Meet Dr. Victoria Sheahan-Nguyen

Candidate for EG School Committee

Dr. Victoria came to the United States from Vietnam in 1990 when she was 17 years old. She has made education a prime focus in her life by earning an Associate’s in Physical Science, a Bachelor’s in Psychology, a Master’s in Education, a second Master’s of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree. 

She served our country as an Information Management Specialist in the U.S. Air Force. Victoria shared, “I wanted to show my appreciation to this country and to understand the military culture. I also wanted to learn the truth about the Vietnam War.” 

Today, Dr. Victoria is a Hospital Chaplain providing spiritual care to patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers during end-of-life care. She is also a commercial real estate consultant. She has been a substitute teacher in EG Schools and served as President of the North Kingstown High School Parent Teacher Student Organization. To become a better listener and communicator, she joined the International Toastmasters and has completed five pathways. Most importantly, Victoria is also a wife and the proud mother of two daughters, one of whom attends East Greenwich Schools.

Dr. Victoria has several reasons for running for School Committee. She would like to see the Superintendent of Schools live locally and work on site, rather than partially remotely. She says that accountability and transparency will be key when managing the $150M bond for school construction. She would like our high school to offer JROTC programs, especially an Air Force component which is not currently offered anywhere in central Rhode Island. And she strongly supports music education and extra-curricular options for students. Ultimately, Dr. Victoria chose to become a candidate as her motto is, “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

Meet Kurt Hamel

Candidate for EG Town Council

Kurt Hamel has been a Rhode Island resident for 15 years and moved into the Hill and Harbor district of East Greenwich five years ago along with his wife, Emily, and their six-year-old son, Wyatt. The Hamels live in an 1892 Queen Anne Victorian fixer-upper that Kurt and Emily now realize could take the remainder of their natural lives to fully fix up.

Kurt is a Tiger Den Leader for East Greenwich Pack 3 Cub Scouts and, although he was not a Scout himself as a boy, he finds wisdom in the Cub Scout motto that he teaches to his son and his peers, which is “Try Your Best”. 

Kurt wasn't paying much attention to local politics until he saw a $150M bond on the 2023 ballot last year. Additionally, he was surprised to find out that the current Town Council (all Democrats) effectively run unopposed each cycle with few or no challengers. Kurt believes that this lack of balance does not sit well with many residents. 

Kurt earned a Bachelor's Degree and a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University in Pennsylvania. He spent the first 17 years of his career at Electric Boat as a mechanical engineer, structural analyst, concept formulator, and project manager. He now works as a technical director at PacMar Technologies where he coaches a dozen engineers across the East Coast and contributes individually to some of the most challenging undersea problems the country faces today. This career has given him a front row seat to several $100M+ high stakes projects.

Moving into the school construction challenge, Kurt believes East Greenwich needs critical thinking, strategic planning, and real world problem-solving skills from a community-oriented individual and is confident he can bring practical, innovative solutions to other local issues.

Meet Peter Rodgers

Candidate for EG Town Council

Peter has been living in East Greenwich for 11 years, and both of his children graduated from East Greenwich Schools. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and has Master’s Degrees in Leadership & Management and Government Policy from the Naval War College and the National War College. He served his country for 21 years as a submarine officer. 

As the Program Manager for a large defense contracting firm, he understands the importance of carefully overseeing large-scale multi-million dollar projects from start to completion. He is currently serving his second term as a member of the East Greenwich Affordable Housing Commission. Peter has volunteered with Operation Stand Down, coached EG Flag Football, and cleaned up our community’s historic cemeteries. He views running for Town Council as a continuation of his commitment to public service. 

Peter has attended almost every Town Council meeting for the last two years and has a keen grasp on the issues facing our town. He believes that it is important to bring balance to the Council to ensure proper oversight of the $150M bond for school construction and will work hard to represent all residents of East Greenwich.

You can learn more about Peter on his website www.peter-rodgers.com, and you can reach him at rodgers4egtc@gmail.com.