Dino Autiello serves as the Assistant Director of Community and Government Relations for the URI Business Engagement Center.  In this role Autiello coordinates community engagement activities while identifying opportunities to improve community relations.  With a small business background, Autiello will create a new avenue for Rhode Island’s vast small business community to interact with the University.  Autiello also plays an active role in URI’s bond campaigns, seeking support of Rhode Island voters for capitol projects, while working closely with University leadership on high-level, complex administrative projects. 

Before joining the Business Engagement Center, Autiello served as deputy director of Constituent Services for the Rhode Island Senate. Autiello was also elected to the North Providence Town Council in 2010 and has served as Council President since 2015. His experience working for the General Assembly and being elected to local office provided Autiello with a valuable understanding of the inner workings of state and local government, and how to build relationships at each level.  Autiello is recognized as a dynamic leader capable of assisting businesses and helping drive organizational changes. Throughout his career Autiello has continued to show the ability to advocate positions before diverse audiences, while thriving on the opportunity to collaborate and advance initiatives that will make a significant difference for the organization and its members. 

Autiello has significant experience running and operating a small business, as he owned Tomato City Pizza in Providence, RI and expanded to a second to location in Johnston, RI before selling the businesses in 2019.  Autiello is a 2004 graduate of the University of Rhode Island.