Cumberland finance chief leaving for job in Warwick

CUMBERLAND – Finance Director Brian Silvia has announced that he is resigning from his position with the town to take a position as treasurer for the City of Warwick.

“It’s like cutting my right arm off,” Mayor Bill Murray said. “He’s a very talented young man and does an outstanding job.”

Still, the mayor understands Silvia’s reason for leaving: Silvia, a Warwick native and current Warwick resident, finds the idea of working in his hometown, and closer to home, appealing.

He is leaving on Dec. 23, though vacation time will bring his last official day to Jan. 2. Murray said that Assistant Finance Director Donna Sullivan will be serving as temporary finance director but that she does not wish to move into the role permanently.

Murray has already come up with “a number of very strong candidates” through word of mouth, and the town will continue its search next week.

Silvia has been the finance director for the Town of Cumberland since February of 2013, when Dan McKee – now lieutenant governor – was mayor.

“We’ve got a great team here, and one of the experiences is how many times we’ve gone through and achieved the bond upgrades, and I’m proud of that,” Silvia said.

Cumberland now has an AA+ bond rating with Standard & Poor’s, and an AA- rating with Moody’s. Under Silvia’s tenure, it increased once under McKee and once under Murray, according to the current mayor.

Murray added that the town is on track for an AAA rating.

Along with bond upgrades, Silvia noted as long as he’s been in Cumberland, the town didn’t finish in any deficits and all of the audits have been done on time. Silvia’s goal is to have this year’s audit complete before he leaves.

Murray added that Silvia has done a lot of work in reconstructing the financial system and bringing new computers into a modern system.

“His talents are going to be sorely missed here, and it’s proof as the Town of Cumberland is so solidly financially strong,” he said.

Silvia graduated from Rhode Island College with a degree in accounting. In Warwick, he worked as the internal auditor reporting to the City Council for nearly five years. He then worked as the finance director for the towns of West Warwick and Smithfield before coming to Cumberland.

Murray announced Silvia’s recognition in an email to town department heads on Wednesday.