Jorge Elorza
| Jorge Elorza | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 38th Mayor of Providence | |
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Assumed office January 5, 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Angel Taveras |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 24, 1976 Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
University of Rhode Island Harvard Law School |
| Website | Government Website |
Jorge O. Elorza (born November 24, 1976) is an American law professor and mayor of Providence, Rhode Island. He defeated former mayor Buddy Cianci in the 2014 mayoral election and on 5 January 2015 was sworn in as mayor of the city.
Elorza's parents immigrated from Guatemala in 1975. Jorge Elorza was born and raised in the West End of Providence, Rhode Island. He attended local public schools, including Asa Messer elementary, Bridgham middle school, and Classical High School. The first of his family to attend college, he enrolled at the Community College of Rhode Island before transferring to the University of Rhode Island. He worked as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York, and then attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated with a Juris Doctor.
After the death of a hometown friend, Elorza left Wall Street and returned to Rhode Island. Elorza teaches law at the Roger Williams University School of Law. In 2010 he was appointed to the Providence Housing Court, where he replaced Angel Taveras.
The Providence mayoral race in 2014 was Elorza's first try at elective office. He was sworn in as mayor on 5 January 2015 on the steps of Providence City Hall. In his inaugural speech, Elorza promised to deliver "a city that works".
Early in his first term, Elorza was credited for working closely with the City Council and Governor's office. Within his first 100 days he appointed an "innovation officer" to streamline operations and coordinate city activities. He appointed a representative to the city ethics commission for the first time in nine years. He also reached out to constituents with a "Twitter Town Hall."
During his first year in office, Elorza implemented a complaint response system which generated responses to a backlog of thousands of unanswered complaints to the city. City Hall employees have been required to take customer-service training. New contracts were reached with the City Hall and Public Works and Parks Department unions. A program was set up to take control of abandoned houses, and turn them over to buyers who will fix them. Elorza also created an anti-prostitution effort known as "Operation Backpage", which has arrested several dozen men for solicitation.
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Wikipedia