Alumni Stories
Walter Hoerman LNH Class of '01
I was accepted to Leadership New Hampshire the same year I ran for City Council in Rochester. Over the next few years, I was councilperson, then deputy mayor, and finally mayor. LNH gave me the knowledge and the encouragement to believe that I could serve my town well.
To my mind, the real value of LNH is that it attracts a pool of eager, motivated people from all walks of life, but not necessarily from the typical "leadership" track. There aren't very many training opportunities out there unless you're in a position to go back to college. In my case, for example, the only opportunity to grow would have been as a hospital CEO. But LNH opens up all sorts of avenues to leadership. For me, opened a chance to help build greater cooperation in my home town government.
Alice DeSouza
LNH Class of '94
The things we love about this state are the things visitors love, too. Sixty-seven thousand people are employed by tourism and their success is inextricably linked to all sorts of other factors - state revenues, our road system, the environment, our practice of historical preservation, tax free sales status, the list goes on and on. Anyone who participates in LNH is going to come away with a clear understanding of how the different parts of the state connect. I hope the next generation of emerging leaders will use this chance - each in the own individual way - to help make New Hampshire a better place to live, work and play.
Gary Matteson, LNH Class of '94
I applied for Leadership New Hampshire hoping to learn to be more effective on statewide issues in my field of agriculture. Contact with fellow classmates and the LNH curriculum broadened my perspective: I found that to be successful I had to see the connections to diverse public policy topics. Since graduating, I've had the opportunity to try many different involvements that have been more rewarding, productive, and more just plain fun because LNH showed me the landscape and helped me set goals. It's not just about someone opening doors for you, LNH is all about helping you decide which are the right doors for you, then showing you how to knock for yourself. Isn't that the way NH is supposed to work?
Mary Jo Brown, LNH Class of '03
How else but through Leadership New Hampshire could I have met the Speaker of the House, interviewed a teenage convict, toured a paper mill in Berlin, and contra danced with leading political and business leaders? LNH has not only taught me about our state and some of the great people in it, but the diversity and power of these experiences has inspired me to develop a stronger, louder, clearer voice.
Bill Walker, LNH Class of '02
My classmates were on the cutting edge of social, economic, cultural or academic issues facing the state. Having that level of collective thought available for a whole year was outstanding. The guest speakers and resource materials were of the highest caliber and led to some very serious and thought provoking conversations. My experience in LNH has led to an initiative to look at Leadership Development in Communities of Color. LNH has given me a lasting legacy.
David Corbett, LNH Class of '03
The Old Man of the Mountain tumbled down during my Leadership New Hampshire year. Not a good omen, you might think. However, the week of our "Economic Development" seminar in Berlin, a town devastated in recent years by mill closings, the paper mill reopened. We saw new jobs, a new Heritage Park, and new hope - the product of remarkable local, state and federal leadership. The Old Man is down, but his spirit is alive in New Hampshire leaders.
Clark Dumont, LNH Class of '93
I loved the idea of Leadership New Hampshire from the first time I heard about it. My participation helped me learn about the importance of leadership and stewardship. I was able to stop, to look, to listen and to think about what has made New Hampshire an important and special place for five generations of my family. But most importantly, I learned the importance of making a difference through my work, my colleagues, my friends, my family and our children. Leadership New Hampshire was a great awakening that helped me to renew my focus and commitment to community.
Darlene Stromstad, LNH Class of '96
The friends and relationships I built during Leadership New Hampshire serve me well every day. I am continually working side by side with former LNH classmates in civic organizations and statewide activities. It was directly responsible for my previous job; I worked for a former classmate!
Jon Greenberg, LNH Class of '03
As a newsman, there's no question that the people I met in Leadership New Hampshire help me do a better job as a reporter. And because I'm a newsman, I have the particular advantage that I can take what I learn and share it with a wider audience.
The strongest example of that would be our series on lead paint. The idea for it came to me in 2006 when I was at a LNH Livingroom Chat hosted by Tim Soucy (LNH class of 2005). Tim had organized a session on refugees, and I was appalled to learn that some of thees kids - and not just refugee kids - were still getting sick from lead. I mean, I thought this issue was old hat by the early 1990's. I knew we had to do something on this. It didn't happen as quickly as I would have liked, but eventually we had a week-long series of feature reports that dovetailed perfectly with a debate over new regulations in the state legislature.
In the end, I think our coverage gave not only the public but also members of the legislature a broader context in which to consider some tougher standards. The changes went through. I would never say that there's a direct line between the LNH connection and the new lead paint law but that connection was part of the mix. And I think that you have to look at the benefits of LNH in that way. It creates an environment that makes good things more likely to happen.