The Class of 2009
Karen Anderson Director of Administration & Finance of NH Public Defender
Karen Anderson is the Director of Administration& Finance for the New Hampshire Public Defender, having oversight of finance and budgeting, contracting, leasing, human resources, payroll and IT for the eleven administrative and service offices of the public defender throughout the State. She joined NHPD in November 2001. Anderson began her career as a corporate litigator with Nixon, Hargrave, Devans and Doyle (now Nixon Peabody, LLP) and Dickstein, Shapiro and Morin (now Dickstein Shapiro, LLP) in Washington, DC. She engaged in a variety of pro bono legal activities in both law firms. Anderson transitioned into non-profit management as the Associate Director of Prairie State Legal Services, a legal services organization serving low-income and elderly clients throughout northern and central Illinois. She has also worked at the University of Denver as the Human Resources Director, Director of Professional Development Programs & Special Assistant to the Provost and Affirmative Action Officer. After leaving the University of Denver, Anderson was a founding member and principal of Barrett-Anderson Consulting, which specialized in human resources development and on-call contract services for non-profit organizations. A native of Jamaica, Anderson was raised in Rochester, New York. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. She also studied at Edinburgh University. She received her law degree from the University of Chicago. Anderson lives in Hopkinton with her husband and two children.
Thomas Blonski President & CEO of NH Catholic Charities
Thomas Blonski is the president and chief executive officer of New Hampshire Catholic Charities. In his position, Tom perpetuates the mission of Catholic Charities to meet the increasing needs of the poor and vulnerable of New Hampshire with dynamic social service programs that lead people towards independence. Prior to joining New Hampshire Catholic Charities in March 2006, Tom served for twelve years as Executive Director of various nursing homes in Connecticut, two of which were most recently affiliated with National Healthcare Associates. Tom is a certified youth minister and is active in his church community. A graduate of Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, Tom also holds an MBA with a specialization in healthcare from the University of Connecticut. Additionally, Tom is a graduate of Leadership Manchester. Tom currently lives in Brentwood, NH with his wife, Caroline, and three children, Katie (9); Rory (7); and Clare (3). An avid runner and soccer coach, he plans to continue his volunteer activities in New Hampshire. He currently serves on Parable magazine’s advisory board; the Executive council for Manchester VOAD; the NH Senate Committee on Human Trafficking; the Greater Manchester Mental Health Center board; the Serenity Place board; and the Manchester Rotary board.
Mary Jo Boisvert Director of Communications of PSNH
Mary-Jo Boisvert is the director of Communications for Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), and is responsible for overseeing PSNH’s internal and external communications, including employee and media relations, advertising, corporate community relations, executive communications support, and strategic issues management. She has more than 20 years of experience working in communications, public relations, and advertising. Mary-Jo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of New Hampshire. She is a graduate of the Leadership Manchester program, and a member of the Public Relations Society.
Caroline Boyd President & CEO of Animal Rescue League of NH & ARLNH-North
Caroline Boyd has been the President & CEO of the Animal Rescue League of NH since January 2006. This is a community resource dedicated to saving the lives of homeless pets. In November, 2009, the League affiliated with the Animal Rescue League of NH North (formerly the Conway Area Humane Society) and Caroline now serves as the CEO of both organizations.
She also on the Board of the NH Federation of Humane Organizations as President Ex-Officio and is a frequent speaker at both animal welfare industry and nonprofit conferences.
Caroline brought to the League 23 years of corporate experience in senior management, marketing, relationship management and consulting. She was with Fidelity Investments for 10 years; most recently as Senior VP of Product Strategy and Communications. Prior to that, she was a Senior Manager at Ernst & Young LLP for five years, and worked in consulting and human resources before that. She holds a B.A. in Psychology and an MBA in Marketing.
A life-long animal lover, Caroline planned her move to the non-profit world because she knew she wanted to be involved in an organization that held personal meaning for her. Caroline and her husband Doug Tricarico are owned by two pugs and a miniature dachshund, all rescues.
Joshua Boynton President & CEO of Lifeshare, Inc.
Joshua Boynton and his wife Rachel started LifeShare in 1996 with the intention of creating an organization that supports people of all abilities with dignity and respect. Today, LifeShare provides community based support to children and adults and has offices in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Florida. Josh received his Bachelors Degree from Keene State College in Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Counseling and graduated magna cum laude with a Masters in Management/Non Profit Leadership from New England College. Josh was named to the 40 under 40 Class of 2007 which honors the most influential people in NH under the age of 40 and was given a Citation by Governor John Lynch. Josh was also awarded the prestigious Keene State College Alumni Inspiration Award and for the past several years Governors from both political parties proclaim November 17th LifeShare Day in the State of New Hampshire. Josh is a national consultant on systems change and community based services. Prior to LifeShare Josh worked in various leadership positions in the NH Developmental Disability community. Josh was appointed by Governor Craig Benson to serve on the NH Developmental Disability Council and was appointed by Governor Jeanne Shaheen to serve on the Statewide Independent Living Council and served as the chairperson for 4 years. Josh and his wife Rachel are lucky to have two amazing children, Gracie and Andrew.
Jane Bradstreet Register of Probate of Merrimack County Probate Court
Jane Bradstreet has been register of probate for Merrimack County for 9 years. The register is the only elected official in the Judicial branch of government. As register she manages the work of the Merrimack County Probate Court. Other duties include serving on: the Judicial Education Committee responsible for developing and organizing training for the judicial and clerical staff of the courts, on the Court Technology Committee, helping the courts use technology to better serve the citizens of NH, the probate court forms and procedure committees. She is a 1993 graduate of UNH, Whittemore School of Business and Economics; completed the Advanced Leadership Institute in Judicial Education, University of Memphis, 2006; awarded the Athena Foundation Award by the Concord Greater Chamber of Commerce, 2003. Before becoming register, Jane was the Health and Safety director for the Concord Area Red Cross chapter. In 2005 as a Red Cross board member, she was co-chair of the capital campaign that successfully raise the money for the new chapter building in Concord. Jane has lived in Contoocook for the last twenty two years. She has served on the Hopkinton Planning Board for the past 10 years and Budget Committee for 12 years. Within the past year she has joined the Hopkinton Fire Department as an EMT-Basic. Jane has been married for 32 years to the same man and has three grown children and two grandsons.
Robert Bruce Partner (retired) of Debevoise & Plimpton
Robert Bruce is a retired Partner of the New York-headquartered international law firm, Debevoise & Plimpton and moved to Hanover in 2003 from London where he was involved as a corporate and securities lawyer in numerous international public offerings and privatizations of European telecom companies. In Hanover, he has served on the Hanover School Board and the bi-state Dresden School Board, which he chaired until January 2008. He is currently a board member of the Hanover Conservation Council, CATV8 (the local public access TV channel), and the nonprofit Valley Net. He served as the General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission during the Carter Administration. As a frequent advisor to the World Bank and in his international law practice, he has had extensive first-hand international experience. Over the years, he has advised governments and the private sector on telecommunications structure, regulation, and strategies in almost 50 countries around the world. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Digital Strategies at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He is a graduate of Harvard College and has a joint degree in law and public administration from Harvard Law School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. He and his wife, Kathryn Stearns, the editorial page editor of the Valley News, have three children. His 99-year old mother, a longtime resident of Charlestown, N.H., now resides with his family in Hanover.
Joceline Champagne Low-Income Taxpayer Project Coordinator of NH Bar Association Pro Bono Referral Program
Joceline Champagne is an attorney and the Project Coordinator of the NH Bar Association’s Pro Bono Low-Income Taxpayer Project (LITP). The LITP helps lowincome taxpayers resolve federal income tax controversies by leveraging the resources of volunteer tax attorneys and tax professionals who represent qualified individuals before the IRS. Joceline also coordinates the Pro Bono Program’s SWAT (Swift Working Attorneys for Tenants) initiative which links low-income families faced with unlawful or unjust evictions with pro bono attorneys who are available to assist on an emergency basis. Joceline received her BA in Psychology from Providence College and her JD from the University of Maine School of Law. Prior to attending law school, she completed two terms of service with the AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program as a domestic violence victim advocate. Following law school, Joceline served three years as an Assistant County Attorney at the Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office. From 2002- 2005, she worked as an associate with the Manchester law firm of Cronin & Bisson where she maintained a general practice with a concentration in community association law. Joceline currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association and is a member of the New Hampshire Access to Justice Commission. In 2007 she was honored as the recipient of the NH Bar Foundation’s Robert E. Kirby Award. Joceline is a lifelong resident of New Hampshire and currently resides in Manchester with her husband, Ted Petro.
Heidi Copeland VP / Assoc. Publisher of Millyard Communications (Business NH Magazine)
Heidi Copeland is vice president of Millyard Communications, publisher of Business NH Magazine and NH Hospitality News, and producer of more than eight annual events. Heidi is a graduate of Southern California University's Annenberg School of Communication with a degree in journalism. When not at work, Heidi enjoys hiking, Bikram yoga, skiing (despite two blown out knees!), her two dogs, two cats, and husband in Peterborough - though not necessarily in that order.
Patrick Corso President & CEO of Mt. Washington Resort
Patrick Corso serves as President and CEO of Mount Washington Resort and is founder and Managing Partner of National Resort Management. He was president of Pinehurst, Inc., from 1987-2004, where he oversaw the restoration of Pinehurst and its return to prominence as one of the premier golf resort destinations in the world. In the last 10 years of his tenure with ClubCorp (the owner of Pinehurst), Corso served as executive vice president of Resort Operations and later president of The Pinehurst Company. The collection of resorts in addition to Pinehurst included The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA; Barton Creek Resort in Austin, TX; and the Palmilla Resort and Golf Club in Los Cabos, Mexico. Corso is the Chairman of the Resort Committee for the American Hotel and Lodging Association and also served as a past member of the North Carolina Economic Development Board and as General Chairman of the 1999 US Open Championship won by Payne Stewart. He was also named one of North Carolina’s Top 100 Tourism Leaders of the 20 th Century by Appalachian State University. He currently serves on the Board of Governors of New Hampshire Public Television, the Board of Trustees for the Mount Washington Observatory, the Board of Directors for the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire and is a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, Scotland. Corso is a graduate of Ball State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications. He and his wife Judy have three grown children and reside in Bretton Woods, NH.
Joshua Cyr test of
Mark Desmarais Director of Admissions of White Mountains Community College
Pamela Diamantis Principal of Curbstone Financial Management Corp.
Pamela Diamantis is a Principal at Curbstone Financial Management Corporation, an independent registered investment advisory firm located in the historic north-end of Manchester, New Hampshire. Prior to joining Curbstone in July 2006, Pamela served as the Regional President for U.S. Trust Company and the President of State Street Bank & Trust Company of New Hampshire. With over 25 years of investment management experience and fiduciary expertise, she specializes in working with high net worth individuals and not-for-profit organizations. A Manchester, New Hampshire native, Pamela started her career at Amoskeag National Bank & Trust Company. Shortly after the consolidation of the banking industry in 1991, she moved her career to Boston, Massachusetts and joined Bay Banks Investment Management. Her career continued to evolve in positions with Bank of Boston, State Street Global Advisors and U.S. Trust Company. Throughout her career, Pamela’s philosophy has been to deliver client focused, holistic solutions to complex financial needs of investors. In addition to her strong commitment to her clients, Pamela believes in investing in her community. She is a dedicated volunteer and holds board positions with the Currier Museum of Art, the Greater Manchester YMCA and the Heritage United Way. She most recently chaired the 2007 Heritage United Way Campaign and co-chaired the major gifts division of the Greater Manchester YMCA’s Step Up for Youth Capital Campaign.
Christopher Dugan Director of Communications & Community Relations of Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield New Hampshire
Christopher Dugan
serves as Director of Communications and Community Relations for Anthem
Blue Cross and Blue Shield in New Hampshire. He is the plan's primary
spokesperson and is responsible for media outreach, corporate
communications, and community relations.
Prior to joining Anthem,
Chris served as Director of Public Relations for the American Lung
Association of New Hampshire for three years. Chris also has extensive
experience in the hospital environment and has held past leadership
communications positions at Monadnock Community Hospital, Optima
Healthcare, and St. Joseph Hospital.
Chris holds a Bachelor Arts
degree in Journalism from Northeastern University in Boston. He is a
member of Public Relations Society of America and the New England
Society for Healthcare Communications (NESCHO), where he served as a
past board member.
In the community, Chris volunteers for the SEE
Science Center, an interactive learning and discovery center for kids
in Manchester's Millyard. Chris has been a member of the SEE Board for
10 years and served as board chair from 2003 - 2008. Other community
volunteer posts include: member of the advisory board, for Hesser
College, and member of the board of directors for NH Corporate Fund. He
resides in Hooksett with his family.
A New Hampshire native,
Chris was born in Keene and grew up in East Swanzey. He is a graduate
of Monadnock Regional High School.
Kathryn Frey Policy Administrator of Division of Public Health Services - DHHS
Kate Frey has worked for the State of New Hampshire for eleven years. In 1995 she became the Executive Director of the NH Commission on the Status of Women, a state agency mandated by legislation to work on behalf of women, children and families in the state. She was recognized for her work at the Commission when she received the NH’s Chapter of the National Organization for Women’s Marilla Ricker Award in 2000. Kate joined the Department of Health and Human Services as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program Coordinator in September 2000. She worked as the state liaison to the NH Healthy Kids Program, which provides access to affordable quality health coverage for New Hampshire's uninsured children. Since 2004 she has worked in the Division of Public Health Services as the Policy Administrator. Her role includes coordinating the legislative agenda for the Division, which involves, monitoring, tracking, testifying on and writing legislation that has an impact to public health. She works with legislators, state agencies, and public health stakeholders to develop sound public health policy for the state. Kate played a key role in two significant public health policy changes in the last year; the passage of legislation which strengthened the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention laws in the state, and the implementation of the newly revised Indoor Smoking Act, which prohibits smoking in restaurants and cocktail lounges. Originally from Rochester NY, Kate lives with her husband Quentin Goble and their two daughters in Concord NH.
Stephen Gianotti President of The Woodland Group, LLC
Stephen Gianotti is from the Seacoast of NH where as a kid he swam the Piscataqua River and local ponds, body surfed Wallis Sands beach and spent lazy Sundays strolling no-longer-there fields dotted with cows. His love of NH brought him home after 15 years in the corporate world from which he took early retirement in 1994. Since then he has worked for the NH Community Technical College System as Director of Corporate Education and Training followed by 5 years as a foundational partner in a consulting firm. In 2003 he created The Woodland Group, a consulting firm specializing in diagnostic, design and development of individual, group and organizational effectiveness. TWG is unique in that it works with and for organizations using a Systems Thinking approach incorporating a “Pre, During & Post” methodology. Stephen’s educational background includes a self-designed undergraduate degree in Alternative Teaching Methodologies with a concentration in the Theatrical Sciences. His master degree is in Business Education. For over 10 years he has been an active Consultant Member of the Cambridge-based Society for Organizational Learning where he continually studies with a world-wide group of organizational consultants. Travel has played a very large part of his life visiting 25 countries from which his small business called “GiannottiArt.com” was born specializing in limited light film photography.
Curt Grimm Deputy Director The Carsey Institute of UNH of University of New Hampshire
Curt Grimm is the Deputy Director of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire and a Research Associate Professor in the UNH Department of Anthropology. At the Carsey Institute, Curt helps lead and grow the organization and he manages various research activities. Formerly Curt served as Senior Social Scientist in the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Africa Bureau where he helped form and implement policy and guidance on social development issues, with specific emphasis on local participation, gender, community development and democratic governance topics and on programs that build partnerships and synergies among public, private and voluntary institutions. Rural development programs, particularly those that emphasize sustainable natural resource management, have been central to Curt’s career. Curt is also specialized in strategic planning, performance monitoring and evaluation and has experience assisting several New England nonprofit organizations to build institutional capacity around planning and program design. Curt earned his B.A. in Anthropology and History from the University of New Hampshire and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology from the State University of New York at Binghamton.
Joel Harrington Director of Government Relations of The Nature Conservancy - NH field office
Joel Harrington is Director of Government Relations for The Nature Conservancy in New Hampshire, one of the leading conservation organizations in the world that has worked to protect over 265,000 acres of ecologically significant land in New Hampshire. Joel is former Vice-President of Policy for New Hampshire Audubon where he worked extensively on policy matters relating to atmospheric deposition and land conservation funding. As a former environmental and economic assistant to the late U.S. Senator John Chafee (Rhode Island), Joel worked extensively on federal legislation reauthorizing the Clean Water Act. In 1999-2000, Joel worked in Germany as a law clerk to the U.S. Army's Judge Advocate General for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) where he advised the Department of Defense on legal matters involving the Kosovo War. Joel has authored numerous laws protecting New Hampshire's lakes and wildlife. He co-authored the state law to significantly reduce mercury and sulfur emissions from the state's coal-fired power plants. He serves on the City of Concord Conservation Commission and was recently appointed by Governor John Lynch to serve on a commission to study tidal generation in Great Bay. Joel holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Rhode Island with a double major in Political Science and English. In addition, he holds a law degree specializing in environmental law and policy from Vermont Law School.
Jeremy Hitchcock CEO & CFO of Dynamic Network Services, Inc.
Jeremy Hitchcock is CEO/CFO and co-owner of Dynamic Network Services Inc. in Manchester. DNS Inc. specializes in DNS services (how computer identify domains on the Internet), email, and domain name services and cater to the needs of more than two million users, from home enthusiasts to Fortune 500 companies. As a leading and award-winning provider of DNS services, the company helps run part of the Internet, ensuring that Internet users are able to access websites and send email. Chief Financial Officer since 2002, Chief Executive Officer since 2005, Jeremy defines the company’s strategy, both engineering and otherwise, and attends to its legal, social and financial needs. Jeremy graduated with a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. While a student, Jeremy joined entrepreneurial organizations such as the Venture Forum and the Collaborative for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, helping students and young people build a success of their very own. An active member of the entrepreneur community, he is a 2006 Greater Manchester Leadership Program graduate and sits on the boards of both the Amoskeag Business Incubator and the West High Endowment Fund. Recently, Jeremy was co-recognized as the SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. Finally, Jeremy is an active Rotarian and an officer on the Manchester Young Professional Network board of directors.
Hal Jordan President / CEO of Greater Manchester Family YMCA
Harold Jordan grew up in Lynnfield, Massachusetts and upon graduation from high school, attended the University of Maine–Orono where he competed in both track and football. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in Physical Education and began his career at the Waterville Area YMCA in 1975 as the Fitness Director. After two years, he went back to UMO to get his Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology and continued on as the Associate Director of the Human Performance Center where he taught undergraduate classes and conducted research on the effects of exercise and training on endurance athletes, publishing numerous papers in the field. In 1984 Hal went back to YMCA work as the Executive Director of the Bangor Maine YMCA and then in 1989, as President of the Manchester YMCA. Under his leadership, the Greater Manchester Family YMCA has opened four new branches and now serves over 25,000 citizens in over twenty communities in southern New Hampshire. Hal celebrated his 25th wedding anniversary with his wife Joan and has two sons: Nick, age 24, who works for GE energy in Minden, Nevada; and Ben, age 21, who is entering his senior year at Boston College. Joan and Hal have lived in Bow since 1989 and enjoy spending time at their family camp in Oakland, Maine where they kayak, hike, bicycle, and enjoy many outdoor activities.
Robin Kilfeather-Mackey VP-Corporate Finance of Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center
Robin Kilfeather-Mackey is the Vice President of Corporate Finance for Dartmouth-Hitchcock., an academic medical center system and 900 member physician group practice, principally located in Lebanon, New Hampshire. She currently directs and is responsible for all areas of corporate healthcare finance including audit, tax, treasury, benefits plan administration, reimbursement, and contracting. Now entering her thirteenth year with Dartmouth-Hitchcock she has participated in many corporate initiatives, most recently a multi-year effort which resulted in a complete redesign of the organization's retirement program covering approximately 6,500 employees. She previously worked for other rurally located health care organizations performing similar healthcare financial management functions after working in the public accounting industry. Robin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy from Bentley College, an MBA from the University of New Hampshire College System, and is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in New Hampshire. She is also member of the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Robin is a 19-year resident of New Hampshire and lives in Plainfield with her partner, Jan, and their daughter, Kate.
Kirk Leoni President of Nathan Wechsler & Company PA
Kirk Leoni is the managing director of Nathan Wechsler & Company, PA. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, cum laude, at the University of Massachusetts, Isenberg School of Business in 1976. He spent nine years at Coopers & Lybrand where he became an audit manager concentrating on emerging businesses. Kirk joined Nathan Wechsler in 1985 and was admitted as a shareholder /director in 1989. Kirk has extensive audit experience in a variety of industries including construction, manufacturing and non-profit entities. He has also worked with multinational clients from Belgium, Italy, Canada, and Great Britain. He leads the firm’s Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) practice group and provides consultation on both ownership and management succession planning. He is former chairperson of the Executive Committee of the New England Peer Review, an organization responsible for the AICPA quality review for CPA firms. Kirk has presented for the AICPA, Independent School Association of Northern New England, UNH Center for Family Business, NH Bar Association, NH Chapter Institute of Management Accountants and for Bank of America Nonprofit Seminar Series, and is a member of the New Hampshire Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Kirk is an active member of his community and is on the Board of Trustees for Leadership New Hampshire, the Concord Community Music School and the Southport Sailing Foundation. He has previously held board positions including chairperson of NH Public Radio, Treasurer of the NH Audubon Society, and Treasurer of the Weare School District.
Keith Lincoln Director of Legal and Healthcare Solutions of Bottomline Technologies
Keith Lincoln is the Director of Marketing for RADVISION Corporation. He is responsible for all partner marketing activities worldwide. After 5 years in management consulting, Keith has worked in marketing, operations, and strategic positions for the past 10 years at small, high tech companies with emerging technologies and revenues between $10-100 million. He has held profit and loss responsibility for segments of businesses and business units, and sold and acquired business. Keith received his BS in management from Syracuse University and his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Virginia Darden School. Keith has been active in the Big Brother program and has served on the Board of 2 New Hampshire non-profits. Keith is an outdoor sports enthusiast and resides in North Hampton with his wife and two children.
Pamela McDonald Executive Director of CONFR-Continuing Education in Fundraising
Pamela McDonald is Executive Director of the Council on Fundraising (CONFR), a non-profit organization that provides professional development and networking opportunities throughout New Hampshire for nonprofit fundraisers. Pam has also served as Executive Director of the NH Community Technical Colleges Foundation; Regional Director of the National Kidney Foundation in New Hampshire; and as a development professional at Concord Hospital and Stanford University, where she was part of a $300 million capital campaign as Associate Director of Foundation Giving. Pam graduated with a B.A. Degree in English from Stanford University and a Certificate from the Institute for Nonprofit Management at Antioch University New England. She lives in Hopkinton with her husband Christopher Closs. She has three children and five grandchildren and enjoys making pottery, gardening, writing poetry and snorkeling in warm waters.
James Mealey COO of Nashua School District
James Mealey is
currently the Chief Operating Officer for the Nashua School District.
In this capacity he is responsible for Plant Operations, Food Services,
Human Resources, Transportation, and the Budgeting and Business
functions of the district. He has worked for the last two years to
implement a performance-based budgeting system for the school district
that makes the budgeting process more inclusive of and more transparent
to the staff and the public. Prior to this position he served as Deputy
Director for the Division of Public Works in Nashua. He received a
Bachelor’s degree in history from Northeastern University and an MBA
from Boston University. He is originally from Boston, Massachusetts,
but has lived in Manchester, New Hampshire since 1986. He and his
wife, Lynda, have five children, Caitlin, Stephanie, Christopher,
Jessica, and Sarah.
Dianne Mercier President of Ocean Bank
Dianne Mercier is Senior Vice President and Commercial Lending Group Manager for Ocean Bank. She has 23 years of New Hampshire Banking experience. She is currently serving on the Board of Trustees for the Elliot Health System, Amoskeag Industries and Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Foundation. She currently lives in Manchester with her husband and their two children.
Shannon Mills VP Professor of Relations of Northeast Delta Dental
Shannon Mills is Vice President for Professional Relations and Science, at Northeast Delta Dental. Prior to joining Delta Dental in 2007, Dr Mills was an Associate Professor and the Assistant Director of the Dental General Practice Residency Program at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. In July of 2005, he retired from the U.S. Air Force as a colonel after 32 years of service. While on active duty, he served in military healthcare facilities in the US and overseas, gaining diverse experience in clinical dentistry, education, research and healthcare administration. His assignments included service as a medical inspector for the Air Force Inspector General, and as a member of the Air Force Surgeon General’s staff. At the time of his retirement he was Deputy Staff Director of the Defense Medical Standardization Board for the Department of Defense. He has authored or co-authored numerous scientific papers in peer-reviewed dental and scientific journals and is internationally recognized as an authority on dental infection control and safety. He is a consultant to the American Dental Association (ADA) Council on Scientific Affairs. He is Past- Chairman of the ADA and American National Standards Institute Standards (ANSI) Committee for Dental Products. Dr. Mills is married to Anne Casey Mills, and has two sons, Patrick (31) Collin (27).
Joe Murray Senior Director of Public Affairs of Fidelity Investments
Daniel Nelson Director, Outdoor Programs of Dartmouth College
Dan Nelson has lived in New Hampshire for more than 30 years. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1976 and working as a staff writer and editor for the Dartmouth Alumni Magazine until 1981, Dan went on to pursue his Master's degree and his Doctorate in Religion and Political Philosophy from Princeton University, where he also worked in the residential college system and the Dean of the Chapel's Office. After a year teaching at St. Paul's School (Concord, N.H.), Dan returned to Dartmouth in 1987 to work as a Class Dean in the Upperclass Deans Office. He then moved on to become the Dean of Upperclass Students and, in 1992, assumed the role of Senior Associate Dean of the College. In this role Dan has been the ranking administrator reporting to the Dean of the College and responsible for the development, implementation, and evaluation of policies, programs, and activities related to the academic and personal lives of students. Dan Nelson was appointed by President Wright to serve as Acting Dean of the College during 1998-1999 and again in 2006-2007. During the 2008-2009 academic year, he served as Senior Assistant to the President. He new serves as Director of Outdoor Programs, responsible for the Dartmouth Outing Club, Ski Team, Skiway, and a variety of outdoor programs and facilities.
Emile Netzhammer Provost & VP - Academic Affairs of Keene State College
Emile Netzhammer is
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Keene State College.
He is responsible for providing leadership and vision for the academic
program at the college and represents the college in the absence of
the president. Prior to accepting that appointment in 2006, he was
Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at Buffalo State College in
Buffalo, New York. His tenure at Buffalo State included 7 years as dean
and 5 years as communication department chair. His academic background
is in communication, where he studies popular culture and media
effects. Since relocating to the Monadnock region, Mel has participated
in the New England Higher Education Resource Center’s Academic Affairs
Think Tank, become a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts
Colleges Executive Committee and served as its program chair, given
addresses to numerous groups and meetings throughout New Hampshire, and
recently joined the board of directors of Hannah Grimes in Keene. He
holds doctoral and master’s degrees from the University of Utah. Mel is
originally from New Orleans, Louisiana.
Paula Ninivaggi Program Assistant / Liaison of Statewide Independent Living Council (SILC) Governors Commission on Disability
Paula Ninivaggi is
the Program Liaison for the New Hampshire Statewide Independent Living
Council (SILC). The Council promotes community participation and
independent living for people with disabilities in New Hampshire. In
addition to her SILC duties, Paula is collaborating with the University
of Pennsylvania on the development of fact sheets for Older Adults with
Psychiatric Disabilities. She is an advisor to a project for older
adults by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), New Hampshire
Chapter. Paula was a major contributor and editor for “The New
Hampshire Guide to Mental Health and Aging for Older Adults and
Caregivers.” Paula is a graduate of Southern New Hampshire University.
She volunteers for community activities ranging from a cultural
diversity task force to a model railroading club. Paula is originally
from Virginia. She brings with her a love for cooking and she and her
husband Michael enjoy hosting barbecues. Paula and Mike are also
licensed foster parents and hope to adopt a child soon. Paula and Mike
currently reside in Bedford with their cats and bunnies.
Russ Ouellette President of Affinity Solutions, LLC
Russ Ouelette lives
in Bedford with his wife Charlene and their two children Liam and
Carley. Russ manages The Affinity Solutions Group, LLC, an executive
business consultant firm focusing on leadership performance, firm
strategic planning, and organizational intervention. His diverse
professional and executive coaching practice over the past 20 years
informs and provides him with vast knowledge of human and business
solutions among professional workers. In addition, his perspective is
solidly in the future of organizational and business practices,
allowing his clients the advantage of contemporary critical business
and organizational thinking. Russ’ Doctorial research on social
relationships within business settings is contemporary and ground
breaking. His theory that stronger professional social relationships
provide productive benefit led to the finding that networking behavior
is instinctual. His findings directly support current organizational
thinking that open, empowered, and self-directing professionals will
provide the next level of business productivity. In addition to his
professional work, Russ enjoys teaches graduate students at several
Universities, public speaking about strategic and organizational
issues, and reading anything about the outdoors. Passions include
community service, hiking in the White Mountains with his family, and
fly fishing.
Wendy Parker Assistant Executive Director for Risk Services of NH Local Government Center
Wendy Lee Parker is a graduate of New Hampshire College with degrees in Accounting and Business Management, and holds a graduate certificate in Human Resource Management. She has also received a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from Southern New Hampshire University. Ms. Parker is a member of several professional associations related to her position at LGC. In addition, she is a member of the Henniker Rotary Club. As Assistant Executive Director for Risk Services at the NH Local Government Center (LGC) in Concord, Ms. Parker is responsible for the overall management and strategic planning for the non-profit public sector risk management pools for LGC. Coverage provided by the pools includes medical, pharmacy, property liability, workers’ compensation, dental, vision, life, long-, and short-term disability, for municipalities, schools and counties representing over 325 entities with more than 105,000 members in New Hampshire. Ms. Parker is an active member with the Granite Chapter of the American Red Cross and is presently the Vice Chair of the Chapter’s Board. She also serves on the Advisory Board for the NH Citizens Health Initiative, and is a participant in the NH Purchasers Group. In 2006, the National League of Cities selected and sponsored Ms. Parker as a Fellow that included a visit to Japan to learn more about their governmental structure and culture. In that capacity, Ms. Parker and her family reciprocated the following year by hosting a visitor from Japan for two weeks. She resides in Hillsboro with her husband and two teen-aged children.
Paul Pezone, Sr. VP Facilities & Support Services of Cheshire Medical Center Dartmouth Hitchcock Keene
Paul Pezone has
served in health care for more than 35 years. In Nov. 2006, he joined
Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth-Hitchcock Keene as Vice President of
Facilities and Support Services where responsibilities include real
estate management, facilities planning and administration of support
service departments. Prior to arrival at CMC/DHK, Paul served in a
variety of roles for the Caritas Christi Healthcare System in eastern
Massachusetts. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from
Merrimac College and a degree in Management and Computer Science from
Franklin Peirce College in addition to holding licenses of Master
Electrician and Refrigeration Technician. Paul is a certified
Healthcare Facilities Manager by the American Hospital Association and
a 28 year member of the National Fire Protection Association and its
Health Care, Building Fire Safety and Electrical Code sections. He was
a four-term president of the Holy Family Hospital Employee Credit
Union, member of the Derry School District's Budget Committee and a
board member of the Derry Economic Development Corporation. As a youth,
he was a two-term president of the Greater Lawrence Youth Association
for Retarded Citizens, and in 1973, organized the association's first
"bike-a-thon", raising over $20,000. Paul currently resides in Derry
with his wife, Sharon, of 27 years, with whom they have three children,
Paul Jr., Michael and Matthew. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking,
golfing, cooking and his periodic work as golf spotter for NBC Sports.
Deborah Schachter Senior Program Officer of NH Charitable Foundation
Deborah Schachter is a Senior Program Officer with the NH Charitable Foundation where she is responsible for the community foundation’s statewide application grants and also works with nonprofits, donors and other community leaders to guide selected policy initiatives. Before coming to the Charitable Foundation in 2001, Deborah was Director of the Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services and a policy advisor to former Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Deborah’s career includes a number of years of experience in the non-profit advocacy arena in New Hampshire, both as a civil poverty lawyer with New Hampshire Legal Assistance, and as a lobbyist for the New Hampshire Women's Lobby, where she addressed state legislative issues impacting women and families. Deborah is the current Chair of the Executive Branch Ethics Committee, and serves on the Boards of NARAL Pro-Choice NH, and the Council on Fundraising (CONFR). Deborah has a BA in Russian Studies from Yale University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. She lives in Concord with her husband Tom and their two children, Noah and Eliza.
Kristina Toth Program Administrator of NH Department of Corrections Lakes Region Facility Family Connections Center
Jeremy Walker Director (Attorney) of McLane, Graf, Raulerson & Middleton, PA
Sarah Walker Kossayda Marketing Director of MacMillin
