Concord, N.H. (October 2, 2023) – The Community College System of New Hampshire’s (CCSNH) Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Melanie Robbins as interim president of White Mountains Community College (WMCC). The appointment is effective October 1 and is expected to last through January 31, 2024 while CCSNH conducts a search for the permanent successor to current president, Dr. Charles (“Chuck”) Lloyd, who was recently appointed to serve as vice chancellor for the Community College System.
“I am really pleased that Melanie has agreed to serve as interim president. Melanie is a valued member of the college leadership team and has been a steady hand at WMCC for quite some time,” Dr. Lloyd said. “She has recently managed some very big changes at the college which has prepared her for this important role. The college remains in very capable hands during this important transition.”
Ms. Robbins has been affiliated with WMCC since 1996, having begun her service to the college as a part-time teacher assistant for what was then the New Hampshire Technical College-Berlin. Her work shifted to the Littleton Academic Center when that facility housed only two classrooms on the Ammonoosuc River. Over time, as that enterprise expanded, Ms. Robbins’ professional responsibilities also grew. She began serving as program coordinator and then moved into the role of director of the Littleton Academic Center, before assuming her current responsibilities as director of Academic Centers for WMCC and serving as a member of the college’s leadership team. Over the past several years, Ms. Robbins has worked with community stakeholders and college colleagues to guide the expansion of the center that now includes a science lab, an allied health wing, and most recently, the acquisition of the property that now houses the newly constructed 10,000 square foot WMCC Advanced Technology Building.
“Throughout Ms. Robbins long and dedicated service to WMCC, she has been an advocate for students and an ambassador for the college, building strong bridges with the communities that are served by WMCC,” said Mark Rubinstein, chancellor for CCSNH. “She engenders trust and respect and is ideally suited to ensure stability and to work with members of the WMCC leadership team to sustain the positive trajectory of WMCC while we pursue a permanent successor for the presidency of the college. I am grateful for Ms. Robbins’ willingness to accept that responsibility to steward the college through this transition.”
In accepting the nomination to become WMCC’s Interim President, Ms. Robbins said “I am honored to be able to serve WMCC during this transition. WMCC will continue to be the driver for integration of education and workforce needs for the North Country. My goal is to ensure a seamless continuation of the projects and initiatives that are already in progress, from our Guided Pathways work to the completion of the Advanced Technology Building. Together with the dedicated and talented faculty and staff, we will fulfill our mission.”
About CCSNH
New Hampshire’s seven community colleges, located across the state to serve every NH community and region, enroll more than 20,000 students annually including 8,000 high school students who take courses for dual high school and college credit at a reduced cost. Thanks to state support, CCSNH is also able to broaden the number of courses that high schoolers can take at no cost, getting a head start on college requirements and saving from the eventual costs of a college degree. CCSNH also offers short-term, customized career training that prepares individuals for in-demand jobs and helps New Hampshire employees meet their hiring needs. CCSNH works to align its programming with the needs of the state, helping thousands of students enter careers or begin their education before transferring to a four-year college or university. CCSNH has long been the largest transfer partner of the state’s university system and has relationships with numerous other transfer destinations for students.
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