The New Hampshire Division of Economic Development has announced the hiring of three key new members of its team.

Gary Chabot and Christine Davis will serve as Business Service Specialists covering the Greater Manchester/Nashua and Seacoast areas respectively while Leanne Spees has been named International Trade Resource Center International Trade Officer. In their new positions, Chabot and Davis will work hand in hand with companies on issues ranging from permitting and site selection to energy efficiency and workforce training while also providing strategic counsel to local community and economic development officials. Spees will work to educate New Hampshire businesses on the finer points of exporting products and services abroad.

Gary Chabot

Chabot previously worked as a Certified Business Counselor for the NH Small Business Development Center in all regions of the state and for the VT Small Business Development Center in the Connecticut River Valley.  His real estate experience includes serving as an internal business consultant for an international real estate corporation, Coldwell Banker Corporation, in NH and VT, as Executive Director of a housing agency, as Real Estate Director for the Pease Development Authority, and as a Vice President in real estate firms involved with investment, development, leasing and appraisal of major commercial properties in southern NH.

Christine Davis

Davis was most recently the Executive Director of the NH Women’s Business Center, a statewide non-profit that provided educational support to women-owned businesses.  Previously, she was the Executive Director of the Franco-American Centre in Manchester, an educational and cultural organization that promotes the history, culture and language of French-speaking individuals.  Davis serves on the board of CONFR, the Council of Non-Profit Fundraising and is a committee member for the Exeter Chamber Children’s Fund.

Leanne Spees

Spees worked for over 18 years in international trade and finance for Irving Trust Company and Bank of New York in New York City, and FleetBoston Financial in Boston, MA.  In these positions, she called on small businesses and large corporate clients that conducted business in Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.  Spees speaks French, Portuguese, and Spanish, has traveled extensively, and has lived abroad in Switzerland, Brazil, and Kenya. She is a Board member and Treasurer of Art-Speak, the City of Portsmouth’s Cultural Commission, and a member of the Portsmouth Rotary Club. 
 
“The addition of these three top shelf business professionals is excellent news for the New Hampshire business community,” New Hampshire Division of Economic Development Interim Director Roy Duddy said. “With skill, enthusiasm and expertise, they will make a very positive difference in our efforts to grow and sustain a world class economy.”