About Hanna

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Senator Hanna Gallo’s can do attitude brought her to the Senate in 1998. Since then she has supported and sponsored important legislation including increased funding for schools and for full-day kindergarten. She authored the historic school funding formula. As an avid advocate for education and as chairwoman to the Senate Committee on Education, Senator Gallo sponsored the 2010 law establishing the first education funding formula the state has had in 15 years. The formula has brought significant annual increases in state aid to education to schools in Cranston and West Warwick every year since, including a $4.6 million increase for Cranston schools this year, and a $1.9 million increase for West Warwick schools.

Living in an area driven by the power of small businesses and as a member of the Senate Committee of Commerce, Senator Gallo has supported bills to cut government red tape and allow businesses to operate more efficiently and create more jobs. Her priority is for her constituents to have access to quality, good-paying jobs as well as training and development opportunities.

Senator Gallo grew up with a sense of hard work and dedication to meet her goals. She learned this from her parents. Her father, Austin, was a disabled veteran and her mother immigrated to America from Germany. Neither of her parents attended college, but their strong work ethic influenced Hanna to pursue higher education. Senator Gallo graduated from the University of Rhode Island, where she earned a bachelor of science in communication disorders and a master of science in speech language. She currently works as a speech language pathologist for the Cranston School Department.

Senator Gallo is a lifelong Rhode Islander and longtime Cranston resident. She and her husband, Russell, chose Cranston for their family home and have lived there for nearly 40 years. They raised their two daughters, Julie and Laura, in the Garden City community.

Committees:
Senate Committee on Education, Chairwoman
Senate Committee on Commerce
Establish a Permanent Education Foundation Aid Formula for RI, Co-Chair

Organizations and Commissions:
Commission on Civic Education
RI Coalition of Library Advocates