Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) recently named Peter Hayes to its board of directors. Hayes is a partner and co-founder of Hayes & Sherry Real Estate Services, a commercial real estate brokerage company in Providence. Prior to co-founding his firm, Hayes served as vice president and regional manager of The Codman Company's Providence office. His 25-year business career includes negotiating office, industrial, land, and retail sales and leases for some of the nation's most prestigious companies, including AT&T, Bank of America, Fidelity Investments, General Electric, ITT and many others. A 1978 graduate of St. Lawrence University, Hayes is a member of the board of trustees of the Rhode Island Chamber of Business & Industry; an incorporator with The Providence Foundation; on the board of directors with the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC); an advisory board member for YearUp Providence; a member of the Rhode Island Commodores and a founding member of the board of the Ross Elkhay Foundation. Hayes said, "These are difficult times, and healthcare tops everyone's agenda. By serving on the board of BCBSRI, I look forward to contributing to BCBSRI's efforts to improve the quality of life of its members and the people of Rhode Island by improving their health."