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In recognition of the businessman’s long history of contributions to NH’s community colleges


Paul Holloway has decided to step down after 20 years of service on the board of trustees of the Community College System of NH.

LEGACY

Paul Holloway — storied businessman, philanthropist, patron and mentor for generations of up-and-coming Granite Staters — joined the Community College System of New Hampshire board of trustees in 2003. Originally appointed by then-Gov. Craig Benson, he was subsequently reappointed by Governors John Lynch and Maggie Hassan, and most recently by Gov. Chris Sununu.

Earlier this month, Paul retired from the CCSNH board of trustees, leaving a legacy of accomplishments and an indelible imprint of his leadership on the organization.

It’s no coincidence to those of us close enough to have seen Paul’s 20-year tenure with CCSNH coincide with greater public awareness of New Hampshire’s community college system as a vibrant and essential contributor to the state’s education and workforce development landscape, bringing a new level of value, visibility and respect for the work of the seven colleges.

Among his contributions — too many to name — are that he galvanized the New Hampshire automotive industry and NH Auto Dealers Association to join together in partnership with the colleges to support programs and students and to build a sustainable workforce pipeline for automotive technicians, creating an outstanding model of what an effective education industry collaboration can achieve.

He has been a tireless advocate for the community colleges. And he constantly challenges us to do a better job at “telling our own story” — communicating about the many outstanding opportunities the community colleges provide to students of all ages and aspirations to access high-quality education taught by exceptional faculty and designed around student success.

Today, New Hampshire’s seven community colleges — located in every region of the state to serve local populations and employers — play a critical role in educating New Hampshire’s workforce. They provide affordable, accessible opportunities to thousands of students seeking career entry and/or transfer to four-year colleges and universities.

Paul Holloway’s impact on our in stitutions for two decades has been consistent and profound.

On behalf of CCSNH, we would like to publicly thank Paul for his leadership, support and extraordinary service. We are grateful that Paul will remain engaged as a member of the board of directors of the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges, where he can continue to focus where his heart is: developing financial and scholarship support for New Hampshire students to ease their path to a rewarding professional and civic life in the Granite State, as reflected in the generosity and support that he (and wife Anna Grace Holloway) have shown to our students and our colleges over the years.

Paul and Anna Grace Holloway have been mainstays in education, business and philanthropy for decades, true New Hampshire icons who invest their time, talent and resources in service to their communities. We are grateful and know that our state is better for their efforts, as well as the many students who benefitted from their foresight and generosity.

Mark Rubinstein is chancellor of the Community College System of NH, and Kathy Shields is chair of its board of trustees.

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