UNH Cooperative Extension is pleased welcome Scott Slattery to the Community and Economic Development team. Slattery is serving as a field specialist in Hillsborough County, where he will provide educational outreach, community planning assistance and project implementation support that builds community and regional leaders’ capacity to grow and sustain the economy and strengthen communities. His areas of focus will include economic development, business retention and engagement, Main Street revitalization, and fostering regional collaboration on a range of plans and projects.
Born and raised in Nashua, Slattery has been a non-profit practitioner and administrator for over 30 years serving Southern New Hampshire, most recently as the executive director of Greater Nashua Habitat for Humanity. He has dedicated his career to serving low- and moderate-income families through affordable housing and capacity building initiatives. Prior to his current role, Slattery held numerous non-profit positions, including as residential director at Harbor Homes Inc., executive director of the Derry Housing and Redevelopment Authority, housing coordinator at Seacoast Mental Health Center and housing coordinator at the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.
When asked about the biggest challenges facing Hillsborough County and the Merrimack Valley, Slattery said, “The current lack of qualified employees across all sectors of economic activity is a huge challenge, exacerbated by the lack of affordable and workforce housing.” At the same time, Slattery pointed to a host of opportunities to grow and stabilize the region’s economy. “There are so many organizations that we can partner with to address issues around affordable housing, workforce shortages and the need for quality jobs. Working together, we can more effectively provide programs and supports that address key challenges.”
Slattery holds a Master of Science in Community Economic Development from Southern NH University and a Bachelor of Science in Geography from Plymouth State College.
“We are very excited to have Scott join our team,” said Charlie French, the Community and Economic Development program leader. “Not only is he deeply rooted in Hillsborough County —having been a long-time resident of Hudson with his wife Elizabeth and two sons, Stefan and Samuel — but he has a depth of experience that he can use to hit the ground running to help grow the region’s economy.”
We hope that you will take a moment to welcome Scott Slattery to UNH Extension!
