The board of trustees of the Community College System of New Hampshire has appointed Dr. Susan Dunton to be the next president of NHTI, Concord’s Community College. Dunton was selected as a finalist by a search committee comprised of college, system and community members, chaired by trustee Jeremy Hitchcock, CEO of Dyn, Inc., a Manchester-based technology company, and Susan Huard, president of Manchester Community College. Dunton was recommended to the board by CCSNH Chancellor Ross Gittell.
“I am very pleased to welcome Susan Dunton to NHTI and the Community College System,” said CCSNH Chancellor Ross Gittell. “Dr. Dunton is committed to academic excellence, innovation and collaboration with the other community colleges in NH to broaden access and strengthen career opportunities for students, and to lead NHTI during a period of rapid change and significant opportunity. I look forward to her contributions to NHTI and the community college system.”
Dunton’s experience in college administration, academic affairs and student services spans three decades at institutions including Lesley College, the Harvard Divinity School and Fisher College in the Boston area; Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee; and Fontbonne University in St. Louis, MO. She has facilitated partnerships between community college and four-year research and technical institutions and developed academic programs to meet emerging workforce needs. Dunton also has extensive experience directing student life initiatives and student support services. Her teaching experience includes courses in management, human resources and career development.
Paul Holloway, chairman of the CCSNH board of trustees, said that Dunton understands that she takes the helm at a time when educational institutions face a fluid and challenging landscape. “The community college system and the State of New Hampshire are gaining a highly qualified individual who will ensure that NHTI is positioned to meet the needs of students and the 21st century economy,” Holloway said. “We are confident that we have the right person to meet the challenges and maximize the opportunities before the college.”
NHTI and the statewide community college system are presently focused on increasing access and enrollment to prepare more NH residents with 21st century skills and strengthenthe state's workforce. An early focus of the new president will be on growing enrollment, enhancing operational performance, and promoting programs that support a strong regional and state economy. The community college system recently announced a 5 percent reduction in tuition for the upcoming academic year after freezing tuition the previous year.
"I am deeply honored to become a part of NHTI’s rich history, and genuinely eager to engage in the life of the college and the region. The faculty and staff at NHTI are dedicated to providing students with extraordinary educational experiences across the college’s academic disciplines, and it is our goal that our graduates will carry that energy forward in the professions and industries they move on to serve and lead."
Dunton earned a PhD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT and a Master of Education in Student Personnel Services from the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. She attended the management development program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Her personal interests include performing and teaching as a flutist, and mentoring young adults through empowering skills and experiences.
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