Rep.
Megan L. Cotter was elected Nov. 8, 2022, to represent District 39 in
Exeter, Hopkinton, and Richmond. She is a member of both the House
Education Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee.
In her first year the in the House, Representative Cotter sponsored
legislation that created a legislative commission to help the state
determine the best action for
improving forest management.
She is now the chairwoman of that commission, which is working to evaluate
Rhode Island’s current forest management practices and make recommendations
for improvements.
Representative Cotter is the director of business development and
category management for Foley Fish, which delivers a full line of
seafood products to fine restaurants. She is a member of Women in
Seafood.
She grew up in the Elmhurst section of Providence, with working parents
who divorced when she was young. Her father imparted upon her and her
siblings the importance of hard work and kindness, involving the family
in church and volunteering for those in need. She graduated from
Classical High School in 2002, and went on to University of Rhode
Island, where she triple majored in English, Comparative Literature, and
Classical Studies.
Shortly after college, she married her husband, Christopher. They soon
had three children, Emily, Joseph, and Charles. Like many Rhode
Islanders, they struggled under the weight of rent, utilities, health
care, and student loans, but eventually managed to buy a home in Exeter.
When that home was completely destroyed in a fire in 2017, their tragedy
was transformed into a profound lesson on kindness and community, as
neighbors and friends reached out with support from every direction.
Rather than move, they did not hesitate to rebuild in the same spot.
They and their children are active volunteers in the community that gave
so much to them.