Born and raised in Coventry, RI, Edward Salisbury Inman, III., or Ed as he is known, has been a public servant for his entire adult life. He received his education in Rhode Island, earning degrees from Providence College and Rhode Island College. At a young age, he was elected to the Rhode Island House of Representatives where during his tenure he served as Chair of the Joint Committee on Rhode Island Water Resources, the Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore and later the Deputy Speaker. In 2001, he was elected Rhode Island Secretary of State. Locally, he served as the secretary for the Kent County Water Authority and has served as the Coventry Town Moderator.  

Highlights of Ed’s civil service include helping to obtain nine million dollars for the upgrade of the Central Voter Registry for Rhode Island through a grant that was part of the Help America Vote Act of 2001 and the publication of “Building a Better Democracy” (January 9, 2002.) This study was completed in response to the Presidential election of 2000 and focused on the standards for open and fair elections. The recommendations in this publication were adopted in part both nationally and statewide. Additionally, Ed was the principal author of a law that preserved the Big River Reservoir area for open space, which protected the largest tract of land in the state of Rhode Island. 

Whether in the classroom or in the community, Ed Inman has dedicated his life to service. He has taught in the Cranston Public Schools since 1989 and has served as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Rhode Island and as the Adjunct Faculty Union President (AFSCME Local 145) since 2010. Additionally, he served as an Adjunct Professor of Political Science and Public Administration at Roger Williams University. He was the winner of the Susan B. Wilson Civic Education Merit Award for excellence in teaching.

His past and present list of memberships and associations is long: the Committee on Health, Education and Welfare; the Rhode Island House Committee on Corporations; the Committee on Special Legislation; the American and Polish Cultural Exchange Commission; the Rhode Island Social Studies Association; the Rhode Island Geographic Alliance; the Polish National Alliance; the Coventry Jaycees; and Lifetime member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. His other interests include: the Coventry Hockey Alumni Association; the Smithfield Senior Hockey League, LeftOvers Hockey Team. In his spare time, Ed enjoys taking walks, reading, digging clams, and spending time with his two daughters, Sarah and Hannah Inman.