Mr. Almeida will start his new role on Monday, May 14, 2018.

Rui has previously worked for the City of Woonsocket, RI as the Deputy Director for Planning.  He was responsible for developing planning studies and leading efforts to address the City’s systemic issues, and serves as the staff of the Planning Board, Design Review Commission and the River Corridor Overlay District Commission.  Prior to working for the City of Woonsocket, Rui worked as the Assistant Director for Architecture and Redevelopment for the City of Central Falls, RI.  Rui was responsible for providing the day-to-day oversight of the department and administered and coordinated redevelopment activities and capital projects for the City of Central Falls.  Rui has held previous positions of Architect and Planner for the Regional Secretary of Economy for the Government of Azores, Ponta Delgada, in Portugal and for the City of Ponta Delgada.  Rui is a Registered Project Architect in Portugal and is currently pursuing NCARB for US registration.  He is a member of the American Planning Association, the US Green Building Council, the Congress for New Urbanism and is currently pursuing certification by the American Institute of Certified Planners.  Rui has a Bachelor’s of Architecture from the Technical University of Lisbon and a Master’s in History of Art – Architecture and Urbanism from New University of Lisbon. 

“We are looking forward to Rui joining the Westerly team. His impressive skills, vision and insight combined with his unique experiences in urban planning, historical preservation and architecture will no doubt be very beneficial to the community as he begins work on the many diverse and complex projects within the department’, stated Lisa Pellegrini, Director of Development Services.

As the Town Planner, Rui will be responsible for performing a variety of current, complex, and long-range municipal planning activities.