Ward 9
All MembersCouncilor Juan M. Pichardo
Councilor Juan M. Pichardo represents Ward 9, which includes the Elmwood, South Elmwood, and Roger Williams Park neighborhoods. Pichardo currently serves as the President Pro Tempore and is the Chair of the Committee on Ward Boundaries, Special Committee on Health, Opportunity, Prosperity, and Education (HOPE) and the Special Commission on Veterans Affairs. He is also the Vice-Chair of the Committee on Claims and Pending Suits, the Committee on Urban Redevelopment, Renewal and Planning and a member of the Rules Committee. Pichardo is also a member of the Providence Water Supply Board and the Providence Board of Parks Commissioners.
He served as a state senator from 2003 until 2017. He served as a member of the RI Air National Guard from 1988 until 2010, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant.
He was born in Santiago and raised in the city of Jicome, Valverde, Dominican Republic until the age of 9. He attended public school P.S 115 in New York City, Providence’s Gilbert Stuart Middle School and Mount Pleasant High. He is a graduate of Community College of RI, Rhode Island College, the Providence Civic Entrepreneur initiative, and Leadership RI. Pichardo is the co-founder of Quisqueya in Action and The RI Latino PAC. He is married to Janet and is the father of three children and three grandchildren.
Ward 9: Elmwood & South Elmwood
Recent News

City Councilors Call on Residents to Vote “Yes” on Questions Two, Three, and Five in Upcoming Special Election
At last week's City Council meeting, Councilors put forth several resolutions urging Providence voters to vote “Yes” on ballot referendum questions two, three, and five in the special election taking place on March 2, 2021. In December 2020, Governor Raimondo signed a...

Providence City Council Endorses Creation of An Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Policy
At last week’s City Council Meeting, the Providence City Council passed a resolution requesting the Office of Sustainability collaborate with the Purchasing Department, the Healthy Communities Office, the Providence Public School Department, and the school district's...

Providence City Council Hires Paul J. Fox III as Chief of Staff
Providence City Council Hires Paul J. Fox III as Chief of Staff Fox brings more than a decade of experience working with city leaders Providence City Council President Sabina Matos today announced a new chief of staff to support the work of the 15-member Council. Paul...

Statement from Councilwoman Carmen Castillo Regarding Recent Shooting in Ward 9
It is so upsetting that there was yet another deadly shooting in my neighborhood today. It is even more upsetting that it occurred at a time when students were getting out of school. My heart is broken for the young man who lost his life, and my thoughts and prayers...

City Council Approves the Refunding of Bonds Giving a $1.3 Million Boost to the City’s Pension System
Tonight, the City Council voted to approve the refunding of the City's bond portfolio. The refunding of bonds is much like the refinancing of homes, providing efficiency and better interest rates, which yield savings. "I want to thank the Committee on Finance, our...

City Councilors Ask for Federal and State Help to Fight Hunger
Tonight, Council President Sabina Matos (Ward 15), Majority Leader Jo-Ann Ryan (Ward 5), Deputy Majority Leader Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11), and Councilman John Goncalves (Ward 1) were lead sponsors of a resolution addressing the Rhode Island Community Food Banks’...