East Providence, specifically the office of Mayor Bob DaSilva, has filled an opening in the Planning and Economic Development Department with the hiring Tristan Jimerson as its new Business Development & Economic Opportunity Coordinator/Planner I.

Jimerson joins the staff of Department Director Keith A. Brynes to support the growth of the local business community through partnerships with employers, educators, economic developers and other community-based organizations.

Jimerson, together with other department staffers, will also guide small businesses through the challenges of the Washington Bridge closure as well as our several American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and grant funding opportunities.

“With the growing number of small and medium-sized businesses in East Providence, it is necessary to have a dedicated team on staff who can advocate for and collaborate with the businesses in our city especially during these challenging times of the Washington Bridge closure,” DaSilva said. “The city’s Economic Opportunity Coordinator knows first-hand the challenges and excitement of running a small business as Tristian was himself a small business owner.”

Jimerson, a recent transplant from Minnesota, has spent the last 15 years working with small businesses in both advisory and ownership positions, including as a Business Advisor for the Neighborhood Development Center and as an entrepreneur himself. He ran his own restaurant for eight years.