On Friday, the City of Newport announced via press release that it had hired Michael A. Caruolo as its first deputy city manager.
A seasoned public servant with over 32 years of experience, Caruolo spent the first 22 years of his career with the Newport Police Department, retiring in 2014 with the rank of Lieutenant. For the past decade, he has been the Director of Public Safety and Community Relations at Salve Regina University, where he managed a $1.3 million budget and a team of 32 public safety professionals.
When he joins the City, he’ll be charged with providing high-level management support to the City Manager by assisting with the planning, directing, and reviewing of daily activities and operations across City departments.
According to the City of Newport, Caruolo has served the community in leadership roles for decades as a longtime resident of Aquidneck Island.
During his tenure with the Newport Police Department, Caruolo rose through the ranks to lead the Department’s Special Response Team. He coordinated emergency response plans for large-scale events and earned two Chief’s Service Awards, five Meritorious Service Awards, and 31 letters of Commendation.
As a university administrator, the City of Newport shares that Caruolo was pivotal in fostering stronger ties between the university and the local community. Notably, he worked closely with City officials to respond to the 2019 gas outage, spearheaded programs to enhance public engagement and communication between students and community members, and has been a key member of Salve Regina’s Strategic Initiatives Divisions. He also serves as the President of the Rhode Island College and University Public Safety Association.
As the City’s first Deputy City Manager, the City of Newport says that Caruolo will be an integral part of the City Manager’s leadership team to develop and implement strategic plans and goals for the City.
Caruolo graduated from the Rhode Island Municipal Police Academy and holds a degree in Administration of Justice from St. Anselm College. He will officially assume his new role on January 6, 2025.
