Meet Our Team
Our people are our greatest strength and asset. Meet the 91探花 team.Education and Career Pathways Team
Our Education and Career Pathways team is here to help you discover and navigate your postsecondary path — whether that be higher education, career, or both.

Karen Collins
College Access Specialist
Kristin Lavigne
College Success Specialist
Chris Cox
Education and Career Specialist
Samantha Tracy
Education and Career Specialist
Mary Lynn Wells
College Access Specialist
Carla Peacock
North Country Pathways & Funding Specialist
Courtney Leonard
Education Funding Specialist
Aibhlin (Abby) O'Connor
Education and Career SpecialistExecutive Leadership Team
Meet our leadership team.

Christiana Thornton, President & CEO
Christiana, a New Hampshire native, understands firsthand the difficulty some students face on their postsecondary pathways. The first in her family to attend college, she credits her high school guidance counselor with helping her to identify her path and then navigate the college application process. While in college, and challenged in her ability to cover the full cost of her tuition, she relied on a private student loan to fill her funding gap. Post college, she benefited from loan repayment assistance through an employer. Christiana’s vision for New Hampshire includes accessible postsecondary planning and funding support and resources for all residents — ultimately contributing to more vibrant communities and a more robust state economy.

Scott Rogers, Chief Financial Officer
In his role as chief financial officer, Scott Rogers is committed to supporting young people in their postsecondary journeys. Scott traces his vision back to his own youth, when a counselor at his high school encouraged him to aim high. The youngest of several siblings, he knew his parents couldn鈥檛 help much in paying for college, but he took a chance and applied to Columbia University. To his surprise, he received scholarships that, combined, covered all his costs.

John Flanders, Chief Strategy Officer
With deep roots in the Granite State, John Flanders is passionate about supporting students of all ages and backgrounds in discovering and achieving their education and career goals. While completing his undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, John watched his classmates angle for jobs on Wall Street but set his sights instead on working for a NH community bank. After graduation, he went door to door at local banks until he persuaded someone to give him a job as a credit analyst.

Danielle Barrick, Chief Communications Officer
Danielle was the first on her mom’s side of the family to go to college, and she听诲颈诲苍鈥檛听show up on campus already knowing听蝉丑别鈥檇 end up in communications. A few years into her bachelor鈥檚 degree, she took an opportunity at the school paper鈥攁nd found her calling. Since then,听蝉丑别鈥檚听used her foundation in English and journalism to help organizations share important news with clarity and purpose.听
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Blessing Chimwanda, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer
As General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Blessing Chimwanda leads the organization鈥檚 legal, compliance, and governance initiatives and serves as a trusted strategic advisor to the executive team and board of trustees.听With deep听expertise听in financial services regulatory compliance, Blessing has designed and strengthened enterprise compliance programs, overseen complex听litigation听and negotiations, and partnered with business leaders to align operational priorities with risk management and regulatory expectations across multiple teams.听
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Board of Trustees
91探花鈥檚 Board brings a wealth of experience in higher education, financial services, nonprofit management, and legal services.
Paul Provost
ChairGordon (鈥淒ino鈥) Koff
Vice ChairCarol Houle
TreasurerJames (鈥淛amie鈥) Burnett III
SecretarySusan Huard
Board MemberRick Elwell
Board MemberPeter Burger, Esq.
Board MemberBill Dwyer
Board MemberChuck Lloyd
Board MemberMary Beth ("MB") Lufkin
Board MemberDebby Miller
Board MemberHans Olson
Board MemberSandy Tracy
Board Member2025 Annual Impact Report
Our 2025 Annual Impact Report is here! Learn how we put our mission into action, helping students overcome challenges and take important steps toward achieving their goals.

