Crisis of Confidence: Rhode Island Credit Union Collapse

On January 1, 1991, Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun marked his first day in office by shutting down 45 financial institutions to prevent a complete collapse of the credit union system in the state.

Join us for a discussion of a new case study on the crisis by Dr. Melissa Prosky and a mini-documentary featuring key voices from this pivotal era in Rhode Island’s history. The documentary features former Attorney General Arlene Violet, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and David Preston (both of whom worked in the Sundlun administration, and Christopher “Kip” Byrne, former Assistant Director of the FDIC.

Our response panel will include John Marion, Executive Director, Common Cause Rhode Island; Ross Cheit, Professor of Political Science, Brown University, and Chair of the Rhode Island Ethics Commission; John Kostrzewa, former Business Editor of The Providence Journal and Adjunct Professor of Writing at Bryant University. The panel will be moderated by Elisabeth Harrison, News Director, The Public’s Radio.

Do you have a personal story to share from your experience during the Rhode Island Credit Union crisis? Email your reflections to Cindy Elder, and they may be published in an online forum devoted to the crisis.

The event is free but seating is limited. Please register in advance.