We at the No Bull Business Blog have the philosophy of “buy local and buy often.” With that in mind, we want to issue our congratulations to Trish Ballantyne for being named the new Executive Director of NH Made, an organization that truly demonstrates the power of local small business ownership. Here’s the official release:

Ballantyne Named NH Made Executive Director

New Hampshire Made announced today that Trish Ballantyne has been named Executive Director of the organization. Ballantyne brings 25 years of nonprofit fundraising, marketing, event planning and leadership to NH Made. Previously with NH Public Television, Ballantyne looks forward to leading NH Made towards continued success and growth. Ballantyne, a UNH graduate, is a recipient of several prestigious PBS Awards for Excellence.

“Trish brings a range of nonprofit management and business development skills to the organization,” NH Board Chair, Link Moser said. “Trish knows New Hampshire and will do a great job supporting the organization’s mission of strengthening New Hampshire’s economy by increasing the awareness and demand for NH made products and supporting programs local businesses need to grow.”

Ballantyne succeeds the late Laurie Ferguson who recently passed away following a courageous battle with cancer. In her seven year tenure with the organization, Ferguson earned a number of prestigious state and regional awards including the 2007 New Hampshire Business Review Business Excellence Award and the 2010 Outstanding Women in Business Award.