NHTI Selects its Next President

The Trustees of the Community College System of NH (CCSNH) selected Dr. Patrick Tompkins, currently with the Virginia Community College System, to be the next president of NHTI-Concord’s Community College. He was selected from a pool of over 60 applicants and will assume his new role on Feb.1, 2023.

The recommendation to appoint Tompkins was made by Chancellor Mark Rubinstein, who for the past eight months has also served as NHTI’s interim president while the search was underway. 

“For NHTI to fulfill its mission, to provide access to high quality education for our students that aligns with the opportunities and responds to the needs of this community and the state of New Hampshire, will require nurturing the talents of faculty and staff across the institution and focusing those efforts in ways that truly contribute to meaningful outcomes for our students and for those stakeholders who depend on them and who depend on NHTI,” Rubinstein says. “Through the course of this search process, Dr. Tompkins emerged as the candidate whose experience, and more importantly, whose approach to this work, demonstrated both the essential skills, but also the commitment, to engage with colleagues, with the community, and with colleagues across CCSNH to build on NHTI’s strengths, to overcome challenges, and to position the college for continued success in the future.”

As a finalist for the position, Tompkins met with several groups of institutional stakeholders, and led an intensive strategy session with representatives of faculty and staff to review NHTI’s current position and potential approaches to ensuring a vibrant future for the college and those it serves. “Patrick clearly showed an ability to lead, and to do so by listening to and taking in all viewpoints,” says Dr. Alan Lindsay, president of the NHTI Faculty Council who served on the search committee. “He seeks out and actively engages in the genuine issues and concerns expressed by people who care about this college and its future.”

During his years with the Virginia Community College System, Tompkins worked at both the college and state-wide system level on collaboration and economic development strategies. He has done extensive work building programs and services that align with the regional economy and the needs of the local population. In his most recent position at Eastern Shore Community College in Virginia, he led successful efforts to re-align the college, strengthening culture, creating new on-ramps for students, increasing student persistence and enhancing pathways to careers. 

Tompkins emphasized during his candidacy that he works, collaborates and leads with the values of respect, humility, fortitude, and care for the well-being of colleagues and stakeholders.  

“What a tremendous honor to be invited to serve NHTI and the broader Concord region,” says Tompkins. “The college’s considerable strengths in educational programs, student support, faculty and staff talent, and community engagement are the bedrock of NHTI’s history and a strong foundation for its future. As we anticipate accelerating changes in higher education, I look forward to what we will accomplish together.”

Tompkins currently serves as vice president for Academic, Student and Workforce Education at Eastern Shore Community College in Melfa, Virginia. He previously served as provost and acting dean of Science, Engineering and Technology and dean of Communications, Humanities, & Social Sciences at Thomas Nelson Community College in Williamsburg, Va., and he was a faculty member and department head at Brightpoint Community College (formerly John Tyler Community College) in central Virginia. 

Tompkins holds a PhD in Community College Leadership from Old Dominion University, an MA in English from Iowa State University, an MFA in Creative Writing from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BA from Villanova University.  

“I am very pleased to see NHTI embark on this new chapter in its impressive history as an essential part of the higher education landscape in New Hampshire and the capitol region,” says Katharine Bogle Shields, chair of the Community College System board of trustees.  “In addition to his breadth of experience, Dr. Tompkins has demonstrated energy, commitment, and a very positive approach to every phase of his candidacy here at NHTI, and I appreciate his early insights into the college and its needs.”