Angela Lima

Angela Lima is a Rhode Island public policy leader, advocate, and former Newport City Council member whose work has centered on equity, environmental justice, and civic engagement. A born-and-raised Rhode Islander and first-generation American, she served on the Newport City Council for six years, becoming the second woman of color and the first queer woman from the LGBTQ+ community to hold the role. During her tenure, Lima championed initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, expand electric and solar implementation, and direct multimillion-dollar public investments toward stormwater runoff solutions for neighborhoods and surrounding businesses. She also helped advance equitable development zoning—recognized as the first of its kind in Rhode Island and the second in New England—and supported a two-tiered tax structure that saved homeowners thousands of dollars.

Her contributions have been recognized with honors, including the 2024 Newport Chamber of Commerce Women of Distinction Award, the Rhode Island Black Business Association Change Agent Award, the NAACP Community Service Award, the 2023 American Planning Association Donald Hunter Award, and the 2022 Smart Growth Rhode Island Policy Award. Angela Lima lives in Newport, Rhode Island, and is the proud mother of her son, Ezra, a Howard University graduate.