73rd Annual Conference Highlights -- Local Government: Making it Happen

The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.

NHMA’s 73rd Annual Conference and Exhibition, held on November 12 and 13 at The Radisson Hotel in Manchester, was centered on the theme “Local Government: Making it Happen” and attracted more than 475 municipal elected officials, municipal employees, affiliate groups, state agency representatives, sponsors, and exhibitors. The opening General Session featured a keynote address from Murray Banks, speaker and trainer with Peak Presentations, who inspired attendees to be tough and resilient professionally, yet balanced and effective personally. The Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year Awards Luncheon saw Julia N. Griffin, town manager in Hanover, as this year’s recipient of the Municipal Advocate of the Year award.  The luncheon also featured a tribute to Ed Jansen, selectman in the Town of Rollinsford, for his 29 years of service and dedication to the New Hampshire Municipal Association. Jansen was first appointed to NHMA’s executive committee in 1985 and has served actively and continuously since then on either the Local Government Center’s board of directors, or the Property-Liability Trust board of directors, as well as the NHMA board of directors. The conference also included the election of new board members at NHMA’s annual business meeting. The following pages offer a photographic look at this year’s conference, including HealthTrust’s annual Health and Safety Fair.

Hanover’s Julia N. Griffin Presented NHMA’s 2014 Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year Award

At its annual conference in November, NHMA recognized Julia N. Griffin, town manager in Hanover, with its 2014 Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year award.

The award is named after Russ Marcoux, the first recipient of NHMA’s Municipal Advocate of the Year award, who served as town administrator in Bedford. Unfortunately, Russ died in 2011 several days before he was to receive the award. The NHMA Board voted unanimously to rename the award the Russ Marcoux Municipal Advocate of the Year Award in recognition of Marcoux’s enthusiastic and passionate advocacy for local government.

The following excerpts were offered by NHMA’s Government Affairs Counsel, Cordell Johnston, in recognizing Julia for this distinguished award.

“Julia has been a municipal manager for more than a quarter century, and has served in her current town manager position for over 18 years. She is respected by her peers for the length and stability of her tenure, and for the knowledge that she shares generously with her colleagues. She is an extremely efficient and effective manager, and when her town makes the news, it is almost always for something good.

Among other things, Julia has been a leader on economic development, has worked hard to expand broadband internet access, and has helped her town government become more energy-efficient. But equally important are her state-level advocacy efforts on behalf of municipal government.

On any important legislative issue, we always know where the members of her delegation stand, because she is in constant contact with them, and she is dutiful in reporting her findings to us. Julia apparently has all of her legislators on speed dial, and we frequently hear about her evening or weekend conversations with them—and not only with her own legislators, but with others in her region. It’s no coincidence that her legislators almost always support NHMA’s positions. We’re not sure whether it’s the persuasiveness of her logic, or the fear of having their pictures end up on the often-mentioned dartboard in her basement. Whatever she does, it works.

It is a joyful experience to approach a representative or a senator in the hall to discuss a bill and to be told, “I know—I heard all about it from my town manager.” For her, advocating for local government is a passion, not a marginal duty of her job. She has shared with us a few of her passionate rants to her legislators, and it reinforces our conviction that we’re glad she’s on our side.”

NHMA wishes to extend our sincere congratulations to Julia for this well-deserved recognition.

Ed Jansen Recognized for 29 Years of Service and Dedication to NHMA

The New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) recently honored Ed Jansen recognizing his 29 years of service and dedication to the organization. NHMA officials recognized Jansen during a special luncheon at NHMA’s annual conference in Manchester on November 13, 2014.

Jansen was first appointed to NHMA’s executive committee in 1985 and has served actively and continuously since then on either the Local Government Center’s board of directors or the Property-Liability Trust board of directors, as well as the NHMA board of directors. In addition, Jansen has served on the Town of Rollinsford board of selectmen since 1976, and he has also served on the planning board and many other boards and committees in town.

“I have had the privilege to work with Ed Jansen on the NHMA Board of Directors for many years, but also as a local official during my time serving on the city council in Somersworth. Ed instilled the importance of participating in local government to many generations of young folks, including myself.” said NHMA President, Steve Fournier, in his remarks at the recognition event.

Dennis J. Pavlicek, Newbury Town Administrator and Chair of the Board of Directors of Property-Liability Trust, also joined Jansen at the NHMA luncheon and said the organizations, as well as the Town of Rollinsford, owe Ed Jansen a debt of gratitude for his years of service.

“In my interactions with Ed, he has exemplified what public service is all about, and I consider him as the prototype public servant. His service in the Town of Rollinsford has been exemplary, but when accomplishment came to fruition, he did not take credit, but rather saw himself as a facilitator to help residents accomplish what they wanted to accomplish. Thank you Ed, for your service to the people of New Hampshire,” Pavlicek said.

Thank you to our 2014 Exhibitors and Conference Sponsors

— Diamond Level —

HealthTrust, Inc.

— Platinum Level —

AllOne Health Life Resources

Citizens Bank

CVS Health

National Insurance Services  of WI, Inc.

Northeast Delta Dental

Onlife Health

Property-Liability Trust, Inc.

— Gold Level —

Anthem Blue Cross and
Blue Shield in NH

Municipal Resources, Inc.

TD Bank

— Silver Level —

Ramsdell Law Firm, P.L.L.C.

— Bronze Level —

Cleveland Waters and Bass, P.A.

People’ United Bank

Peter J. Riemer, LLC.

— Support Donation —

NH Housing Finance Authority

Sponsors & Exhibitors

AccuFund - Blum Shapiro

Aha Consulting

Aldrich + Elliott

AllOne Health Life Resources

American Energy Efficiency Company, Inc.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in NH

Avitar Associates of New England, Inc.

Badger Meter, Inc.

Bank of New Hampshire

Brenner Associates Municipal Consultants

Business Management Systems, Inc.

CAI Technologies

Citizens Bank

CLD Consulting Engineers, Inc.

CMA Engineers, Inc.

Commerford Nieder Perkins, LLC

Community Development Finance Authority

Conway Office Solutions

Coppola & Company

CVS Health

Dec Tam Corporation

Dewberry

Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC

DuBois & King, Inc.

East Coast Containers, LLC

Engraving, Awards & Gifts

FairPoint Communications

FirstLight Fiber

Fuelmaster/Syn-Tech Systems, Inc.

GDS Associates, Inc.

General Code

Granite State Rural Water Association

GraniteCor

Health Markets Insurance

HealthTrust, Inc.

Holophane Company

Hoyle, Tanner & Associates, Inc.

ICMA-RC

Inception Technologies, Inc.

Johnson Controls

KarLift Solutions By Omer & Veeder-Root

Lakes Region Fire Apparatus/HME Inc

LighTec, Inc.

Mackensen & Company, Inc.

McDevitt Trucks, Inc.

McFarland-Johnson, Inc.

Melanson Heath & Company, P.C.

Milton CAT

Mitchell Municipal Group, P.A.

Municipal Leasing Consultants

Municipal Resources, Inc.

National Insurance Services

New Hampshire Municipal Association

NH Association of Regional Planning  Commissions

NH Deferred Compensation Plan

NH Department of Environmental Services

NH Division of Economic Development - DRED

NH Division of Historical Resources

NH Division of Public Health

NH Government Finance Officers Association

NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management

NH Housing Finance Authority

NH Library Association

NH Library Trustees Association

NH Municipal Bond Bank

NH Preservation Alliance

NH Public Deposit Investment Pool

NH Public Works Association

NH Recreation and Park Association

Northeast Delta Dental

Northeast Resource Recovery Association

Onlife Health

Onsite Drug Testing of New England, LLC

PARS

Parsons Brinckerhoff

Patriot Properties, Inc.

Payroll Management, Inc.

Pennichuck Water Service Corporation

People’s United Bank

Plodzik & Sanderson, P.A.

Property-Liability Trust, Inc.

Public Service of New Hampshire

R.W. Gillespie & Associates, Inc.

Resource Management, Inc.

RMON Networks

Roberts & Greene PLLC

RPF Environmental, Inc.

S.W. Cole Engineering, Inc.

SFC Engineering Partnership, Inc.

Shea Concrete Products

Stantec Consulting Services, Inc.

Stone Hill Municipal Solutions

Sullivan & Sullivan Auctioneers, LLC

TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®

TFMoran, Inc.

The H.L. Turner Group, Inc.

The Scott Lawson Companies

Tighe & Bond

Town & Country Reprographics

Tri-State Fire Protection, LLC

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Underwood Engineers, Inc.

UNH Graduate School MPA Program

USDA Rural Development

VHB

Virtual Towns & Schools

Vision Government Solutions, Inc.

Walden University Online

Warrenstreet Architects, Inc.

WasteZero

Wright-Pierce

WSP Group