Ed Ithier dished out enough assists as a men’s basketball point guard for the excellent mid-1980s New Hampshire College Penmen teams to earn a 2015 spot in the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The school is now Southern New Hampshire University, but Ithier has never stopped serving up passes in the paint for a variety of important teams.
Ithier was the recipient of SNHU’s Alumni Hall of Fame Award in 1998, largely for the volunteer work he’s done and keeps on doing. He is now president of the board of directors at Manchester’s Webster House, which provides a safe and supportive environment for children unable to live in their homes of origin.
Ithier has volunteered for Webster House since 1994 and was one of 25 people in New England recognized in 2019 by the New England Patriots with a Myra Kraft MVP Award.
Ithier designated Webster House as the recipient of the $10,000 monetary award. He also does fundraising for New Life Home, a long-term voluntary residence in Manchester that serves women overcoming addiction and/or domestic abuse, sex trafficking or other traumas.
Ithier spent 29 years in New England regional sales for Xerox and returned to SNHU in 2019 to become its director of development.
Q. Has coming back to SNHU felt like a homecoming?
A. It definitely has been nice coming back, but it seems I never left. I’ve always been around since my graduation mentoring students, as a member of the Alumni Board at one time, and have always been involved with the athletics department. I even met my wife, Debbie, here.
Q. The position director of development generally means fundraising. Is that just a starting point for what you bring to the job?
A. I oversee major gifts for the university to help support student scholarships. I also work closely with our alumni team and career development center team to create meaningful career opportunities for students.
Q. You were instrumental in developing a sales program for SNHU. How did that happen?
A. I would be a guest speaker at many of the marketing classes. Sales and marketing professor Micheline Anstey approached me about working with her and creating a sales program. We both believe sales skills are important regardless of what profession a student pursues, whether you want to be an entrepreneur, accountant, lawyer, etc.
The professional sales program currently has over 155 students participating. Most recently, our sales team placed eighth out of 80 colleges and universities at the virtual Collegiate World Cup of Sales hosted by Florida State this past November.
Q. For you, what is at the heart of a meaningful volunteer experience?
A. Growing up in the Bronx was a struggle at times, but I had my parents and I always had mentors to put me on the right road. I was the first member of my family to go to college. My parents always stressed giving back to others.
Success doesn’t always follow the most talented person; more often it follows the person who was given the help he or she needed. My family didn’t always have a lot, but my mom gave away any extra food to folks who needed it. I made the mistake of calling homeless people “bums” one day and Mom corrected me. “You never know what troubles someone has had to face,” she said. “You never know if this could be you.”
Q. New Hampshire is becoming more diverse. Are New Hampshire businesses doing all they can to capitalize on this?
A. I think more New Hampshire businesses are putting emphasis on DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives because they understand the importance of a diverse workforce. At SNHU, we view DEI as an all-important initiative for students and employees. Progress is being made, but we still have a ways to go. It’s great to see plans, but now everyone has to execute to achieve results.
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