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Howard G. Sutton, II

~ Inducted 2012

Howard G. Sutton II of Portsmouth, publisher, president and chief executive officer of The Providence Journal Company, began his career at the Journal as a circulation statistician thirty-nine years ago, rising through the ranks before being named publisher, president and CEO in 1999.

A Rhode Islander since the age of eight, Sutton’s record of public service in his adopted state has been exemplary and diverse.

In 2011, he was honored by Crossroads Rhode Island for his longtime commitment to serving the state’s homeless. The Howard G. Sutton Endowment Fund for Crossroads Rhode Island was created to honor Sutton for his ten years of service on the Crossroads board, including seven years as chairman. With his wife, Kimberly, he was co-chairperson of Crossroads’ annual September fundraiser for eight years, generating millions of dollars for those in need.

Howard currently chairs The Providence Journal Charitable Foundation and is a former chairman of the Journal’s Summertime Fund and its Santa Fund. He has been a board member of the Rhode Island Service Alliance, WaterFire Providence, St. Andrew’s School, Providence Country Day School, Justice Assistance, Academic Decathlon, and twelve other boards of directors. He chaired the NCAA Frozen Four in 2000 and the 2001 National Governors’ Conference.

Always ready to lend support to a charitable endeavor, Howard has chaired or co-chaired such fundraisers as the American Heart Association’s Hearts in Bloom, the Philharmonic Ball, the Black and White Ball, the Save the Bay Corporate Campaign, the Salvation Army Capital Campaign, Right Moves, the National Conference of Christians and Jews 50th Anniversary Year, and the 2002 National Jewish Award event.

Howard is past president of the Rhode Island Philharmonic and past chairman of the United Way of Rhode Island. He was a member of the executive board of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, the Providence College President’s Council, and the Regional Advisory Board of the American Cancer Society.

Howard was elected to Salve Regina’s board of trustees in 2004, after he and Kim served as chairpersons of the university’s Governor’s Ball in 2003. He will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Salve this month and be featured as the commencement speaker.

Howard has also received the AHA Golden Heart Award; the Volunteer Center (Volunteer of the Year); Leadership Rhode Island (David A. Sweet Award); the National Jewish Hospital (Humanitarian Award); Phoenix House (Humanitarian of the Year); the March of Dimes (Citizen of the Year); the United Way of Rhode Island (Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award); City Year, Rhode Island (Starfish Award); Rhode Island for Community & Justice Humanitarian Award; Boys Town (Spirit Award); and the 2006 Coldwell Banker Community Service Award.

Howard has an undergraduate degree from Notre Dame University, where he was a history major, and an MBA from Providence College. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Program for Management Development. In 2003 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of business administration from Johnson & Wales University and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Roger Williams University in 2008. He is a past president of the Notre Dame Club of Rhode Island and was honored as its Notre Dame Man of the Year in 1993.

- (Dr.) Patrick T. Conley, Esq.

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Howard G. Sutton, II

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