Senate Majority Whip
​Ex-Officio Member of all Senate Committees

​David P. Tikoian is a Democrat representing District 22 (Smithfield, North Providence, Lincoln) in the Rhode Island Senate. In January 2025, he was appointed by the Senate President as Senate Majority Whip, the third highest ranking position on the Senate leadership team and an ex-officio member of all Senate committees.

Senator Tikoian has a lengthy professional record of public service. Prior to his election to the Senate in November 2022, he served one, two-year term on the Smithfield Town Council.

Upon graduation from the Rhode Island State Police Academy in 1992, Senator Tikoain served with the State Police for 23 years, rising to the rank of Major/Chief Administrative Officer. In that capacity he oversaw the agency's finance office and a nearly $100 million budget.

From 2017 to 2020, Senator Tikoian served as chief of the North Providence Police Department. During his tenure, he was credited with transforming the agency with the department earning Rhode Island State Accreditation. He also served as chair of the North Providence Public Safety Building Committee, overseeing the 28-million-dollar capital project which was completed on time and under budget.

In July 2020, Senator Tikoian became director of Transmission and Distribution for the Providence Water Supply Board and was promoted to Deputy General Manager in August 2021. As Deputy General Manager, he has oversight of several departments, including customer service, support services, personnel, government relations, communications, finance, IT, and cybersecurity.​​​

Senator Tikoian was born on July 9, 1968 and resides in Smithfield. He is a 1986 graduate of Smithfield High School, a 1988 graduate of the Community College of Rhode Island and a 1990 graduate of Bryant University, earning a BS in Business Administration. 

In 2013, he received CCRI's “Outstanding Alumni Award" for his contributions to the community. He graduated from the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, in 2014, and was inducted into the Smithfield High School Hall of Fame in 2016. He serves on the Rhode Island State Police Museum Foundation and has also been appointed by Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio to serve on the Rhode Island Emergency Management Advisory Council.

Sen. Tikoian can be reached at (401) 276-5563 and sen-tikoian@rilegislature.gov.