The LION ’ S SHARE
BY JAMIE COELHO /// PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX GAGNE
Dale Venturini perches at her desk , fully masked , in front of double monitors on an early-August morning . She ’ s wearing fire engine red glasses that match her crimson sweater with white stars and white pants cinched by a seven-inch gold metal tiger-shaped belt buckle . The phone is glued to her ear while she ’ s checking the 263 emails in her inbox while trying to get details about an important meeting for which she has a conflict ; she is supposed to be on vacation that day for the first time since the pandemic began . With her sleek honey-blond mane ( a change from her trademark deep red ), the president and CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association ( RIHA ) is like a middleweight champion going into the ring to do battle for Rhode Island ’ s restaurants and hotels during the state ’ s ongoing COVID-19 crisis . ➢