award and the Volunteer of the Year from the Women Development Institute, and the Outstanding Board Champion of the Year from Latino Dollars for Scholars.  

Quinlan, of Warwick, RI, is the Vice President of Commercial Lending at HarborOne Bank. After graduating from CCRI in 1996, he began working at Citizens Bank as an Assistant Vice President Branch Manager and then moved to Bank Rhode Island as the Vice President of Small Business Lending from 2003–2008.Quinlan also spent nearly a decade at The Washington Trust Company as the Vice President of Small Business Lending and Vice President of Risk Management until becoming the Vice President of Business Relationship Management at Citizens Bank in 2018. At HarborOne, he assists the community with financial needs for small business owners and is also involved with his alma mater, serving as a member of the CCRI Alumni Association since 2006 and on various committees, including the Alumni Development Committees, the Alumni Golf Committee, the Outstanding Alumni Award Event Planning Committee, and the Alumni Engagement Committee. Quinlan was also the CCRI Alumni Association Treasurer from 2017–2024. He also received an Emerging Squire Award in 2018 and became a Trustee at the CCRI Foundation in 2019.

Dr. Bibee, a Cranston, RI, native and the Assistant Director of Refugee Resettlement at Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island, launched his successful career in leadership at CCRI, where he earned an associate degree in law enforcement in 2009. From there, he received a bachelor’s degree in Justice Studies and a master’s degree from the School for International Training in Vermont followed by a Ph.D. from the Durban University of Technology in South Africa. Dr. Bibee served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco from 2014–2016 and is fluent in Darija. In 2017, he joined the United Nations on an assignment in Tanzia, where he worked with multiple refugee camps and refugees. At Dorcas International, he plays a key role in organizing the successful resettlement of displaced individuals and families in Rhode Island. Dr. Bibee is also a Global Fellow (2024) at the Center for Human Rights & Humanities Studies at Brown University. This past spring, Rhode Island College awarded him an honorary degree of Doctorate of Humane Letters, making him the second youngest person in the college’s history to receive this honor. Dr. Bibee was also a Providence Business News 40 Under Forty nominee in 2022 and collaborated with Governor Dan McKee and Mayor Jorge Elorza to sign proclamations recognizing June 20 as World Refugee Day in Providence and throughout the state of Rhode Island.

Hopkins, a Johnston, RI, native, is the retired Vice President of Programs for Special Olympics of Rhode Island. Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Ken Hopkins and Joseph Hopkins, the younger Hopkins enrolled at CCRI, where he was an All-New England catcher for the baseball team before transferring to Rhode Island College to earn his bachelor’s degree in 1982. Hopkins worked at the Fogarty Center in North Providence, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, before joining Special Olympics of Rhode Island. Over the span of 34 years, Hopkins worked with athletes and coaches daily to create programs and events for the athletes to thrive. One of his biggest accomplishments was helping to launch the Unified Champion Schools program, which offers sports in a co-ed environment and pairs intellectually disabled students with students from the general population to create an inclusive environment. The program began with 10 schools in Rhode Island and is now in every middle and high school in the state.

Khim, of Cumberland, RI, is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Philanthropy Impact Coordinator for CVS Health. She graduated CCRI with an associate degree in Business Administration and became a Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) in 2020. Khim also holds certification for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Yale School of Management. Originally from California, but raised in Providence, RI, Khim has also served as a Diversity and Inclusion Professionals (DAIP) board member and has been on the CCRI board since 2019 as a founding member of the Alumni Association’s DEI Committee. She actively participates in the board by raising funds, speaking on Alumni After Hours panels, and reviewing scholarship applications. In 2023, she was named the college’s Alumni Diversity Council Chair.

Kinch, also of Cumberland, is an Assistant Administrator for the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles. His outstanding background in public service began in 1991 when he joined the Cumberland Police Department as a police officer before earning his associate degree in Criminal Justice from CCRI in 1994. In 2007, he became the Deputy Chief of Police in Cumberland and was an advocate for the Senior Citizen Police from 1993–2013. He received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Roger Williams University in 2010 and also served on the City of Pawtucket’s Juvenile Hearing Board and instituted the Town of Cumberland’s Juvenile Hearing Board. He has been a member of the Cumberland Town Council since 2018 and became the council president in 2020. His career at the DMV began in 2013 as the Chief of Adjudication before he earned Assistant Administration duties in 2022. Kinch has received awards for his service to the community, including the Volunteer of the Year by the Cumberland Land Trust, the Commission for the Safety and Care for the Elderly Recognition Award, the Justice Award from Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch, and the Community Service Award from Governor Lincoln Almond.

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