Alisha A. Pina Selected as Next RI Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty Director
Providence, RI — The Rhode Island Interfaith Coalition to Reduce Poverty’s Executive Committee unanimously selected Alisha A. Pina to be its next Director and Lead Organizer. She started earlier this month and is already hard at work planning our 18th annual Poverty Vigil, a legislative session kickoff event where a diverse group of faith leaders collectively pray for our elected officials and share our legislative priorities. The vigil will be held on January 8, 2026 at 2PM in the rotunda of the Rhode Island State House.
The Rhode Island native and East Providence homeowner is a national award-winning journalist, community leader and communications strategist. She uses her numerous talents to spark connection, healing and reflection.
“It is an honor to lead an organization that I have respected for many years,” says Pina, who is a former Providence Journal reporter who covered many issues and communities for more than 22 years and is also a past communications director for the state Department of Human Services.
She continued, “In our current climate, we all have a moral obligation to lead with love, compassion, and forgiveness. We also must act, and RI Interfaith is the organization that fights poverty with faith and understands diversity is an asset celebrated and created by God.”
Pina is board president of the Rosa Parks Community Resource Center, in Providence, and founder of Inner Wingspan LLC and IW Entertainment, which aim to help elevate nonprofits, campaigns, artists and others. Clients include or have included the Rhode Island Foundation, the Racial and Environmental Justice Committee, RI Coalition of Black Women, the Economic Progress Institute, the James Diossa for Treasurer campaign and this past legislative session’s Revenue for Rhode Islanders campaign. Alisha is also a singer and spoken word artist known for blending soulful vocals with powerful storytelling and has performed at major New England events including PVDFest, Juneteenth RI, FundaFest, Afroverse, Verbalization and the Good Trouble rally. Alisha continues to build a body of work of more than 30 years that is rooted in authenticity, equity, faith, resilience and purpose.
