The Leadership North Country Class of 2007-08 has begun its fourth year. This leadership program is patterned after many other state and regional leadership programs across the country. The purpose of this program is to create a leadership core in the northern part of the state that will network with other key North Country leaders in areas of education, economic development, community development, and social services. Leadership North Country works to enhance the skills of its participants by providing the participants with information and resources in and outside the region, and encourages them to take on projects separately and together to make the North Country a better place to work and live.
The program, offered through the White Mountains Community College and funded by grants through NH Charitable Foundation, Department of Resources and Economic Development, PSNH, and the Tillotson Fund, includes nine half-day sessions at various locations throughout the North Country. Recruiting began in April 2007 and classes started in September with their first session at the Tip Top House on Mt. Washington. Carl Lindblade of the UNH Speakers Bureau topped off the session with his presentation on "The History of Tourism in New Hampshire’s North Country." The next session will be held at the White Mountains Community College on October 9th on the topic of The ABC's of Education in New Hampshire. Other session topics will include the ins and outs of government, town meeting, rural health care, the State’s transportation system, arts and culture, and tourism and economic development.
Participants in this year's class are Christine Charman of the Upper Connecticut Valley Community Coalition in Colebrook; Mark Desmarais of White Mountains Community College; Tonya Eastman of the Littleton Regional Hospital; Jaimie Gagne of Isaacson Structural Steel in Berlin; Carrie Gendreau of Farm-Way, Littleton/Bradford, VT; Laura Jamison, CASA representative in Berlin; Diane Labbe of the Town of Gorham; Tina Lunderville of Connecticut River Bank in Littleton; Matt Massei of the Mt. Washington Resort, Bretton Woods; Andrea Muller of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Pinkham Notch; James Patry of Northway Bank in Berlin; Jay Poulin of H.E. Bergeron in North Conway; Kirsten Scobie of Lancaster with the NH Charitable Foundation, Lancaster/Concord; Dan Shallow of North Country Council in Bethlehem, and Dori Thompson of Tri-County CAP in Berlin.
More information on the program and future classes are available from Gloria Tremblay at White Mountains Community College in Berlin, 752-1113; e-mail: gtremblay@ccsnh.edu.
9/15/2007
