Author: Angie Sykeny

Manchester Chamber awards SNHU president

The Greater Manchester Chamber has named Dr. Paul LeBlanc, president and CEO of Southern New Hampshire University, its Citizen of the Year.

Tell us about you and your background.

I was born in Canada in New Brunswick in a small farming village. I actually spoke French before I spoke English. There was really no work there for anyone, so my parents and my four older siblings and I immigrated to the Boston area when I was 3, and I grew up in Waltham, Mass. I went on to be the first member of my extended family to go to college. I think being a first-generation college graduate and an immigrant informs my sense of work and my sense of Manchester so much, because Manchester itself is a city of immigrants and of people who had to work hard and didn’t have anything handed to them. I came to Manchester almost 20 years ago as president of SNHU. Before that, I had spent seven years as the president of Marlboro College in Vermont, and before that, I was heading up a technology startup for Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company in Boston.

What do you consider some of your biggest accomplishments?

I always think of universities as playing an important role as an economic engine. When I came in, we had 2,500 students and were just a small, somewhat dated campus in the north end of Manchester. Today, we’re a national and international university with 185,000 active students, making us the largest university in the country. But we’ve still always been very focused on Manchester as our hometown. … I had this idea for a Center for New Americans, which we’ve created in conjunction with the YWCA, recognizing that Manchester’s history is built on New Americans. It has programs for youth, language programs — a wide array of programming. … During the pandemic, we, with partners, stepped up and took the lead with a number of things, like providing more than 210,000 meals during the first two years to kids who were on school lunch programs who might not have enough food at home; and working with the National Guard, converting the whole of our athletic complex into a spillover health facility for local hospitals. I think these are the things that I’m probably being recognized for as Citizen of the Year, but in reality, I’m accepting this [award] in the spirit of everything that SNHU and all of our people do.

What is your vision for the future of education?

We are often cited as being one of the most innovative universities in the country. That includes not only using online education to extend the reach of SNHU and to reach people who really need a degree to unlock an economic opportunity, but also being pioneers in competency-based education, which untethers people from time and allows them to move much faster. Innovating around delivery models that work better in people’s lives is a really important part of what we do. … We have a national network of community partners that are deeply embedded in underserved communities, and we have something called the GEM program, which stands for “global education movement,” and that brings degree programs to refugees. We’ve worked in refugee camps in Kenya, Malawi and Rwanda, and with refugee communities in South Africa and Lebanon, so we really do have a global reach. Our vision is to continue to try to make higher education more affordable and to put it in the financial reach of learners who are often left out and feel unable to access a system that’s increasingly too expensive for them.

What do you like about Manchester?

Manchester is a working city; it’s got some grit, and, like every city, it’s got real issues, like homelessness. But I love that it has such a strong sense of community and rootedness. … It has an amazing diversity of people in a state that can often feel pretty homogenous, and there’s energy and vibrancy that comes from that heterogeneous population. … Its food scene is burgeoning. … The Millyard is a hotbed of technology and innovation. … People are doing things in the arts community. … Yet it stays very modest. There’s a great self-deprecating humor about New Hampshire and Manchester. No one gets too full of themselves.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I’m lucky enough to be able to do some really interesting travel. I just came back from Antarctica, which was the most amazing travel experience ever. I’ve been to all seven continents and 60-something countries. That’s my passion. Closer to home, it’s things like cooking, reading, writing. I’ve been going back to my writing more lately, which I very much enjoy. I’ve written two books in the last two years.

Featured photo: Paul LeBlanc. Courtesy photo.

Concord software developer discusses his new app

Concord entrepreneur Russ Willey talked about his new company Crypto-Charities and how its software helps nonprofits, organizations and individuals generate passive income from their supporters. Learn more at crypto-charities.org.

What is Crypto-Charities?

It’s a software that users download and install on their Windows-based PC, and essentially what it does is mine digital currency while the computer is active. … [The user] enters a code for the charity of their choice into the application, and all the digital currency that’s collected is sent back to our secure servers. At the end of the month, we [calculate] how much each code has received … and send out checks to all these charities.

How did you come up with it?

I went to UNH in Manchester and studied computer science and networking, but I didn’t graduate. I got into printing and variable data in my career. Back in the ’90s, I [was interested in] the use of distributed computing. … It was easier to collect and analyze data through distributed computing than through one supercomputer. I always kept that idea in my brain. Then, with the advent of digital currency, I thought, this would be a perfect application for distributed computing. … The idea developed over the years, and we went into full development last summer.

Is anyone else doing anything like this?

We’re the only ones in the world. The idea of mining digital currency is not a new thing, but no one else is … mining cryptocurrency for charities … or doing what we’re doing … with our workflow — being able to tag that work for each charity using a code system. That’s what we’ve patented. It’s a great thing to be at the forefront of.

Who is using the app?

Anybody can use it. Someone who wants to support a charity can just download the app and run it. There are companies we’re working with that have 100 to 200 computers running, so they just run this app in the background and they’re actually generating income. We’re also starting to work with content creators and streamers; they pick a charity they support and are passively fundraising for that charity when their followers and subscribers download the app and use that content creator’s or streamer’s code.

How much money can it generate?

Through our testing, we’ve found that, on average, [a single computer] will generate between $10 and $30 annually, possibly more depending on the strength of the computer. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but if you get 1,000 supporters who are each [generating] $10 a year, that’s $10,000 a year. Any charity that could get all of its supporters to give $10 a year would be tickled pink — and with the app, the supporter can do that without having to dig into their own pocket.

How can people start using the app to support a charity?

They can go to our website and download and install the application. We have a whole list of charities that we work with, so they just pick a charity and put that charity’s code in. The software will remember that code you’re using, but you can change the code anytime you want to. … Also, if people are involved with a charity or have their own ideas about what charities they’d like to see added to the app, they can reach out to us.

Featured photo: Russ Willey. Courtesy photo.

Merrimack Cribbage League moves to larger venue

For more than two decades, the Merrimack Cribbage League has provided opportunities for local cribbage enthusiasts to get together and play four-person and partner cribbage. The group, which currently has about 40 members, moved its weekly games to a larger venue last month and is looking for new players to join the fun. Co-organizer Scott Mortimer answered some questions about the card game and the league.

What kind of game is cribbage?

Cribbage is a game that combines both skill and luck, yet requires more skill than other card games. Luck is needed for the cards you are dealt; skill is needed for the cards you discard and the order they are played. All that is needed to play is a deck of cards and a cribbage board with four pegs. The object of the game is to score 121 points before your opponents. Without getting into detail, points are scored two ways: pegging and counting.

How does the new venue accommodate the league?

In January, we moved to the American Legion in Merrimack. The new location will allow us to increase our membership. We now have the capacity to grow well beyond 50 players.

How does a league game night work?

Game night has each team playing 10 games. Games move along efficiently, and each game lasts about 15 minutes. Winning teams for the evening are determined by the total score after completing 10 games.

Describe the atmosphere at a league game night.

We are a casual cribbage league. The word “league” is not meant to be intimidating. There can be a little nervousness starting out, but our newest members will tell you it is a relaxed environment.

What is your membership demographic?

We are a very diverse group. People ages 22 to 92 have played in our league. Teams are made up of family members, friends or random players we pair up. The game has a mass appeal because of the strategy, excitement and the stroke of luck with each hand.

Is the league casual or competitive? Or are there opportunities for both kinds of play?

Can I call it casually competitive? We do award small weekly cash prizes for top-scoring teams, yet it is encouraged to assist opponents when it comes to mentioning missed points when scoring.

Is cribbage growing in popularity?

We like to think so! There are a few leagues in the area, as well as some local microbreweries that have monthly cribbage tournaments. With some practice, cribbage can be a challenging and fun card game for all ages and abilities while having lots of fun playing. Cribbage is an excellent game for grade-school children to learn as it combines simple math, guessing the odds and predicting outcomes. In fact, there is a fifth-grade teacher in the Merrimack School District who teaches cribbage to his students.

Why should cribbage players consider joining a league?

If you are someone who has played in the past with family or friends and you want to get out and meet new people … or if you are someone who plays online or on a smartphone app and you want something a little more challenging, then our league is a good fit.

Merrimack Cribbage League
Who: The league is open to all. Interested players who are unable to commit to a full season or just want to try it out are welcome to play as a substitute. League organizers help to pair up players without partners.
Where: Second floor of the American Legion, 43 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack
When: Weekly, on Wednesday, starting around 5 p.m.
Cost: $5 per weekly play, with payouts for top-scoring teams, and a “quarter cup” awarded for any hand that scores zero points.
More info: Find the group on Facebook at facebook.com/merrimackcribbage, or email co-organizer Scott Mortimer at merrimackcribbage@gmail.com.

Featured photo: Scott Mortimer. Courtesy photo.

A new commissioner joins the DOT

Meet the New Hampshire Department of Transportation’s new commissioner, William Cass.

What is your background in transportation?

I graduated from UNH with a degree in civil engineering, and I started right out of UNH working for the New Hampshire Department of Transportation. I’ve worked my whole career here, 37 years. Most of my career track has been through project development. I started out in highway design as an entry-level civil engineer and worked my way up into several management and leadership positions. Ultimately I was the head of the preliminary design section, which was charged at the time with implementing the 10-year plan and starting out those projects. From there I became the chief project manager and then came down to the executive office as assistant director of project development, then director of project development. Most recently, prior to becoming the commissioner, I was the assistant commissioner and chief engineer for the last seven years.

What does your job as commissioner entail?

It’s overseeing all aspects of the department. Right now we’re in some legislative sessions … [because] we have the budget coming out. I spent most of my day today over at the legislature having some introductory meetings with some committees, giving them an overview of the department and what it is and what it is we do. Other than that, it’s handling departmental issues, which could range from personnel matters to project-related issues, to constituent issues or any manner of activities that require a commissioner-level decision.

What would you like to accomplish as commissioner?

I’ve come into this probably with more of an internal focus than an external focus, like focusing on the morale of our workforce and on telling the story of how incredibly talented our people are and how amazingly dedicated they are to what they do.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I view myself as a consensus-builder. I really want to pull people together, build consensus, work collaboratively and use the best of everybody’s abilities. We have some amazingly talented people … with a pretty diverse set of disciplines, whether it be in engineering or operations or traffic signal maintenance or administering federal programs. Giving them the opportunity to shine and do what they do best is really how I approach things. I value everybody’s opinion and perspective on an issue or whatever it is we’re dealing with.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re up against right now?

We have a lot of challenges, as a lot of other agencies do right now, with workforce development. We’re dealing with some historic vacancy rates and having a lot of trouble recruiting and retaining trained workforce. The other thing that kind of goes hand in hand with that is inflation, both in terms of construction projects as well as in our own materials that we buy, [such as] road salt, gasoline and diesel fuel. All of those have been [subject to] supply chain issues and the overall impacts of inflation.

What do you find rewarding about this work?

The biggest reward is being in public service … and being able to accomplish things and see projects get completed. Being able to drive over that bridge that we’ve replaced and having been a part of making that happen is really rewarding.

What would you like people to know about the department?

How hard-working and dedicated and committed everybody here at the department is, and the care that we take to do a good job for the people of New Hampshire. When we have storms, there are people working around the clock on winter maintenance. If it snows all night, they are out there all night. I don’t know if everybody realizes that. So, if you’re reading this, next time you pass a snow plow, give them a thumbs up or something and let them know that you appreciate them, and remember that we are working with a reduced workforce, so please be patient with us.

Featured photo: William Cass. Courtesy photo.

Luna Smith wants to bring positivity to your day

Luna Smith of Londonderry talked about her new podcast, The Friend In Your Ear Pod, launched Jan. 11, with new episodes released every Wednesday. Find the podcast on all major podcast platforms or visit thefriendinyourearpod.com.

Tell us about you.

I’ve been married to my best friend for over a decade now, and we are parents to a 4-year-old boy and a 6-year-old Boston Terrier. I went to school for Classics but ended up in the creative realm working freelance from home. I’ve been obsessed with self-improvement for as long as I can remember. In my pregnancy I started a blog called “That Blissful Balance,” ignorantly thinking I had figured it out, only to discover postpartum that balance is not what I thought it was. Since starting the podcast I’ve restarted the blog to be more in line with the podcast — less about a perfect balance and more about all the tips and tools that make life a little more blissful, coming from the perspective of a recovering perfectionist with high-functioning anxiety who believes even the smallest changes can make major impacts on the quality of our lives.

What made you want to start a podcast?

I’m a huge fan of podcasts and listen to them daily in the pockets of time I have between drop-offs and pickups, housework and work deadlines. But sometimes I would just want to listen to something that was more personable and uplifting, like a pep talk from a friend on a particularly hard day, and I thought that if I felt that way, perhaps others did, too. So that was the inspiration to create a podcast that did that — a podcast that felt like a friend giving you a hug from afar and telling you you could do it; a friend to give you company, positivity and to help you believe in yourself when you need it.

What is The Friend In Your Ear Pod about?

It’s mainly a self-improvement and positivity podcast, currently in a season of wellness, both mental and physical, and each week is on a different topic. They mostly feel like motivational pep talks with some personal experiences sprinkled in. There’s a new segment called ‘Good News’ to celebrate listeners’ wins, because celebrating small wins makes a big difference. I also do a mantra of the week to further help with cultivating and keeping that positive mindset. But it’s all done in a friendly, encouraging way, like a friend giving you a little boost of positivity with a dose of understanding and empathy.

Who is your target audience?

I wanted to create an accessible space for anyone who could use a little boost of positivity and friendly support in their lives, but being familiar with the struggles of women and mothers in particular, that is who I’d like to offer the most support to with the topics I choose to discuss. Though some challenges are universal, I hope everyone can gain something positive from listening.

Where do you get your material?

Right now the material is mostly derived from my own personal experiences in self-improvement and wellness, though some topics are inspired by friends, and reader submissions are always welcome. I would love to provide friendly support in any way I can.

What are your future plans?

I would love to grow and expand in any way I can to provide these friendly pep talks to as many people who need them. Eventually I would love to bring on guests who can provide more expertise on particular topics, but for now it’s just my voice and experiences from things I’ve been able to accomplish and overcome through the power of positive thinking, like letting go of perfectionism and navigating anxiety to achieve goals and create a life I love.

What would you like listeners to get out of your podcast?

I want listeners to feel seen and supported in whatever they’re going through — to feel like they aren’t alone, and to get the motivation they need to make every day a little better, because every little win counts. I hope together we can create a community that celebrates and supports each other.

Featured photo: Luna Smith. Courtesy photo.