Will Arvelo, director of the Division of Economic Development, was honored earlier this month at Great Bay Community College’s annual Distinguished Leaders Gala. The following is from the evening’s program.-ED.
Dr. Wildolfo Arvelo is the director of the Division of Economic Development, which is part of the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs. In this role, he works with a team that focuses on state-wide issues related to economic development and strategy; business recruitment, expansion and retention; workforce training and development; business and education outreach; and diversity and inclusion.
Prior to his appointment by Gov. Sununu, Arvelo served 33 years in leadership positions within higher education at public and private colleges. From 2007-2017, he served as president of Great Bay Community College, where he transformed the college to be outwardly focused and on developing products/programs to better serve the needs of business and industry.
Arvelo oversaw the building of the Portsmouth campus, as well as the subsequent move of the college from Stratham. In 2012, he oversaw the construction of a satellite campus in Rochester that focused on manufacturing education and in 2015, the addition of the college’s Student Success Center.
Arvelo is dedicated to the exploration of collaborations and partnerships between New Hampshire’s business and industry sector and higher education, recognizing that an educated workforce is the best hope for economic development and New Hampshire’s future.
From 2011-2015, he was principal investigator for the $20 million U.S. Department of Labor TAACCCT grant for capacity building in advance manufacturing education for New Hampshire. He also worked to enhance science, technology, engineering and math education at the college and to build articulation pathways with the University System of New Hampshire and other colleges and universities in the state. He also encouraged and supported faculty involvement in National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health efforts to increase undergraduate research at Great Bay, in partnership with Dartmouth College and UNH.
He has served on numerous regional and state-wide education, business development and non-profit boards. In 2012, the City of Portsmouth Business Chamber selected him the Citizen of the Year, citing his strong support of business and education.
The Executive Council on Wednesday unanimously confirmed Will Arvelo as the next director of the Division of Economic Development.
“Will Arvelo’s unanimous confirmation today to lead the Division of Economic Development is great news for New Hampshire,” said Governor Chris Sununu. “From his steadfast leadership at Great Bay Community College to his impressive community resume, there is no better choice to lead New Hampshire’s Division of Economic Development than Will Arvelo. Will’s enthusiasm and passion for the Granite State is evident, and I am confident that he will continue to ensure that New Hampshire remains the best place to live, work, and raise a family.”
Arvelo is president of Great Bay Community College, a position he has held for 11 years. He is credited with guiding the college through a period of growth, which included moving the college from Stratham to the Pease International Tradeport and development of the Advanced Technology & Academic Center in Rochester.
“At a time when workforce development and talent attraction are the most crucial needs of our expanding economy, having someone with Will’s experience will be a game changer,” said Commissioner Taylor Caswell of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “This new department now has a leadership team in place to dramatically enhance our ability to work with New Hampshire’s communities and businesses to meet their needs and continue to advance a sustainable economy that is accessible for all Granite Staters.”
Great Bay Community College’s CNC training program is collaboration with SIG Sauer and our friends at AMPed NH explain its great value to students and employers. Ed.
Innovative boot-camp-style training programs offered by New Hampshire’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnerships in Education are benefiting not only scores of community college students, but also employers statewide.
Programs like Great Bay Community College’s CNC Production boot camp can save precision manufacturers money and time.
Programs like Great Bay Community College’s CNC Production boot camp can save precision manufacturers money and time by teaching the exact hard and soft skills they require, using the same equipment they use. Learning takes place away from production floors, allowing staff to focus on meeting product deadlines and exceeding standards. At the same time, boot camps can turn over new qualified candidates in a matter of weeks, building a healthy pipeline of qualified career prospects.
Offered in an accelerated eight-week format, the CNC Production boot camp is instructed by field experts and offered on-site at AMPed NH industry partner SIG Sauer’s state-of-the-art firearms manufacturing facility on Pease International Tradeport.
Collaboration starts at the very beginning. Community colleges work in concert with industry partners to develop and deliver specifically targeted training programs such as the CNC (computer numerically controlled) boot camp, which readies students for high-demand, well-paying CNC machining careers.
But job seekers aren’t the only ones clambering to sign up. Current SIG Sauer employees, with support from their company, are also receiving training in preparation for advancement.
Freedom Chandavong, 23, of Newmarket, a two-year employee at SIG, started in packaging and shipping and is already advancing within the company. He’s in the boot camp to prepare for a career in composite component production. SIG Sauer supports his ambitions by providing tuition reimbursement and time to train.
Just two days into boot camp, Chandavong said, the depth of topics covered was impressive.
“We were already getting into hands-on simulation training,” Chandavong said. Simulators allow students to identify and correct design and production problems in a safe, supportive learning environment before moving on to actual production equipment.
“In today’s precision manufacturing, ‘good enough’ doesn’t count,” said Chandavong, and boot camp has bolstered his confidence and determination. “SIG has made a commitment to me, and I’m going to return that commitment. I’m not going to fail them. For me, this is not a job; this is a career – and with the composites industry growing, there’s a future here.”
The commitment is not unusual, as exhibited by the students who routinely hang back in the lab, celebrating new breakthroughs even as break times begin.
“The application process does a good job to identify those with passion,” said boot camp program developer Sean Hoeing.
Innovative boot-camp-style training programs benefit students and employers.
The thought was echoed by instructor Jeff Bean, an inventor and engineer whose own products are sold nationally and used in the teaching lab.
“It’s impressive,” Bean said. “They come in at different levels. They tend to be hands-on learners, and that’s what we want. That, combined with patience and attention to detail.
“We get to see them at the beginning of their training and then as they progress,” Bean said. “There are so many career paths they can choose.”
Indeed, the boot camp model has been a successful workforce solution for AMPed NH industry partners all over the state, who in years past have reported concerns that the pool of these high-tech employees was drying up.
Many students from AMPed NH’s myriad industry-approved advanced manufacturing certificate and degree programs, have already been hired by partners like SIG Sauer, who view the programs as reliable recruiting grounds for their growing operations.
The boot camp’s location itself speaks to that growth, as well as the demand for a more robust STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) workforce; SIG Sauer expanded to the site after outgrowing operations in Exeter. In addition to its Exeter and Pease sites, the company operates a training center in Epping and is opening another facility in Dover, as well as sites outside America. Combined, dozens of new hires are anticipated in the coming months locally.
Computer-numerical controlled machines are widely used where very precise manufacturing is required. Unlike manually operated equipment of the past, CNC machines shape components automatically by reading computer design code. They are faster and more versatile than ever before.
Under AMPed NH, funded by a $20 million federal TAACCCT grant from DOL’s Employment and Training Administration, NH’s seven community colleges offer dozens of programs in disciplines including robotics & automation; electronics and electromechanics; advanced machine tool, composites and welding technologies; and engineering & programming.
To learn about upcoming CNC Production boot camps, contact Sean Hoeing at shoeing@ccsnh.edu. To learn about all advanced manufacturing programs offered by AMPed NH, visit www.ampednh.com.
We joined a couple of hundred people yesterday afternoon in Rochester for the grand opening of the Advanced Technology and Academic Center at Great Bay Community College. We toured the bright white room where students are now learning about composite manufacturing and it could be pretty dry stuff, but we were struck by a couple of things.
Alexander and Hunter Uyeno, 9, investigate a composite
The first were two curious boys – 9-year-old twins – Alexander and Hunter Uyeno. They were wearing safety glasses and intently investigating the displays of equipment and composite materials.
Why were they there? Because their mom, Kerri, was. She is a student there. She enrolled last month and she thought it was time they see “what Mom is doing.” Later in the program, after addresses by Gov. Hassan and President Will Arvelo, she told of being a single mom, of needing a good job and the confidence that in enrolling here, she is on the road to great things.
Alexander and Hunter Uyeno – the future of advanced manufacturing
She also pointed to her boys as being “the face of advanced manufacturing in a couple of years.”
Jonathan Flannery and Gov. Hassan
Jonathan Flannery also told a very personal story about the loss of two women dearest to him and how, with the support of family and friends, he is finding a future by enrolling in the the program here.
Julie Lapierre
Julie Lapierre is a longtime resident of Rochester. She talked about how she, after last being in a classroom about 40 years ago, she enrolled in the school to start a new career because for her, it wasn’t too late to learn something new.
At the end of a week, we leave you with these snapshots of new beginnings, for Kerri, her boys, Jonathan and Julie, Great Bay Community College, the Seacoast and New Hampshire.
If you are in the vicinity of Rochester on Thursday evening, make plans to spend a little time in the city for a celebration.
Great Bay Community College’s new Advance Technology & Academic Center (ATAC), Rochester
Between 5 and 7 pm, Great Bay Community College will celebrate its new Advanced Technology & Academic Center (better known as ATAC), which is located at the Lilac Mall. More than a education center, it is going to help put the Seacoast on a flight path to success, as the area becomes known as an emerging composites region.
The ATAC is the largest single project under the statewide Advanced Manufacturing Partnership in Education initiative (AMPedNH), formed by the Community College System of New Hampshire under the federal TAACCCT-NH grant. AMPed NH is sponsored by a $20 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration.
Great Bay’s advanced composites manufacturing curriculum at the ATAC was developed to fit the needs of area manufacturers — among those, Albany Engineered Composites and Safran Aerospace Composites. These two companies are co-locating in a new manufacturing plant at the Granite State Business Park. The plant, set to open in a couple of months, is being built by Safran and is expected to add about 500 jobs to the local market. Representatives of both companies will be available to talk about the advanced composites manufacturing industry and opportunities within the region.
“This center is a wonderful educational resource for anyone interested in what Great Bay has to offer,” said college President Will Arvelo. “Now residents of Strafford County and beyond can conveniently take a course at Rochester – whether it be a general education or liberal arts course or something from a specific field – and those seeking training opportunities in advanced composites manufacturing now have a state-of-the art facility practically in their backyard.”
Gov. Maggie Hassan will attend, as well as other officials. If you attend, you can enter to win free tuition for one year – a value of up to $5,000. Representatives from the College Admissions, Financial Aid and WorkReady NH can answer your questions.
For more information on the free event, visit www.gbrochester.com or call 1-800-522-1194.
CONCORD – Gov. John Lynch and the Executive Council on Wednesday approved a $4 million Business Finance Authority loan to complete a major economic development agreement between the State, Safran USA, and the City of Rochester.
The agreement will enable the construction of a previously announced 275,000 square-foot facility, in which Safran USA and Albany Engineered Composites (AEC) will be co-located. The facility will employ approximately 400 workers. The State, through the Department of Resources and Economic Development, worked with Albany, Safran USA and the City of Rochester to ensure an agreement could be reached.
“We have been working closely with Safran USA and Albany to see the project through to completion. Today’s news is a major economic development win for Rochester and the entire state of New Hampshire, and will result in the creation of hundreds of jobs,” Gov. Lynch said.
As part of the effort to recruit the new facility, the state has also partnered with Great Bay Community College to create a new composite manufacturing curriculum to train workers to fill the new jobs.
“Safran USA and Albany could have located their new facilities anywhere in the country, but they chose New Hampshire because they recognize that we have a strong workforce and a winning economic strategy. We worked intensely with the companies over the past several years to make the construction of this new plant, and the hundreds of jobs that come with it, a reality,” Gov. Lynch said.
“I want to thank (DRED) Commissioner George Bald and his staff, particularly state business recruiter Cindy Harrington, as well as New Hampshire’s Business Finance Authority, under the leadership for Jack Donovan, for getting us to where we are today. I also want to thank Mayor T.J. Jean and Rochester city officials for their work and commitment to this project,” Gov. Lynch said.
“Finally, I want to thank Albany International’s President and CEO Joseph Morone and Safran USA leadership for their commitment to New Hampshire and for working cooperatively to move this critical project forward.”
“This agreement, and the manufacturing plant and new jobs that will result from it, is a reflection of not only the strength of the relationship between the State of New Hampshire, the City of Rochester, Albany International and Safran USA, but also of how tightly our futures are connected. The efforts of Governor John Lynch and his team in this process cannot be overstated, and the new plant and new jobs that will be created are the direct result of his efforts on behalf of State of New Hampshire,” said Albany President and CEO Joseph Morone.
The new facility will manufacture composite engine components.
“We are very pleased to launch the construction of a manufacturing plant in Rochester, where the Safran group and AEC will combine their resources in order to produce advanced composite parts for the LEAP aircraft engines developed by CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between Safran and GE,” said Peter Lengyel, President and CEO of Safran USA, Washington D.C. Operations.
Albany Engineered Composites is a subsidiary of Albany International, Corp., which employs about 225 workers at its existing Rochester facility. Last year, the company relocated its corporate headquarters from New York to Rochester.
“The City of Rochester is honored to be selected by Safran USA and Albany Engineered Composites to host their new world-class advanced manufacturing facility. This investment demonstrates Rochester’s commitment to attracting and securing sustainable industrial development and providing valuable jobs to our local economy,” said Rochester Mayor T.J. Jean. “Today’s announcement is a milestone for Rochester as we emerge from these difficult economic times.”
“This is a great day for Rochester and for the state of New Hampshire as a whole,” said Commissioner George Bald. “We thank Safran USA for making the decision to locate their facility in New Hampshire and commend the City of Rochester for its hard work in bringing in a quality company that will create new jobs and add to the economic vitality of our state.”
Construction of the new plant, near the existing Albany facility, will begin in the spring of 2012.
FairPoint Communications today announced it is introducing a powerful economic development modeling tool to assist economic development and planning professionals in forecasting regional growth. The announcement was made today at a press conference held at the State of New Hampshire Legislative Office Building in Concord. Joining FairPoint Communications State President Teresa Rosenberger were Commissioners George Bald of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Tara Reardon, Department of Employment Security, George Copadis, Department of Labor and Liz Gray, Governor Lynch’s Special Assistant for Policy.
Fairpoint Communications State President Teresa Rosenberger
The Connect NNE Economic Scenario Model™ is a FairPoint-sponsored Microsoft Office Excel-based software tool created to provide information on existing economic conditions and estimate potential impacts of new development and job creation scenarios in New Hampshire and across northern New England. The model allows users to estimate impact on jobs, earnings, output and gross domestic product (GDP) resulting from changing a region’s economic focus.
“In the past two years, we have heard from economic development leaders that they are looking for tools to help them understand influences on the local economies,” said Teresa Rosenberger, state president for FairPoint in New Hampshire. “This software tool will provide local communities with quantitative data to support economic development initiatives that will help the communities grow and prosper and, in turn, provide a benefit to all.”
NH Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald
“This model will provide economic development professionals across the state with a much needed tool that will allow us to benchmark the region’s current economic status and forecast the impact of future economic and community development strategies,” said George Bald, commissioner, New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development speaking on behalf of Commissioners Copadis and Reardon as well. “With New Hampshire-specific data, we can compare public infrastructure projects competing for limited available funds as well as calculate the economic impact of a capital investment proposal.”
The model was launched in Maine and has been used by economic development professionals there to show the impact that a soon-to be-abandoned rail spur in Aroostook County would have on jobs and gross domestic product, gaining the attention of Maine’s legislature and providing data to support a bond initiative. Supporters of a charter school in northern Maine used the model to calculate the economic benefit to the area in earnings and jobs, adding quantitative data to the discussion that resulted in the school staying open at its existing location. Output from the model has also been part of discussions on the impact of various plant closures, helping benchmark equivalent job replacement strategies. Annual updates ensure that the model is using the most up-to-date data and that its functionality continues to be improved.
FairPoint is offering hands-on training sessions led by its economic development arm, Connect NNE, at six sites across New Hampshire.
November 8th (2:30-5:00 pm)
Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, 151 Main Street, Nashua, N.H.
November 9th (9:00-11:30 am)
Grappone Conference Center, 70 Constitution Avenue, Concord, N.H.
November 9th (2:00-4:30 pm)
Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, 54 Hanover Street, Manchester, N.H.
November 10th (2:30-5:00 pm)
Granite State College, 53 Technology Lane, Suite 150, Conway, N.H.
November 12th (9:00-11:30 am)
Great Bay Community College, 320 Corporate Drive, Portsmouth, N.H.
December 7th (9:00 – 11:30 am)
Courtyard by Marriott, Downtown Keene, 74 Railroad Street, Keene, N.H.
Economic development professionals interested in attending one of these sessions are asked to contact jill.wurm@fairpoint.com.
Here’s a press release passed on to us by our friends at the New Hampshire Bio/Medical Council. Congrats to our own Cindy Harrington for capturing the “Conduit Award” as well to all of the other recipients!
The New Hampshire Bio/Medical Council honored industry, government and educational leaders at their gala annual awards dinner held at Wentworth-by-the-Sea Country Club. The event drew over 100 professionals from all over New England for cocktails, dinner, power networking and the awards ceremony all to the sounds of live big band jazz.
Lin Tamulonis, Great Bay Community College, Cynthia Harrington, New Hampshire Division of Economic Development and Rick Alteri, Salient Surgical Technologies celebrate their awards at last night's banquet.
Paula Newton, president of the New Hampshire Bio/Medical Council and chairman of NEBA (New England Biotech Association), was the emcee for the evening. Speeches were delivered by Will Arvelo, President of Great Bay Community College, Commissioner George Bald of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, and Jackie Eastwood, founder of Salient Surgical Technologies (formerly TissueLink Medical) and keynote speaker for the event.
Jackie Eastwood’s keynote address was wildly entertaining as she reminisced about spending over a decade enduring Minnesota winters then moving back to New Hampshire “for the weather.” Her message was to stay encouraged, look for more than money from your investors, and to stay in New Hampshire. She went on to tell a story about a top shelf, venture capitalist from Silicon Valley who was too busy and too important to spend more than a few interrupted minutes on his cell phone at their prearranged investment briefing. She got up and walked out. He walked into a closet, accidentally. After finding other investors who were interested in partnering and sharing in her success, she co-founded TissueLink Medical now Salient Surgical Technologies, a publically traded company.
During the awards ceremony, the board of directors presented the following awards: Innovation Award to Salient Surgical Technologies accepted by Rick Alteri, CFO; Leadership Award to Gregg Fairbrothers and the Dartmouth Regional Technology Center accepted by Jonathan Gould, President; Up & Coming Award to Adimab, accepted by Gravin Barnard, an alliance manager for Adimab; Higher Education Award to Great Bay Community and Lin Tamulonis College, accepted by Lin Tamulonis;
Spirit & Inspiration awarded to Nancy Briefs of Elemé Medical, accepted by Robin Mendenhall; and the Conduit Award to Cynthia Harrington of the New Hampshire Division of Economic Development.
The Council looks forward to continued momentum and enthusiasm from this event by professionals who have been waiting get more involved, network, and help each other grow life sciences in the state of New Hampshire. For more information visit: www.nhbiomed.org.
The New Hampshire Bio/Medical Council will honor industry, government and educational leaders on October 8 at their first annual awards dinner held at Wentworth-by-the-Sea Country Club.
The award categories range from “Leadership” to “Inspiration,” “Up and Coming” and “Conduit.” Presenting the awards will be members of the board of directors who have nominated their peers for distinguished service to the industry.
Jackie Eastwood, founder of Salient Surgical Technologies (formerly TissueLink Medical) is the keynote speaker for the event. Special guests include New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development Commissioner George Bald.
“Growing a business from the ground up in New Hampshire has been a rewarding experience,” Eastwood said. “There is a plethora of educational, professional and industry resources available. Our team made the lifestyle choice to be here and it has paid off. ”
NH Bio/Medical Council President Paula Newton
“For the first time we are privileged to recognize talented, inspirational, and educational professionals who contribute to the state’s economic growth and are furthering the state-of-the-art for life sciences,” added Paula Newton, president of the New Hampshire Bio/Medical Council and chairman of the New England Biotech Association. “We want to encourage those being honored to continue to lead, mentor and connect others to our industry.”
The council expects almost 100 people at the gala event and looks forward to honoring their strategic partner, BioConnectNH and Great Bay Community College for their continuous support. President Will Arvelo will speak about the many programs in life science for youth and college age students in an effort to develop life science careers in the state of New Hampshire.