Tuesday, May 12, 2026
NEWPORT, RI (TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026) –Newport’s longtime Director of Public Services has been recognized as one of the nation’s top 10 public works leaders by the American Public Works Association (APWA). The honor, given to William R. Riccio, Jr., P.E., was announced in the run up to the annual national Public Works Week, and marks the first time the award has been given to a Rhode Island public works professional. As one of the most coveted and prestigious public works awards, the Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year award is presented to 10 individuals from across the country in recognition of their professionalism, expertise, and personal dedication to improving the quality of life in their communities through the advancement of public works services and technology. A respected leader in public works, transportation planning, and municipal management, Riccio has dedicated more than three decades to advancing infrastructure policy, community planning, and public service throughout Rhode Island and New England. Since 2007, he has served as the Director of Public Services for the City of Newport, where he has overseen an expansive department, managing everything from engineering and capital projects, to streets and sidewalks improvements, parks, beaches, facilities, fleet operations, recreation, and waste management operations. Prior to joining the City, Riccio spent 17 years with the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) where he oversaw large scale highway projects and served as a bicycle design engineer. “Bill Riccio’s leadership has had a lasting impact on virtually every aspect of Newport’s public infrastructure and quality of life,” said Newport Mayor, Charlie Holder. “His professionalism, innovation, and commitment to public service have benefited generations of Newport residents, and this national recognition is exceptionally well deserved” Indeed, Riccio’s fingerprints can be seen across the City, from small-scale sidewalk improvements to signature projects such as the award-winning Broadway Streetscape redesign. During his tenure, he established Newport’s first pavement management program, improving roadway condition from 47 percent acceptable to more than 75 percent; adopted new technologies and techniques to improve road condition and treatment; implemented sidewalk hazard removal innovations that reduced trip and fall claims by 50 percent; oversaw accessibility improvements to public buildings and infrastructure; and launched the hugely popular ReportIt! Newport system, which allows residents to submit constituent service requests through an online portal and app. Following Superstorm Sandy in 2012, Riccio was the City’s lead in overseeing the rebuilding of the Cliff Walk, and is again leading a multimillion dollar restoration for the fabled walkway following a sudden collapse in 2022. Working within fiscally constrained municipal budgets, Riccio consistently leveraged public/private partnerships and collaborations with nonprofit organizations to expand the City’s ability to complete critical improvement projects, securing approximately $30 million in grant funding for various City capital projects, including a $13 million federal grant in 2024 to restore the Cliff Walk. Over the years, his involvement in public private partnerships produced parks, public art, and recreational facilities that have enhanced Newport’s cultural and historic assets with minimal impact to taxpayers. He’s also been a leader in municipal management and statewide policy planning. By initiating collaboration between the City and utility companies, Riccio created a model of the roadway system to synchronize subsurface utility asset management and city road improvements, which allowed all parties to get more done for less dollars. The approach was so well received by the gas utility that they presented it as a working model for all of Rhode Island. Riccio has also worked to modernize Newport’s quality of life services, introducing automated waste collection, developed an energy efficiency program for Newport’s historic street lights, spearheaded curbside municipal composting program, and was an early adoption of salt brine treatment for winter conditions. He has served on national Transportation Research Board and National Cooperative Highway Research Program panels that helped shape updates to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials pedestrian and bicycle facility planning and design guidelines. His public service includes appointments by the Governor of Rhode Island to the Statewide Permitting Advisory Council and the State’s Energy Efficiency and Resource Management Council, where he represented municipal interests on issues related to sustainability, energy policy, and resource management. He also served on Rhode Island’s Solid Waste Management Plan Advisory Committee and was a member of the 2003 Governor’s Fiscal Fitness Team. Locally, he spent more than a decade on the Johnston Municipal Planning Board, including eight years as Chair. He was the first recipient of the Rhode Island Public Works Leader of the Year Award through the APWA New England Chapter in 2024 and is an active member of the American Public Works Association and the International City/County Management Association. A 2015 graduate of Leadership Rhode Island, Riccio has been an influential mentor through this APWA involvement and through Salve Regina University’s Leadership Development Program. He holds a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Rhode Island (URI), a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with High Distinction from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and has completed executive leadership programs at Harvard University, including its Senior Executives in State and Local Government program and Pennsylvania State University.