Leslie Taito is the Executive Vice President for Business Operations at Taco Comfort Solutions. Taco is a 100-year-old, third-generation family-owned global company based in Cranston, Rhode Island that engineers and manufacturers high-efficiency indoor heating, cooling, and plumbing comfort systems. Using her over 30 years of management and manufacturing experience, she is responsible for Taco’s global strategy and implementation for business operations, supply chain, logistics, and quality. Previously, she served as the CEO of Hope Global, a manufacturer of textile products and engineering solutions. Leslie was also the Director of Regulatory Reform for the Rhode Island Office of Management and Budget and has held leadership positions as the CEO for the Rhode Island Manufacturing Extension Services, Inc., Executive Director of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association, and Acting Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Rhode Island Regional Employment and Training Board. Ms. Taito currently serves on the national Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board, is a member of the Polaris MEP Advisory Board, the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association Advisory Board, and serves as a Trustee for Centreville Bank. She also has served by appointment of the governor on the Rhode Island Manufacturing Advisory Council and the Lean Government Initiative. Actively involved in her community, Ms. Taito has served in executive board leadership positions and as chair of the Northern Rhode Island and North Kingstown Chambers of Commerce.
![Leslie Taito](https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/L-Taito-Head-Shot-2021.jpg?quality=75&w=350)
Guest Author
Leslie Taito
Executive Vice President, Business Operations – Taco Comfort Solutions