Dover Chamber welcomes new board members at annual meeting
DOVER – The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce recently held its annual meeting at Sassy Biscuit Co. to welcome new board members and honor outgoing board members.
The three new board members are Benjamin Lord of Chapel + Main, Benjamin Bradley of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and Kevin Foley of First Seacoast Bank.
Ben Lord is a restaurateur with over 25 years experience in the food service and hospitality industry. Ben co-owns Chapel + Main Brewpub in Dover and Black Birch in Kittery. He has served on several Seacoast charitable boards, including The Dance Hall and Kittery Block Party. Lord grew up in Dover. He is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas (1995) and Keene State College (2001).
Ben Bradley is currently Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, a community hospital owned by Mass General Brigham. Ben is Vice Chair of the Senior Management Council at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and was an integral part of the hospital’s Incident Command during the height of COVID-19. He has been a member of the Government Affairs Committee of the Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce since 2017 and currently serves as Chair.
Kevin Foley is Vice President and Director of Retail Banking & Sales at First Seacoast Bank. Kevin has dedicated his career to making a positive difference to the customers and communities he and his teams serve. He regularly participates in social and professional networking events and values community collaboration. He has volunteered for organizations such as the Special Olympics of Maine, Ending Hunger in Maine, and Wreaths Across America.
The Greater Dover Chamber of Commerce also thanked outgoing board members Dennis Burke of Mr Electric and Jeff Hughes of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital and introduced Renee Touhey-Childress of Dover Children’s Home as Chair of the Board.
Bill Stevens joins the board of St. Mary’s Bank
MANCHESTER – Bill Stevens, president and owner of Harvey Construction Corporation, has been elected as the newest member to the board of St Mary’s Bank. Stevens was appointed by the board at its September meeting to fill the position created when a former director resigned due to ill health.
“Bill, a longtime member of St. Mary’s Bank, is genuinely committed to our credit union’s mission,” noted Steve Grzywacz, Chairman of the Board. “With his business acumen and deep roots in New Hampshire, he will make an excellent addition to our board.”
A graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Stevens oversees Harvey’s business and construction activities. Under his leadership, Harvey has grown into one of New Hampshire’s leading commercial construction companies.
Over the past two years, the American Institute of Architects has recognized Harvey’s work in building the Boyce Thompson Field House at Phillips Exeter Academy and St Paul’s. Other well-known structures Harvey has received credit for include the Currier Museum of Art, the Palace Theatre, Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, the University of New Hampshire, Smuttynose Brewing Co., Anheuser Busch, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Catholic Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Stevens is currently a member of the Catholic Medical Center’s cabinet
Manchester Country Club Finance Committee and NH Associated General Contractors Building and PAC Committee. He also serves as Palace Theater Trustee Emeritus.
Prior to his Harvey career, Stevens worked as a project manager for Holden Engineering and VHB Engineering. Stevens and his wife Jayna have three children and live in Hookset, NH
Hampton United Methodist Church welcomes new Pastor and Choir/Music Director
HAMPTON – The Hampton United Methodist Church, located at 525 Lafayette Road, Hampton, NH, announces that with the retirement of Rev. Dr. Steven Notis was appointed Reverend Susan M. Frost this summer, effective July 1, 2022. She is the first female pastor to lead the church.
Pastor Sue was most recently pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Dover, New Hampshire. Raised in Anchorage, Alaska, she is a graduate of Williams College and Yale Divinity School. In addition to her role as pastor, she is involved with the United Methodist Church’s New England Conference and currently serves as Spiritual Director at Neighborhood Seminary, a program of spiritual leadership and theological education for lay people who seek to better understand God’s plan for their life and the neighborhood in which they live. Pastor Sue also participates in the NEUMC Foundation’s Jump Start program, which collectively provides creative ideas to energize churches and their outreach programs. Pastor Sue is married to Mike Bennett, a retired United Church of Christ pastor; They have two grown children, Beth and John.
Hunter Harville-Moxley also recently joined HUMC as Choir/Music Director. Hunter grew up in Las Vegas, attended college in New York State and currently resides in Medford, Massachusetts. He has an associate degree in pipe organ playing and a bachelor’s degree in music composition; He is currently working towards a Masters in Conducting from Tufts University. Hunter was most recently music director of a Presbyterian church in upstate New York. He was previously a répétiteur for a gospel choir, where he learned to play the piano by ear and gave piano and singing lessons to children.
Michael Skelton is appointed to the Advisory Board of the New England Legal Foundation New Hampshire
BOSTON – Michael Skelton, President and CEO of the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, has been appointed to the New Hampshire Advisory Council of the New England Legal Foundation (NELF, www.newenglandlegal.org), the leading non-profit public interest organization in law of the region, which addresses political and constitutional concerns related to free enterprise.
The BIA is the state’s leading business advocate and the state’s chamber of commerce. Prior to joining the BIA, Mr. Skelton was President and CEO of the Greater Manchester Chamber, the state’s largest regional chamber of commerce. In total, he has over 12 years of Chamber of Commerce industry leadership experience and a background in public relations, media relations, economic development and government affairs.
Skelton also serves on the board of directors of Amoskeag Industries, serves on the board of trustees of Manchester’s historic Palace Theater and has been appointed by Governor Sununu to the board of directors of the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority. Skelton lives in Bedford, New Hampshire with his wife Emily and their two children, Colin and Eleanor.
“Michael’s extensive experience advancing the business affairs of the State of Granite, his deep appreciation of the community role of commerce, and his extensive personal network,” said NELF President Dan Winslow, “will continue to strengthen our already impressive New Hampshire Advisory Board.”
“Our state advisory councils,” he added, “help develop our foundation’s positions on justice industry matters and often recommend legal advocacy to our board on issues important to the region’s economy. The Advisory Councils also host speakers of interest to their respective business sectors in locations convenient for members in each state.”
The Granite YMCA welcomes Ryan Gadow as Chief Operating Officer
MANCHESTER – The Granite YMCA welcomes Ryan Gadow to the position of chief operating officer. Michele Sheppard, President and CEO, states, “Ryan will be an exceptional new addition to our leadership team with his 25-year Y experience and he understands the intricacies of operational improvement and people development in areas such as talent development, member experience, community and volunteerism.”
Ryan Gadow holds a Bachelor of Arts from North Carolina State University. He began his YMCA career in 1994 and earned YUSA certifications in organizational leadership and financial management. By 2005, Gadow was Senior Program Director/Operations Director for the Tampa Metro YMCA, where he successfully managed a multi-million dollar budget for the first time. His continued leadership and success for the programs in his area of responsibility earned him positions as Director of Operations at the Desert Foothills YMCA and later a senior executive role at the Valley of the Sun YMCA. Most recently, Ryan was asked to serve as senior vice president for Y in Central Maryland, where he has been for the past six years.
“I have a deep commitment to service leadership for the community, members, program participants, donors and volunteers. Most importantly, I draw attention to Y’s staff with deep empathy and compassion; guide them, support them and lead them to success,” explains Ryan Gadow, COO. “I am extremely excited to join the leadership team at The Granite YMCA and I look forward to making a positive impact across all six branches as we strive to improve our connection to the community and our offerings to meet changing needs to do justice to the youth and families we are so privileged to serve,” added Gadow.