Recent Shows
Creator and Host Deb Ruggiero
I started this radio show (now a podcast) in 2004 to highlight the accomplishments of so many women (unsung heroes) who make a difference in our communities. These stories of women in business, the arts, policy, or education, never get old and continue to inspire and motivate. My signature has been ending each show with quote. In the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Keep it Tight, Get it Right”.
About Deb Ruggiero
Deb Ruggiero is a businesswoman, communications specialist, TV/radio broadcaster, and a community leader. She is president of DR Communications Group, an advertising and marketing communications firm that provides businesses and organizations with branding, marketing communications, digital strategies, and media placement.
In 2004, Deb created the award-winning radio show, AMAZING WOMEN to celebrate the work of women in Rhode Island and New England who make a difference in the community whether in business, healthcare, policy, or the arts. The radio show has won the Metcalf Award for Diversity and the Associated Press Award for “Best Public Affairs Show”.
Deb is a graduate of Boston College, has a Masters from Clark University in Public Administration, is a founding member of the Women’s Fund of RI, and past president of the American Lung Association of Rhode Island. She was adjunct faculty at Emerson College, and Providence College teaching Broadcast Advertising, and Marketing Communications.
Deb Ruggiero served 14 years as State Representative for District 74 – Jamestown/Middletown, where she championed many of Rhode Island’s policies on renewable energy and climate change, broadband, and reform of the Coastal Resource Management Council. She lives in Jamestown, is an avid tennis and golf player, and loves to cook.
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Nov 1st: JENNIFER LAWLESS, chair of the Politics Department at the University of Virginia, discusses why we are so politically divided and “affective polarization”. If you are a Rhode Island political junkie, you may recall that in 2006 she ran for the Democratic nomination for RI’s 2nd Congressional District. She lost but continues her research and analysis of politics. Listen now
Nov 8th: MARTA MARTINEZ, executive director RHODE ISLAND LATINO ARTS discusses her work as an oral historian preserving and sharing the stories of diverse cultures of people from Latin America and the Caribbean; and how the Latino population has strengthened RI’s culture, economy, and neighborhoods. Listen now
Nov 15th: PAM JOHNSTON, CEO of Ocean State Media, discusses the merger of RI PBS TV and The Public’s Radio that has been two years in the making. She discusses the new radio signal on 103.7fm, how Ocean State media is navigating the elimination of federal funds for public media, and their goal for community-centered local journalism. Listen now
Nov 22nd: Since 2012, Girls on the Run Rhode Island have been inspiring girls from third to eighth grade to recognize their inner strengths and increase their physical activity. KASHA HANFLIK, executive director, and ELIZABETH MCGANN, program manager, discuss how young girls build friendships and grow their self-confidence. Listen now
Nov 29th: MELISSA CHERNEY, CEO of the Rhode Island Foodbank, discusses the differences coming from the Great Plains Food Bank in North Dakota to Rhode Islande. She puts a human face on the hungry and shares her own personal struggle with hunger and receiving SNAP benefits. Listen now