Crowds gathered in front of City Hall as Jorge O. Elorza was sworn in as Providence’s 38th mayor. In his inaugural address, Mayor Elorza described his family’s story of hard work and sacrifice as “Providence’s story.” While acknowledging that the city still faces difficult times, he said that “now more than ever, we must be creative, we must be resourceful, and we must work together to launch our city forward,” adding that Providence is on the cusp of “a spring of renewal and reinvention.”

Together, his administration and its partners will “be stragetic and intelligent and build on our strengths” including our world-class universities and hospitals. His goals include:

• reversing the ‘brain drain’ of talented graduates from the city
• bolstering the startup community by investing in innovation
• engaging the business community
• integrating the arts into the economy, schools and neighborhoods
• preserving historic properties and rehabbing abandoned homes
• encouraging recreation and physical fitness

Read the full inaugural address on the city’s website and see a gallery of images at providencejournal.com.