Second-in-command of one of the state’s most critical departments, a Hall of Fame athlete and an active member of the community, Phillip Kydd is extremely accomplished both personally and professionally.

Appointed last May as the acting deputy director of the Department of Transportation, Kydd was permanently named to the position in August. In this role, he oversees RIDOT’s divisional operations as well as the Public Affairs, Inter-Governmental Relations, Legal Services, Human Resources, Policy and Community Affairs, and MIS executive support offices.

Recognized as a consensus-builder, Kydd, a 25-year RIDOT employee, is credited with the department’s contract awards exceeding $1 billion; establishment of the $12-million Transportation Center of Excellences at the University of Rhode Island; more than $5 million in grants to URI for transportation training and research; and increased safety on our state’s highways. A former director of RIDOT’s Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Compliance Program, Kydd has also been instrumental in founding a financing and lending program for minority-owned small businesses.

Kydd said he’s also proud of RIDOT’s role in bringing the Interlink – the intermodal train station at T.F. Green Airport – to fruition, noting that reaching consensus among federal, state and local transportation officials was no small task. Calling the project “a significant step forward for the state of Rhode Island,” Kydd’s also looking forward to the expansion of rail service to points south, including Wickford.

He has also been lauded for his professional work, receiving prestigious national awards, including the U.S. Department of Transportation Showcase Award, the Federal Highway Administration Partnership Award, the Small Business Administration Director’s Award, the URI Alumni Service Award and the URI Distinguished Achievement Award.

A New York City native, Kydd came to Rhode Island in 1977 to attend the University of Rhode Island, from which he and his wife of 22 years both graduated. A past president of the Alumni Association, he also lettered for four years in basketball and captained the team. Two years ago, he was inducted into the URI Athletic Hall of Fame, which, he said, was a moment that was particularly meaningful for him and his family.

The Kydds’ son, a former First Team All City and Second Team All State football player for Pilgrim High School, is currently carrying on the family’s URI tradition; their daughter lives in Florida, working as a professional makeup artist. The Kydds have lived in Warwick for over 20 years and live in Governor Francis.

“We love the area,” he said.

Kydd has served on the boards of many civic and professional organizations and is now on the board of directors for Rhode Island and Miriam Hospitals. One of the affiliations of which he’s most proud, he said, is his involvement with Coastway Community Bank, for which he currently serves as vice chairman of the Board of Directors. He noted their recent conversion from a credit union to a bank while keeping their deep ties to the Warwick community and keeping the personal “credit union feel.” The bank’s philanthropy arm, Coastway Cares, supports worthy causes throughout Rhode Island.

We applaud Phil Kydd’s contributions to our state and community and offer heartfelt wishes to him for continued success.