Rachel Vitello
News Editor
The University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees has not seen a representative from the Keene area in decades, according to a recent press release. Keene city councilor and local business owner George Hansel has been appointed to the Board.
Hansel was nominated for the position at the Executive Council meeting on April 17 by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu. The Executive Council unanimously confirmed the nomination.
“I’m thrilled to have this opportunity to contribute to the continued success of the University System of New Hampshire. Not only is higher education one of our best tools for addressing workforce development, high quality public universities are critical to attracting and retaining the young people we need to help our economy thrive,” Hansel said.
The Board acts as the governing body for the four institutions within the University System, including Keene State College. Responsibilities for the board include: Hiring the university presidents and assessing their performance, establishing tuition rates and reviewing academic programs.
The 29 members of Board of Trustees includes the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, ten members appointed by the Governor and Executive Council, seven alumni-elected members, two student-elected members, the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner of Agriculture, the presidents of the University System’s four colleges and universities and the Chancellor.
“Keene State has new energy and an amazing new leader in President Melinda Treadwell. I look forward to supporting her and the entire KSC community in any way I can. More broadly, I’ll work hard to ensure that New Hampshire’s public universities are accessible, competitive and accountable,” Hansel said.
KSC President Melinda Treadwell is also a member of the Board.
“He really wants to hear the student perspective of how the Board could be more effective and what he can do as a Board trustee to amplify the voice of students. He’s really engaged on campus and he cares about creating opportunities for students,” Treadwell said.
For more information about this, Hansel can be contacted at 603-903-3677 and at gsh@georgehansel.com. Information regarding the Board can be found at https://www.usnh.edu/trustees.
Rachel Vitello can be contacted at
rvitello@kscequinox.com.
