Dr. Gittell succeeds J. Bonnie Newman, who has served as interim chancellor since August of this year while the national search for a Chancellor was underway.
A professor at the University of New Hampshire's Whittemore School of Business and Economics in Durham, Gittell is known in economic and policy circles as an authority in the state for economic analysis and forecasting. He has frequently been a resource for government, non-profit and business decision makers on such issues as economic policy, workforce development, job creation strategies, community development and the business climate.
Gittell holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., a master's in business administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chicago. He is the James R. Carter Professor in the department of management at the Whittemore School of Business and Economics at UNH. His teaching career in management and economics spans 20 years and includes teaching at the Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan, and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Paul Holloway, chairman of the board of trustees of the Community College System of NH, said, New Hampshire's Community College System has taken very important steps in recent years to meet the shifting economic and workforce needs in New Hampshire, and we have great challenges and opportunities ahead. Ross Gittell brings key skills and unparalleled expertise to the role of chancellor. The board is very excited to work with him.
Gittell said, I am tremendously excited at the opportunity to lead this vital organization, at a time when the role of community colleges has never been more important. Our ability to provide affordable and accessible programs of high academic quality, with strong ties and relevance to business and industry, is essential to ensure a competitive NH economy and broad economic opportunity. The state's community colleges are a major part of the educational and economic infrastructure in communities across New Hampshire and an important resource for working families and local businesses and community organizations. I look forward to taking on this new role, and to working with other educational institutions, government agencies and the business community to ensure the continued expansion of high quality educational and economic opportunities across New Hampshire and to develop an educated and skilled citizenry that can meet the needs of the 21st century economy.
Gittell will assume the position of chancellor on February 1, 2012.
The Community College System consists of seven colleges located throughout NH, offering associate degree and certificate programs, workforce training, and transfer pathways to four-year colleges and universities. CCSNH serves more than 27,000 students annually. The role of the chancellor is to oversee the operations of the college system and, working with the CCSNH board of trustees, to ensure the system fulfills its mission of providing comprehensive, market-driven, accessible, quality programs of higher education and services that respond to the needs of students, businesses and communities.
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