Class of 2024

Class of ’24

Jim is the CEO of Greater Seacoast Community Health (GSCH). In that role he oversees all the operations and strategic initiatives for their Families First site in Portsmouth, their Goodwin Community Health site in Somersworth, and the Strafford County Public Health Network. GSCH is a Federally Qualified Health Center that provides adult primary care, pediatric care, prenatal care, dental services, behavioral health services, social work services, family services and WIC. GSCH serves all populations with a charge to ensure everyone has access to high quality care regardless of ability to pay. 

Jim moved to Dover in 2001 with his wife Mary and his two daughters. While Jim grew up in the south, his daughters are both true New Englanders! Jim is a graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Healthcare Management and the University of South Florida with a Masters of Business Administration. 

Jim enjoys hiking and snowshoeing throughout New England with his wife. They enjoy travel and when at home taking walks with their dog, Bella. Jim also is a huge music enthusiast (he has attended more than 550 concerts and counting) and plays bass guitar.

Class of ’24

Jess Bacon is a nurse-midwife at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and Hope on Haven Hill. She has a strong interest in maternal mental health and substance use disorder. She is finishing her DNP at Frontier Nursing University with a quality improvement project to safely reduce the cesarean rate. She is the President of the NH Affiliate of ACNM, serves on the steering committee for the Northern New England Perinatal Quality Improvement Network (NNEPQIN), and co-chair of NNEPQINs Perinatal Community Advisory Council. 

Jess lives in Madbury, NH with her husband and five kids. She enjoys cooking and gardening, though she struggles to grow anything!

Class of ’24

Erin Bassegio is the Outreach Coordinator for the City of Dover’s Department of Planning and Community Development and Office of Business Development. In her role, she promotes department initiatives, supports long-range Master Planning, and provides staff support to volunteer public committees. 

Prior to working for the City of Dover, Erin was the Director of Community Services for Granite State Independent Living where she oversaw statewide programming to support independent living in the home and community. 

Originally from Rochester, NY, Erin is a graduate from SUNY Empire State University where she received her Master of Arts in Social and Public Policy. She moved to Seacoast New Hampshire in 2018, following her partner, Chris, who she met during their service year in AmeriCorps. She now lives and works in Dover, and in her free time you can probably find her and Chris trying to keep up with their dog, Flapjack.

Class of ’24

Stephen Bianco is a Vice President at Eastern Bank in their Commercial Real Estate Lending Group. In his role, he assists in commercial real estate financing for acquisitions, developments, and re-positionings of multifamily, retail, self-storage, and other commercial property types. He has been with Eastern for 5 years since graduating from Roger Williams University in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance. He originally started in Eastern’s credit training program and has since completed rotations in their NH Commercial Lending Group and their Managed Assets Group.

Stephen is a New Hampshire native born and raised in Keene, NH. He currently lives in Portsmouth, NH with his fiancé, Maria. In his free time, he can be found exploring the Seacoast with friends and family, on the golf course, or in the mountains camping or snowboarding.

Class of ’24

I am a Premium Administration Analyst at FedPoint in Portsmouth, NH. We administer employee benefits for the federal government. I became excited about Leadership Seacoast back in 2020 when some of my colleagues attended this program. They came back excited and on fire with the knowledge and network opportunities that were now at their fingertips, and I wanted that too!

I have had the opportunities, with my church, to go on mission trips to Third World countries caring for orphans, making bricks to build homes in Oaxaca, Mexico; working with orphanages and helping survivors rebuild after earthquakes in Haiti. My husband and I were able to go to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina as part of a relief team. My husband and I look forward every year to delivering holiday food baskets to the surrounding towns of Rochester at Thanksgiving and Christmas time.

My most fulfilling roles are being a mother, a Nana of 6, and a great Nana of twins! I have lived in the Seacoast area for most of my life and recently moved from Maine to New Hampshire where my husband and I built our retirement

Class of ’24

Born and raised in Dover NH, Sally built a successful business with grit and determination. A fierce supporter of children and sports, she volunteered and helped Cocheco Lacrosse become a 501c3, served on the board of directors for Cocheco Lacrosse Club and was a team parent and booster for many years with local hockey and lacrosse teams.

One thing that she learned when helping others is that not everyone feels like they have the tools or the education to do their best work in the world.

Becoming a member of the Dover Chamber’s Bridge to Educational Partnership, she helped tie more educators to the struggles of young adults in the high school trades. Realizing that the trades had been ignored for many years in favor of college education, she worked to connect more students to opportunities and information.
“There are so many things I do not even understand about how local government and programs work. I want to learn and offer my help where I am needed.”

Still founder and visionary of her catering company, Sally became a Certified Coach to help more people that similar struggles in their business careers to find purpose and confidence. A newer mentor in SCORE, she is able to reach more new business owners and support their growth.

Her hope is to learn where she can apply her skills to help others in many capacities.

Class of ’24

have been employed for the last 11 years at Community Action Partnership of Strafford County (CAPSC), a non-profit that serves individuals and families in Strafford County CAPSC offers an array of programs and services, including fuel and electric assistance, rental assistance, transportation, housing and homeless prevention services, early childhood education, food and nutrition services, and more. I have worked in many departments in the agency but am currently the Senior Human Resources Manager. I have a passion for meeting new people and educating our new employees about all the wonderful programs CAPSC offers.

I am an avid NE sports fan and have traveled around to several sports stadiums to watch our NE teams play. I have children in sports, so they keep me running in all directions. I am looking forward to the opportunities Leadership Seacoast will offer me.

Class of ’24

Joshua Connery is the Superintendent of the 157th Air Refueling Wing Command Post. He leads an amazing team of individuals committed to performing Command and Control actions that support Homeland Security, National Defense, and Air Force operations. They play a pivotal role in direct training alongside global nuclear and conventional forces, guaranteeing operational readiness and reinforcing the highest standards of preparedness. He has committed 22 years to military service, taking immense pride in being a valued member of this great Nation and contributing to its strength and security. He holds a degree in Emergency Management and has completed numerous courses focused on professional military education and leadership development.

Joshua grew up in New England and currently resides in Arundel, Maine with his wife Laurie and two dogs. He’s enthusiastic about music and movies, enjoys spending time outdoors, and participating in physical fitness activities. He’s an avid auto enthusiast and likes to modify vehicles as a pastime.

Class of ’24

Laurie is honored and excited to be part of the 2024 Leadership Seacoast class!

She currently serves as the Development Manager for the 100+ year old nonprofit Star Island Corporation. Prior to that she held the same position at 3S Artspace, also based out of Portsmouth. Laurie recently became a Portsmouth resident as well and is incredibly grateful for the opportunity through Leadership Seacoast to deepen her connection with the Seacoast residential and business communities.

Laurie grew up in nearby Newburyport MA where she raised her children and built her career. She was an active and enthusiastic member of the Newburyport community both as a life-long resident and a nonprofit professional, working many years for the Greater Newburyport Chamber of Commerce and the Firehouse Center for the Arts.

Laurie has just spent her first summer living and working out on the Isles of Shoals and is now on a mission to get everyone she meets to come out to Star Island and experience the magic she witnessed for themselves

Class of ’24

Dan is the President & Chief Nerd of MacEdge LLC. Originally from Walpole, NH, his 18th birthday his passion for technology was ignited when offered a technical job at a local Apple Specialist. Moving on, and then working for MacEdge for 18 years, he had the opportunity to purchase the business in 2020. Now he leads internal initiatives to expand the business into new vertical markets beyond just sales and service of computers. He also owns a wholesale sourcing company importing iPhone and Mac accessories for the independent Apple dealer channel under Deering Private Label LLC. He also serves as the Vice President of the Apple Solutions Marketing Corporation which is a non-profit to serve the community of independent Apple partners.

Outside of the tech industry, he has written and produced two of his own short films and worked on a variety of projects for others. In 2013 he won a New England Emmy as an Executive Producer for a PSA he worked on for the National Children’s Alliance. He still has a folder of draft script ideas that he never quite gets around to working on.

Class of ’24

Michelle Firmbach Nadeau is the Chief Strategy Officer and Marketing Principal for Elevate CSR, a purpose-led brand marketing communications firm helping customers realize business goals, achieve brand equity, and create value. With over 25 years of experience in the field of public relations and marketing, her process is designed to drive innovation, sustainability, and growth. She builds brands with purpose, inspires community engagement, amplifies voices, and ultimately drives impact through collaboration. She is a visionary and strategic executive highly skilled in all aspects of impactful and inclusive brand communications.

Michelle is a positive and engaging team leader with a proven ability to drive transformation, value creation, and significant growth on behalf of large organizations. She is a trusted advisor with proven success in delivering brand equity through integrated marketing communications, purpose-led sustainable partnerships, and brand activation to create engaging customer experiences in multiple industries. Known as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategist, delivering reputation management through purposeful campaign planning, stakeholder engagement, and grassroots advocacy, she serves as a transparent educator and agile, ethical corporate spokesperson skilled in media, crisis communication, and public policy. She is a driven high-performer with a passion for sustainability and environmental projects.

Michelle is a former journalist, having graduated from the University of New Hampshire’s Journalism School in Durham. She received her master’s from George Washington University in D.C. She is the mother of two, an outdoor enthusiast, and currently serves as Assistant Coach for the Little Warrior Cheer Competition Team in Hampton.

Class of ’24

Wanda has been in the banking industry for 33+ years and is currently the Vice President of Operations for Piscataqua Savings Bank. She has been fortunate to work for a place that not only became her career, but also her family.

Wanda was born at Edwards Air Force Base, California and spent most of her childhood stationed in Germany. Her parents, originally from Portsmouth, chose to retire in Eliot, Maine where Wanda graduated from Marshwood High School. She married her high school sweetheart and just celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. Together they have raised two girls, and recently became grandparents.

She is excited to be a part of the Leadership Seacoast Class of 2024 and looks forward to exploring the issues in the Seacoast community.

Class of ’24

Chelsea Gannon is the founder and executive director of Rise: Empowering Women and Children, Rise is a 501(c)(3) non profit organization with a mission to embrace, educate and empower at-risk children through community outreach. With a strong commitment to making a positive impact, Chelsea’s vision, combined with her passion for empowering individuals has led to a positive change in the lives of those she serves. Beyond her professional life, Chelsea has been married to her high school sweetheart, Tanner for 11 years. They also have three inspiring children who are a source of motivation for both of them. She draws strength from her faith and family, believing that the values she instills in her own home will impact the world around her!

Class of ’24

My name is Sarah Gould. I am an educator, advocate, and lifelong New Hampshire resident. After attending college in Vermont and living in Massachusetts for several years, I finally came home. In 2005, my husband and I bought a home in beautiful Barrington and are currently raising our two children and puppy in this amazing community. I am passionate about creating and maintaining a safe world for not only my own children, but for all children.

I am lucky enough to live out this passion through both my professional and personal endeavors. I have worked with and on behalf of children and families for more than 15 years. I spent 10 years as a School Counselor and am intimately aware of the challenges and opportunities within the public school system. I currently work as the Training & Program Manager at Connor’s Climb Foundation facilitating and coordinating suicide prevention training for educators and other community members.

Volunteering truly fills my emotional bucket. When I am not working, you can find me giving back to my community in any number of ways; from serving on my local school district’s Advisory Budget Committee, to fitting marching band members for their uniforms, to creating a mentoring relationship with a young girl from an underserved population. It is through these activities that I can learn firsthand about the needs of my community and how I can make a difference, personally or professionally.

I do make time for fun with family and friends, as well. I love swimming, attending my book club (whether I have read the book or not!), playing card games of all kinds and traveling.

Class of ’24

Dan Hannigan is the Assistant Director of Marketing for Catholic Charities NH in Manchester, where he is both responsible for, and passionate about, telling the stories of struggling veterans, single moms facing homelessness, homebound seniors, immigrants and families in financial need, who have overcome tremendous obstacles to move their lives forward with the help of CCNH programs throughout New Hampshire and the donors who support them. Dan joined the organization in 2021 and, in addition to creating written content, established in-house video production capabilities, resulting in creative, new ways to share stories, fundraise and connect with diverse audiences.

Dan’s media and video production background spans 30 years and includes lengthy stints as a television and radio sportscaster, in Maine and New Hampshire, and 15 years as co-owner of Cod Rock Media in Kittery, producing videos for companies and nonprofits throughout New England, as well as numerous sports television programs.

Between Cod Rock Media and Catholic Charities, Dan served three years as the Director of the start-up French American School of Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, FL, a French immersion school for ages 3 and up that opened with 13 students and grew steadily, even during the pandemic, and is now thriving at full capacity.

A 20-year resident of Kittery Point, Dan lives with his wife and enjoys volunteering his time mentoring local high school students as well as playing the piano in senior facilities. He also hosts a monthly jam session at his home for

Class of ’24

Nikole Haslett lives in Portsmouth, NH, with her husband, Abe, and their dog and cat.

With a prior career in hospitality, Nikole was looking for a change and stumbled into banking. Starting with People’s United Bank as a Teller in 2019, Nikole found opportunity to grow after an acquisition with M&T Bank was finalized in 2022. Nikole now works as a Relationship Liaison where she builds and maintains meaningful relationships with clients.
Working and living in the same community sparked a great interest to get involved and when local non-profit, Pro Portsmouth, inquired with her about an open position she jumped at the chance. She is now a Board member where she volunteers with an amazing group of people who are dedicated to supporting the Arts, Culture, History and Community of the Seacoast.

In her free time, Nikole enjoys going to the beach, camping, kayaking, gardening, and traveling.

Class of ’24

Sean Hladick is the Community Relations Specialist for Service Credit Union, working to support its nonprofit partners and oversee largescale community events. Originally from Natick, Massachusetts, Sean moved all around New England before settling in the Seacoast in 2019 after many years working in athletics (professional and collegiate) and the tradeshow industry.

In his role with Service CU, Sean oversees the credit union’s initiatives to support New Hampshire residents and businesses through programs such as Stay Warm, which provides cold weather clothing to those in need, and Project Elf, a program that supports locally owned toy stores and the NH State Police’s Toys for Tots drive. In addition, Sean works with Service CU’s nonprofit partners to support their vision to create a better present and future for New Hampshire residents through a wide range of initiatives such as food insecurity, domestic violence prevention, arts programming, supporting veteran causes and more.

Away from work, Sean enjoys going on adventures with his wife and two young boys and is an avid baseball fan and card collector.

Class of ’24

Donovan Ingle is a Financial Advisor with Robinson Smith Wealth Advisors in Portsmouth, NH, working directly with individuals and families, helping them build their financial plans and achieve their financial goals.

Before making the Seacoast his home, Donovan grew up in Southern Indiana, where he first joined the financial planning industry in 2018 while finishing his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Louisville. He furthered his education by earning his Executive Certificate in Financial Planning in 2020 and becoming a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Practitioner in 2021.

While not in the office, he enjoys long-distance running, playing various rec-league sports, hiking, traveling, and supporting his Louisville Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and St. Louis Cardinals.

Class of ’24

Chris is a lifelong New Hampshire resident and has spent most of his life as a seacoast resident. As a student at the University of New Hampshire, Chris began volunteering for the local ambulance service – McGregor EMS – and discovered a passion for medicine and public safety. After graduating, Chris held various positions within the University of New Hampshire but quickly moved into a paid position within McGregor spending the next decade taking a lead role in various administrative functions within the organization including as volunteer coordinator and then Business Manager. In 2018, Chris was selected as McGregor’s Executive Director a position which he still holds. In addition to being an Advanced EMT, Chris is a Registered Nurse and holds a Masters in Public Health. Outside of McGregor, Chris is an avid hiker and backpacker having hiked all of New England’s 4000+ and the Vermont Long Trail.

Class of ’24

Cindy Lindley is currently an Assistant Vice President, Business Development Officer at Newburyport Bank in Portsmouth. Cindy has been banking on the Seacoast of New England for over 9 years. She has served in various roles in retail and commercial banking. A California native, Cindy loves the ocean. She currently resides in Kittery, ME with her boyfriend Doug, and two adorable dogs, Gunther, and Jackson. Cindy is actively involved with Rotary, various chambers, the Women’s Business League, and BNI. Cindy believes in being an active and engaged member of her community. When she is not volunteering or networking, you will most likely catch Cindy enjoying one of the many wonderful restaurants in Portsmouth or Kittery. An avid music lover, she regularly attends concerts, plays guitar, and enjoys cooking and banking. Cindy is excited to have the opportunity to join Leadership Seacoast and make an impact on the community that she loves so much.

Class of ’24

Lionel Loveless, I’m currently a business owner here on the seacoast of New Hampshire. Officially Knotted Bowties, The Collectors Eye and Route 1 Antiques are examples of my entrepreneurial spirit. I am the sole designer for Officially Knotted Bowties, and I help lead a team of 100 plus amazing antique dealers in the two oldest antique shops on the seacoast. As a transplant to New Hampshire, I hope to bring a fresh new perspective of diversity and inclusion to the antiques and resale market. Over the past few years, I have been featured on the tv show New Hampshire Chronicle and a few newspaper articles about the dapper work that I’m doing with upcycle and sustainable fashion community.

Class of ’24

Carol Main is a Senior Analyst serving as a key member of the Energy Efficiency Administration and Compliance Team at Unitil. In this role, she is responsible for carrying out complex budgeting, forecasting, modeling and reporting in a highly regulated utility environment.

Prior to joining Unitil, Carol worked at the University of New Hampshire for 21 years, where she served in various financial roles such as Finance Manager, Asst. Business Director, Accountant, and Procurement Specialist. She also worked at Stride Inc. as a Regional Finance Manager managing the financial activities of two online K-12 charter schools in Michigan.

Carol is a New Hampshire native and received a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and an M.B.A. from Plymouth State University. She currently lives in Dover, NH with her partner, Greg, and has enjoyed watching her blended family grow up. She enjoys gardening, cooking, reading, yoga, and laughing with friends. Now that her family has grown up, she is eager to expand her involvement with community and volunteer events.

Class of ’24

Laurie Mantegari is a self-motivated entrepreneur with a mission to make a difference with her creative and positive energy as a professional event planner.

Laurie began her career as a special events coordinator for a non-profit organization, specializing in fundraising. After ten years of working in the event industry, Laurie opened, Everyday Details, a company dedicated to the finest event planning services for corporations, non-profit organizations, weddings, and special events.

Besides managing Everyday Details, Laurie is part of several non-profit organizations event planning committees in the community. Making a difference in the community is important to Laurie.

She is also an Adjunct Professor for the New Hampshire Community College system and teaches classes event management classes along with being the Hospitality Program Coordinator at Great Community College.

Laurie is a cum laude graduate from Regis College where she holds both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master’s in Organization Communication Behavior. Laurie received the street.life, Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth Volunteer of the Year in 2019.

She has a passion for life and enjoys traveling, reading, volunteering in the community and spending time with family and friends.

Her goal in life, work and professionally, is to make a difference everyday with at least one thing and to put a smile on other people’s faces…and then end the day with a smile on her own”.

Laurie lives in Hampton, New Hampshire with her husband Mitchell Donahue and their 13-year-old daughter Amelia.

Class of ’24

Elizabeth Mazige has lived on the seacoast her entire life. During her senior year at Keene State College, she developed a passion for helping others by providing emotional support while interning at Antrim Girls Shelter. Since graduating in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, she has worked in the non-profit field. She spent 5 years as a residential manager with Easter Seals traveling across NH and building meaningful connections with the people she worked with.

In 2015 she took a break from work to focus on her family after having twin boys. Once she rejoined the work force in 2018, she was drawn to Hope on Haven Hill, which supports mothers with substance use disorder, along with their children and is currently the assistant program supervisor at HHH. Liz received her CRSW in 2019 and is working towards her licensure as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor (LADC). She has facilitated the Nurturing Parenting group for the last 4 years at HHH. Liz completed the Building Futures Together program through UNH.

Liz has been supporting the Multiple Sclerosis community since 2017 after being diagnosed with MS. She is passionate in raising awareness by walking the Portsmouth MS walk every year while raising money to help her community members who also are fighting this disease.

When Liz is not at work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 children. They are an avid soccer family and like to spend as much time outdoors as they can.

Class of ’24

Brandi McKay-Berry is an Assistant Branch Manager at Bangor Savings Bank in Portsmouth. She has been with the bank for two years, and prior to returning to Portsmouth, she resided in Bangor for a short stint during her Management Training program. Brandi graduated from UNH in 2021 with a B.S in Business Management and dual minors in Leadership and Psychology. She enjoys learning and has almost completed her master’s degree in Organizational Leadership at SNHU.

Brandi leads with her heart and is passionate about businesses being a force for good. In addition to this, Brandi understands the importance of everyone having access to financial wellness materials. To support this, Brandi has developed various curriculums to share financial wellness materials with everyone in our communities. She has led a multitude of classes throughout the seacoast and southern Maine for audiences ranging from elementary school students to seniors and a variety of local non-profits. Brandi is also involved with a variety of non-profits, clubs, and organizations that provide support in the seacoast.

Class of ’24

Sean McMullen works as a Senior Investment Advisor for Clarfeld Citizens Private Wealth, where he supports clients with investment management, financial planning, and other advisory services. He previously spent 10 years with Paladin Advisors in Kensington, NH. While at Paladin, Sean was a founding member of Wealth of Wisdom – a non-profit organization focused on providing financial empowerment to the local community through a small group setting.

Born and raised in southern NH, Sean earned a B.S. in Finance and Management Information Systems from Northeastern University. While there, he studied abroad and did the co-op program for a diverse group of companies before making his way back to the Granite State. Sean has lived in Portsmouth for the past 10 years, close to his family and friends. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, skiing, gardening, and spending time on the water.

Class of ’24

Jessica Nelson is an associate at New North Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm investing in companies that strengthen national security. Previously, she served as the Director of Operations for the University of New Hampshire Rines Angel Fund, an undergraduate seed-stage venture fund focused on backing New England Startups. Jessica graduated from the University of New Hampshire Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics in May 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Entrepreneurship and a dual minor in Sales and Sustainable Agriculture. Jessica competed in multiple entrepreneurship competitions and was a finalist in the Holloway entrepreneurial competition. She was an advisor to startup companies through the UNH Entrepreneurship Center.

Jessica enjoys outdoor activities including: Skiing, hiking, biking, surfing, running and spending time with family and friends.

Class of ’24

I live in Rollinsford, NH with my young son and my greatest achievement is, and always will be, being a mom. I am a single parent, but I don’t let that hinder my son’s experience of the world or our relationships. I am committed to teaching my son about inclusion and that everyone is different and to celebrate those differences, challenging him to be curious and inquisitive, not fearful, or judgmental of anything he may not fully understand.

I am a driven and highly motivated individual in many areas of my life. As the Marketing and Development Coordinator for SOS Recovery Community Organization, I am new to the nonprofit world, but it’s opened my eyes to issues and barriers in the communities that I work and live in. Coming into this position, I had no experience in a marketing role, but huge ambition to put my passion for recovery and my determination to be in a marketing and development role. A big part of my position is developing our donor base with a mix of small donors and larger donors, which is the area I focused on for our R.I.C.H. conference. It was my first fundraising event, and I was not able to hit our goal, but we came very close. At this year’s conference, because of the new donor and community relationships I have cultivated, I anticipate hitting that goal. In September, I organized our annual recovery rally with more than 35 vendors and hit our fundraising goal. We had the largest turnout for this event than any previous year and I was able to connect our organization with new recovery resources. I have lived experience with drug use, and I stand up against the shame and stigma that is placed on those who use medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). I advocate for people who use medications to find recovery and healing. In this new chapter of my life, I am committed to being a strong leader and seek to strengthen my skills to positively impact my relationships with my coworkers, peers, family, and community. I believe when all parties feel encouraged, included, and supported, the outcome can exceed our own expectations.

Class of ’24

Andrea Pickett is a Seacoast resident and social justice advocate who believes in doing the messy work of pursuing a better world through better understanding. Andrea works for the Portsmouth Housing Authority as a Resident Service Coordinator and Program Manager for the Workforce Housing Education Incentive Program (WHEIP). Andrea approached education in a non-traditional way, as she does most things. In 2022, she received her degree in Psychology and Sociology, focusing on Public Policy, after having started her degree a short thirteen years before. She believes in the concept of MOBY, which stands for My Own Back Yard, and is her answer to NIMBY, otherwise known as Not In My Back Yard. To put action to that belief, she co-facilitated a community garden for Housing Authority residents, began an anti-hate campaign on the Seacoast, and in May of 2023, spoke at the Portsmouth TEDx Conference to share her beliefs that the way for leaders to best lead is to listen to the people whom they hope to influence.

Class of ’24

Hello! My name is Pilar Redmond. I grew up in Upstate New York and Virginia, but made the seacoast of New Hampshire my home after graduating from UNH in 1995. I have lived in Newmarket for the past 15 years and absolutely love this area and all it has to offer. I am so grateful that this is where I get to work, play, and raise my two girls. I am proudly a co-owner at ReVision Energy as a Sales Design Specialist, but until about two years ago, I never thought I would work in sales! I hold a Masters degree in Environmental Education from UNH and spent several years working for Mass Audubon and The Trustees in Massachusetts. When my children were young, I founded Community Roots, a farm-based education program located at Coppal House Farm in Lee. The program includes a summer camp, family programs, and more, and allowed me to create my passion project. My heart has always been steeped in community, and my passion for bringing people together, and working to build a more connected and beautiful world has always led me in my work and my personal life. My career at Revision Energy has transformed the way I look at my work through community, relationships, honesty, and integrity. While it is very different from my first 25 years of work, it still allows me to connect with and educate others who are also looking to do good and meaningful things. It is my hope that by joining Seacoast Leadership that I will step outside of my day to day routine, build relationships with new people who are also passionate about this community and dive deep into what makes this amazing region a place we are all so connected to.

Class of ’24

Professionally, Jodi Robinson is a Senior HR Business Partner for Northeast Credit Union. Over her 15 plus years in the banking industry, Jodi has held multiple roles in retail banking and Human Resources. Jodi started her career in banking as a part time teller in Boston, while attending Northeastern University to obtain her Master’s degree in Counseling and Psychology. While counseling didn’t pan out, Jodi merged her educational experiences and what she has learned from banking industry to transition to an HR professional. In addition to her day to day work, Jodi is also an instructor for the Center for Financial Training and Education Alliance, a non-profit organization that provides education and resources to banking professionals.

Personally, Jodi is a wife and a mother of two children ages 2 and 5. Jodi grew up in NH, and now lives with her family in Southern Maine and has always had strong connections to the Seacoast area. When not at work, you can find Jodi and her family on an outdoor adventure somewhere in the seacoast trying to keep up with her two young children.

Class of ’24

Kara Anne Rodenhizer currently serves as the Director of Housing Initiatives at Granite United Way. In this role, she leads the Home for All Coalition, a diverse, multi-sector partnership of over 50 members working to address the issues of homelessness and housing instability in the Greater Seacoast. Kara also oversees GUW’s Affordable Housing Incentive Program (AHIP), which brings together landlords and service providers to create pathways to affordable, stable housing for those who have experienced homelessness or housing instability. Since 2020, AHIP has helped 200 individuals move out of homelessness and into permanent housing on the Seacoast.

Prior to joining GUW Kara served in multiple roles at HAVEN, NH’s largest violence prevention and support services agency. In these roles, Kara played a key role in helping secure federal funds to grow HAVEN’s housing and shelter programs and led a collaborative effort with Dover Housing Authority to develop permanent supportive housing for survivors.

Kara holds a B.A. from the UC Davis, an M.A. in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University, and a Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the UNH. While at UNH, Kara developed an interdisciplinary program of federally funded research in the field of interpersonal violence culminating in over a dozen peer-reviewed publications.

Kara lives in Portsmouth with her partner and three children. She currently serves as Vice Chair of the Portsmouth Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, and remains actively involved in other regional and national housing and homelessness efforts and initiatives.

Class of ’24

Amy Rowe is a proud Granite Stater and graduate of the University of New Hampshire. She has served in various operational roles in the K–12 educational assessment industry for the past 13 years. Amy is currently the Manager of Psychometric Operations in Pearson’s School Assessment division.

In her current role, Amy regularly collaborates within and across teams. Within her Psychometric team, she works with statistical analysts and psychometricians to strategize on how to conduct analyses most efficiently. She prides herself on being an active listener. Amy’s delegation skills and emotional intelligence allow her to work carefully through recommendations for operational improvement efforts with subject matter experts and ultimately efficiently produce results. She prioritizes facilitating her colleague’s workloads so they can focus and do their best work. Amy hopes to bring these skills to the table at the Leadership Seacoast program and learn about how she can play a part in affecting positive change in her local community.

Amy currently resides in Danville. In her free time, she takes advantage of New Hampshire’s outdoor opportunities. Whether it’s wearing her arm out throwing a ball into Bow Lake or roaming the woods, her favorite activities include her dogs, Sadie and Fuji.

Class of ’24

Adam Salyer serves as Vice President of Sales for NH based IT Asset Recovery service provider Chapel Brook LLC. Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, he moved to the Seacoast with his then girlfriend, now wife, in 2019 by way of Baltimore, Maryland. It was there that he completed a year of service with Americorps as a member of Soccer Without Borders, leading an after-school program that served refugee, immigrant, and asylee youth. In 2020, Adam graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University.

Since moving to the Seacoast has done his best to take advantage of all that New England has to offer and has become an avid snowboarder in the wintertime, face planting less and less with each passing season. When he is not able to snowboard, he enjoys spending time with his family and cooking as often as possible.

Class of ’24

Nicole is an I/O Psychologist who combines her educational background with personal experiences as an Autistic person to aid business leaders in culture change. She is an advocate who participates in panel discussions, mentors Autistic people, and supports disabled job seekers. Nicole is an expert on change management, accommodations, and the successful inclusion of neurodivergent people in the workplace. She focuses on improving well-being and leadership by communicating how it impacts job satisfaction, engagement, and productivity. Nicole is skilled in performing job analyses, job descriptions, organizational process mapping, and creating multi-learner documents and training that increase engagement and productivity. Nicole is a certified LinkedIn Instructor and a member of the Asperger Autism Network (AANE) Speakers’ Bureau. Nicole holds a Master’s if Science in Industrial-Organizational Psychology and a Bachelor of Art in Psychology. Outside of work Nicole serves as the board chair and president for the Seacoast Arts & Cultural Alliance dba WSCA Portsmouth Community Radio.

Class of ’24

Scott Shepard is a recently retired business leader with years of experience in science and business. He began his career as a scientist, then moved into Information technology, helping companies and organizations to improve internal innovation, business processes, and operational efficiency. He has worked across multiple industries, leading projects of all sizes and types, from small process improvements to multi-million-dollar strategic programs.
Since moving to New Hampshire, Scott has volunteered at a wide variety of organizations, including CASA and SCORE. Currently, he is a member of the Town of Barrington’s Advisory Budget Committee.

Class of ’24

Stacy-Lynn Sheppard is a Southern New Hampshire University Graduate with a BA in Psychology and has a career as a Field Education Developer and Data Analyst for the Education and Outreach department at FedPoint, which administers employee benefits for the federal government. At work Stacy-Lynn is driven by a challenge and any opportunity to be able to assist people in any capacity they need to make their job easier. In her personal life she follows that same passion and has been a certified life coach for 20 years. Though Stacy-Lynn’s professional life is full so is her family life with 4 children, fiancé, and a dog to take care of.

Class of ’24

Maddy Tourville is a writer at heart with a keen interest in people and relationships and what makes the world go round. A native of Maine, Maddy is a lifelong learner with many and varied interests which are reflected in a career that spans nonprofit development, event planning, marketing, and interior design. The keystone of her career experiences has been a combination of writing and relationship building. “I have had the privilege of interviewing and getting to know so many incredible people over the years in the process of writing bios and articles about people doing incredible things in both the nonprofit and corporate worlds. It’s an honor and a challenge to attempt to adequately express in writing the essence of someone else’s life and accomplishments.”

Maddy’s marketing and development experience began in Maine at the Multiple Sclerosis Society. After meeting her husband, a Pennsylvania native, she moved to the Philadelphia area for 9 years where she worked in nonprofit consulting, assisting organizations like The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Zoo, and The Philadelphia Foundation with strategic planning, capital campaigns, major donor programs, and communications.

As often happens, Maddy convinced her husband to move back to her home territory and landed in seacoast New Hampshire, where they have lived happily and raised their daughter. Now a resident of Kittery, Maddy works as the Marketing Communications Coordinator at FedPoint, a company in Portsmouth that administers employee benefit programs for the federal government. She also serves on the company’s Corporate Giving Committee and writes Community Champion articles highlighting the amazing volunteer work of FedPoint employees.

In her free time, Maddy enjoys reading, songwriting, walking on the beach, hammocking and swimming at Barter’s Creek, spending time with friends and family, and walking over the Memorial Bridge to enjoy all that Portsmouth has to offer

Class of ’24

After graduating with her degree in English and Creative Writing, Jeseca began her career in sales and marketing for a local senior living community. Over time, she discovered a passion for community outreach and has since been able to leverage her writing and communication skills to connect with the public about issues she cares about.

In her current role, Jeseca works to create meaningful and engaging events for seniors and their families and builds relationships with community partners to promote the benefits of senior living. She takes pride in helping seniors and their families navigate the sometimes overwhelming process of finding the right senior living provider, and has become an invaluable resource for many in the community.

Outside of work, Jeseca plays on the Seacoast Rugby club, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting sportsmanship, teamwork, and community involvement through the game of rugby. Since 2021 she has also served on the club’s Executive Committee where she helps with fundraising, recruitment, event planning, and community outreach efforts. She’s currently the president of the club.
Jeseca believes that her background has equipped her with the skills she needs to excel professionally, including the ability to communicate effectively, think critically, and approach problems creatively. She believes in the power of communication and community involvement to bring people together and make a positive impact in the world.

Class of ’24

Jolene grew up and raised her boys in Sunapee NH and now currently resides in Rochester NH. Jolene is the Branch & Business Development Manager for Meredith Village Savings Bank in the Rochester NH Office. Collectively, Jolene has 22 years of banking experience, ranging from being a teller to Management, IRA Administrator, Loan Officer, Business Banking Relationship Specialist and Branch & Business Development Manager. Jolene prides herself on her lead by example mentality and encourages and challenges her team to think outside of the box and she is often heard saying… “Let’s find a way to say yes”.

Jolene serves on multiple boards such as: The Monarch School of New England, Rochester Rotary Club, and as the Treasurer of The Homeless Center for Strafford County. You can often find her volunteering her free time with many non-profits in and around Rochester.

In her free time, when she is not volunteering, Jolene enjoys spending time with her 6 boys, her husband and her family.

A fun fact about Jolene is that she is a licensed Cosmetologist and has been since 1997.