The Governor established and certified the Workforce Opportunity Council (Council) as the State's Workforce Board under WIA on September 22, 1999. The Council is chaired by a businessperson and has 43 members, of which 22 members are business representatives. The Council also includes top officials from agencies that oversee workforce development programs. Board members were generally selected according to the following criteria: geographic representation, industry sectors, company size, and workforce and economic development expertise.

Vision

To serve as a catalyst to establish a secure and sustainable workforce that can meet current and future skilled labor needs and provide a competitive advantage for New Hampshire businesses.

Mission

To promote life-long learning by partnering with businesses, agencies, and organizations to bring the state's education, employment and training programs together into a workforce development system that will provide the means for residents of New Hampshire to gain sufficient skills, education, employment and financial independence.

Goals:

1. To establish a workforce development system that is market driven, customer responsive, performance based, and aligned with the skilled labor needs of New Hampshire.
2. To prepare New Hampshire's youth, the emerging workforce, for employment and further education.
3. To prepare transitional workers for employment that leads to job retention, wage progression and self-sufficiency.
4. To assist business and industry in upgrading the skills of the current workforce.
5. To improve labor market exchange and labor market information for all businesses and individuals.
6. To maximize effective coordination and utilization of public and private dollars, leverage resources and identify additional and alternative sources of support to sustain the workforce development system.
7. To promote statewide workforce development programs, increase awareness of ongoing initiatives, and provide information on workforce issues to the private sector and the general public.

With the exception of four legislative appointees, the Governor appoints the members of the Workforce Opportunity Council.

The members serve three-year terms. Nominations are accepted for new board members as terms expire. Interested parties may contact info@nhworkforce.org for additional information.

Governor Jeanne Shaheen
George Bald, NH DRED
Nancy Barnes, Electropac, Inc.
Roberta (Mitzi) Barrett, South Central STC Partnership
David Boisvert, Rivier College
Jim Casey, NH DOL
Kevin Cash, IEBW Electrician Union
John Crosier, Business & Industry Association
James Dalley, NH Electric Cooperative
Jesse Devitte, Vertical Market Ventures
Joseph Diament, Dept. of Youth Development Services
Nick Donahue, NH DOE
Jack Dugan, Monadnock Economic Dev. Corp.
Julie Eades, NH Community Loan Fund
Michael Gilman, NH House of Representatives
Debra Grabowski, Elliot Health System
Gale Hennessey, Southern NH Services
Robert Ives, Bow Plumbing & Heating
Jay Kahn, Keene State College
Sylvia Larsen, NH Senate
Eliza Leadbeater, Belknap County Economic Development Council
Carl Lindblade, Flying Yankee
Dennis Lydon, Wakefield Materials
Mark MacKenzie, NH AFL-CIO
MaryAnn Manoogian, Governor's Office of Energy & Community Services
Gary Matteson, NE Anemones
Clifford A. Newton, NH House of Representatives
John O'Donnell, NH CTCS
Bob Paul, BAE Systems
Sarah Potter, UNH Alumni Association
Russell Prescott, Senator
John Ratoff, NH Employment Security
Alan Reische, Sheehan, Phinney, Bass & Green
Don Shumway, NH DHHS
Dave Smith, DOE, Voc. Rehab.
Paul Spang, Spang Management Company, Inc. (Chairman)
Paul Stokes, SEIU 1984
Jeff Taylor, NH Office of State Planning
James Wagner, Fraser Paper
Robin Whittaker, Isles of Shoals Steamship Company

YOUTH COUNCIL

The Youth Council is a subgroup of the Workforce Opportunity Council. Appointed by the Governor, members include representatives of youth-serving agencies, parents and members of the Workforce Opportunity Council.

The members serve three-year terms. Nominations are accepted for new board members as terms expire. Interested parties may contact info@nhworkforce.org for additional information.

Peter Antal, (Alternate) Children's Alliance
Hon. Tom Bamberger, Nashua District Court
Mitzi Barrett, South Central School-to-Career Partnership
Lauren Bressett, UNH Cooperative Extension
Kevin Cash, IBEW 490 Electrician Union
Kathy Condon, Project PRIDE
Joe Diament, DHHS, Division for Juvenile Justice Services
Dick Dunfey, Manchester Housing Authority
Kathryn Dodge, Postsecondary Education Community
Kathy Eneguess, Business and Industry Association
Jeff Goley, (Alternate) NH House of Representatives
Steve Guyer, Kingswood High School
Nate Hughes, North Country School-to-Work Partnership
Sen. Carl Johnson, (Alternate) NH State Senate
Bruce Labs, Woodsville High School
Sen. Sylvia Larsen, NH State Senate
Paul Leather, NH Department of Education
Dennis Lydon, Wakefield Materials
Hon. Willard Martin, Martin, Lord, Osman, P.A.
Donna McAdam, Dover Adult Learning Center
Debra Naro, NH House of Representatives
Dr. Catherine Smith, Manchester/Stratham, NH Community Technical College
Ellen Shemitz, Children's Alliance of New Hampshire
Kimberly Shepard, Family Strength
Mark Thompson, Office of the Attorney General
Hector Velez, Salvation Army

Requests for Proposals

Check BREAKING NEWS on the home page for any new requests.

Contact Us

Anyone who would like more information on the Workforce Opportunity Council, its programs or initiatives can obtain that information via email to info@nhworkforce.org