While many other people look at rural NH-particularly the northernmost reaches-and see eroding economies and an aging population-Guldbrandsen, 38, who is the founding director of Plymouth State University's Center for Rural Partnerships, sees beauty and potential. And his work through the center, which started with his tenure in 2006, brings that beauty and potential to life.
People make decisions that create wealth here and not there, says Guldbrandsen, an anthropologist by trade. What communities are today, they can be something else tomorrow by virtue of our action and leadership. That's why he worked with Beyond Brown Paper, an online project that brings Berlin's mill history to the Web and has received millions of hits. He also works with the Northern Forest Higher Education Resource Network, an effort to bring together higher education leaders in Maine, NH, Vermont, New York and Canada to enhance the health and well-being of the northern parts of those states. And he has a hand in the Cos County Outreach Initiative, which connects Plymouth State faculty, staff and students with innovative economic development projects that benefit Cos County. Those efforts include the North Country Economic Index, which tracks the health of the county.
Guldbrandsen works on few projects alone, but many would not have come to fruition without him. That, says Stephen P. Barba, executive director of university relations at Plymouth State University, is why his role is crucial. He is an energetic leader in innovative projects that are helping to transform rural communities throughout the state and the region, Barba says. For a young man who has held his current position for less than five years, it is truly impressive how Thad is on everyone's list of experts [regarding]
rural matters.
The lessons Guldbrandsen wishes to impart to his two sons epitomize his personal and professional philosophy. First, leave things better than you found them. Second, leave a legacy of positive relationships. And third, every person you meet is an expert in his or her own experiences and has something to teach you. That philosophy extends beyond his work at the Center and as a professor and nationally recognized author to the community. A NH native, he was born in Rochester and now lives in Alton, having left briefly to study in North Carolina. He has served as a basketball coach in Alton, and is an active volunteer for the Alton school, from helping to hire school administrators to planning a new school building. He is also a trustee of Sterling College in Vermont and a 2011 graduate of Leadership NH.
Rural NH benefits not only from his skills, but from his love for the area. From an urban perspective, people look at [rural NH towns] as places [where] we get stuff. This is where we get food. This is where we get energy ... Guldbrandsen says. We need to realize these are places where people live and are vital to people's lives. Guldbrandsen sees a place with the most amazing natural environment on the planet and home to a top tier higher education network. We can become known as the strongest, hippest, coolest, most educated rural region on the planet, he says.
Current Issue - April 2024