About Markus Sztejnberg

Departures started within days of Haynes’s taking over the reins at RIOC. Highly regarded Public Information Officer Terrence McCauley walked out within the first month. Long-term employees like Jessica Spencer-EL joined short-termers like Debra Kustka in short order.

Like Sztejnberg, Kustka arrived at RIOC with a solid and lengthy resume in state service but lasted less than three months under Haynes.

In neither case – or any of the others – has Haynes made any effort at explaining their sudden departures.

“Due to the unusual number of employees that resigned or were terminated recently,” our informant writes about Sztejnberg’s resignation, “just a few employees were informed and were told to ‘keep it quiet.’

“Haynes is concerned that if this information becomes public, it will show his inability to manage the agency and further damage his reputation.”