Elizabeth H Roberts

Elizabeth Roberts was the first female elected lieutenant governor of Rhode Island, serving from 2007 to 2015.

Born in Washington, D.C., Roberts attended Brown University and graduated with a degree in human biology in 1978. Following college, Roberts completed her MBA in health care management at Boston University in 1984.

From 1997 until 2007, Roberts served in the Rhode Island State Senate. As a state senator, Roberts worked to make insurance affordable for small business. In 2004, Roberts created the Office of Health Insurance Commissioner to oversee insurance companies and health care costs.

As lieutenant governor, Roberts became the leading voice for expanded biomedical research. Within her first year in office, Roberts released a report on the future of stem cell research in Rhode Island, working to facilitate greater access to stem cells for researchers and patients through public cord blood donations. During the economic downturn, Roberts has worked to attract and develop new business sources in Rhode Island through new energy and high-tech initiatives.

During her time as lieutenant governor, Roberts chaired the Long Term Care Coordinating Council, the Small Business Advocacy Council and Emergency Management Advisory Council. In 2009, Roberts established a hotline to connect recently unemployed Rhode Islanders to federal subsidies for continued health cover, which helped laid-off Rhode Islanders access federal help.

Sources:

Ballotpedia (n.d.). "Elizabeth Roberts" Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 24, 2022. https://ballotpedia.org/Elizabeth_Roberts

Academic Health Collaborative (n.d.). "Elizabeth H. Roberts" University of Rhode Island. Retrieved October 24, 2022. https://web.uri.edu/ahc/meet/elizabeth-roberts/