Leading the campaign to end childhood lead poisoning in Rhode Island
As Director of Communications for Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, I drove the strategy behind a landmark statewide enforcement and legislative initiative — translating dense public health law into campaigns that compelled action.
Rhode Island's hidden crisis
Lead poisoning is silent, invisible, and entirely preventable. Rhode Island faced a structural enforcement gap: the law existed, but compliance was near-zero — and children were paying the price. Communications had to do more than inform. It had to catalyze action.
The Public Health Reality
Nearly 80% of Rhode Island's housing stock was built before 1978, when lead-based paint was federally banned. Hundreds of children were lead-poisoned every year — disproportionately in low-income, Black, and Latino communities.
The consequences are permanent: learning disabilities, behavioral disorders, reduced cognitive development. No amount of lead is considered safe. Nearly 500 children were being poisoned annually in Rhode Island alone.
The Enforcement Gap
Before AG Neronha's initiative launched in fall 2021, the Attorney General's office had filed no lead enforcement lawsuits in at least five years. The Department of Health hadn't issued a single fine in that same period.
Landlords had little incentive to act. Violations persisted for years — in some cases decades — across properties where multiple children had already been poisoned.
This initiative required translating simultaneous civil litigation, dense public health law, and nuanced regulatory policy into clear, compelling narratives — for tenants, landlords, legislators, media, and the general public — all at once, over three years.
A campaign told in milestones
From July 2022 through 2024, I led a sustained communications effort spanning enforcement actions, legislative strategy, media events, digital outreach, and public education.
AG Sues Five Landlords — Boston Globe Coverage
Joined the AG's communications team as Director of Communications as AG Neronha filed suit against five landlords after children at their properties were lead-poisoned. Authored the press release and managed media strategy that drove coverage in the Boston Globe, AP, and local outlets — establishing the enforcement initiative's public narrative and signaling a new era of accountability for Rhode Island landlords.
Read Boston Globe coverage →$700,000+ in Lead Remediation Agreements
Authored the press release announcing settlements with four landlords totaling over $700,000 — including a donated property placed under a 99-year affordable housing deed restriction. By this point, more than 45 housing units had been remediated.
Read settlement coverage →Historic Lead Protection Package Passed
Coordinated with legislative partners across both chambers to build coalition support for three landmark bills introduced at the AG's request. Developed stakeholder messaging from introduction through gubernatorial signing — the most significant tenant protections in a generation.
State v. Pioneer Investments — Major Landlord Sued
Led communications for the landmark lawsuit against Pioneer Investments LLC and its president Anurag Sureka, who owned over 175 rental units statewide. At least 11 children had detectable lead levels at Pioneer properties; five were lead-poisoned. Drew AP wire, Providence Journal, and Boston Globe coverage.
Read Providence Journal coverage →Lead Safety Celebration Day
Produced a high-profile media event at the Learning Community in Central Falls during National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, bringing together AG Neronha, Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera, state legislators, and community advocates to mark the new laws. By this point the office had filed 19 lawsuits and remediated more than 68 housing units. Managed all event communications, press materials, and logistics.
Read official press release →Statewide Landlord Guidance & Press Release
Authored the comprehensive guidance issued to all Rhode Island landlords explaining their obligations under the new laws — translating complex statutory requirements into plain language without sacrificing legal precision.
Read the guidance press release →AG Pushes Back on Governor's Registry Rollback
When Governor McKee's FY2025 budget sought to gut the rental registry, AG Neronha went public with sharp criticism. The General Assembly rejected the weakening proposals. The registry launched in full in September 2024.
Rental Registry Launches — 8,000+ Properties Register
The statewide rental registry went live September 3, 2024. More than 8,000 properties comprising over 40,000 units registered within weeks. Rhode Island's lead poisoning rate fell by 24 percent — the lowest rate on record.
State v. Pioneer Investments
The lawsuit against Pioneer Investments and its president Anurag Sureka was the most consequential communications moment of the initiative — drawing national wire coverage and defining the public narrative.
A landlord putting profits over children
Pioneer Investments owned and operated more than 175 residential rental units across Rhode Island. State health data showed at least 11 children at Pioneer properties had detectable lead levels, and at least five had been lead-poisoned.
Beyond lead: tenant affidavits described rodent infestations, raw sewage, broken heat, and mold — all while Pioneer charged market-rate rents and remained one of Rhode Island's most active evictors.
The AG sought disgorgement of unjust profits, full remediation, restitution to tenants, and an independent compliance monitor. Coverage ran in AP, the Providence Journal, Boston Globe, and NBC 10.
Impact at a glance
The results of this initiative reflect what sustained, strategic communications delivers when it's built in service of a mission bigger than headlines.
Filed & Communicated
Settlements Secured
Remediated
Passed
Poisoning Rate, 2024
at Registry Launch
"Instances of lead poisoning in children throughout Rhode Island are absolutely preventable and in these cases, are the consequence of landlords violating clear public safety laws. This office will not stop until lead poisoning ceases to harm Rhode Islanders, especially our children."
— Attorney General Peter F. NeronhaThree laws that changed the landscape
I helped build the legislative and public communications coalition behind this package — the most significant healthy housing legislation in Rhode Island since 2002.
Statewide Rental Registry
Requires all landlords to register rental units and mandates pre-1978 property owners to file lead conformance certificates — making lead compliance data publicly visible to renters for the first time.
Rent Escrow Rights
Allows tenants to pay rent into a court escrow account when their home has unaddressed lead hazards — protecting them from displacement while creating financial pressure on landlords to remediate.
Treble Damage Recovery
Empowers families affected by childhood lead poisoning to recover up to three times their actual damages in court — a powerful deterrent giving teeth to laws already on the books.
Then the laws were tested — and we pushed back.
When Governor McKee's FY2025 budget sought to scale back the rental registry, AG Neronha publicly challenged it at the Summit to End Childhood Lead Poisoning. The General Assembly rejected the weakening proposals. The registry launched in full in September 2024.
The registry worked
The rental registry launched September 3, 2024, and immediately produced measurable results.
Communications work, end to end
This initiative required every dimension of strategic communications — from science translation to legislative coalition building to crisis response.
Press Releases & Official Statements
Authored major press releases covering enforcement actions, settlements, legislative milestones, and public guidance — each balancing legal precision with accessible public narrative.
Legislative Coalition Building
Coordinated with partners in both chambers to build support for the three-bill package. Developed stakeholder messaging and guided legislative communications from introduction through signing.
Media Event Production
Produced the October 2023 Lead Safety Celebration Day with the AG, Central Falls Mayor, legislators, and advocates. Managed all press logistics and materials.
Policy Translation & Public Guidance
Translated complex statutory law into the comprehensive statewide landlord guidance document — making new legal obligations legible to a non-specialist audience.
Web Content & Public Education
Contributed to the AG's Lead Poisoning resource hub — a public destination for tenants, landlords, and community members with rights information, resources, and the full litigation library.
Media Relations
Drove earned media in AP, Boston Globe, Providence Journal, The Public's Radio, RI Current, and Providence Business Journal across three years of consistent coverage.
Where the story landed
The initiative generated sustained earned media from local to national outlets, reflecting a strategy built for multi-audience reach and long-term narrative momentum.