Deborah Merrill-Sands, dean of the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, and Molly Donovan, community economic development state specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension, have been selected as members of the Leadership New Hampshire Class of 2019.
Leadership New Hampshire was established to foster civic engagement and strengthen New Hampshire communities by informing leaders about the issues and needs of the state. Each year, between 28-38 residents chosen to participate in the program explore such topics as the environment, sustainability, arts and culture, health, the economy, criminal justice and education.
Merrill-Sands has been at the helm of Paul College since 2015. Before coming to UNH, she was dean of Mills College’s Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business from 2010-2015, where she also held the Glenn and Ellen Voyles Chair in Business Education. Prior to that, from 1996 -2010, she served as dean and associate dean at Simmons College’s School of Management and was co-founder and co-director of the Center for Gender in Organizations. Before entering academia, Merrill-Sands worked for 15 years in international agricultural research and development.
Donovan, who teaches community and economic development, works with citizen volunteers and leaders to build resilient communities and a strong economy by revitalizing downtowns, retaining and growing business, enhancing quality of life and creating a vision for communities. She specializes in community engagement — bringing everyone into local decision-making — as a way to strengthen ideas, make change and build leadership. Donovan initiated and teaches in the Community Engagement Academy, designed to give a new generation of leaders a broad array of engagement tools.
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Written By:
Jody Record ’95 | Communications and Public Affairs | jody.record@unh.edu