Community Leadership

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Working Together

Helping community members stay focused, work together and create strategies to solve problems.

Community Engagement

We teach innovative and proven techniques to engage underrepresented populations, unearth a wealth of diverse perspectives, unique needs and various opportunities. Engaging community helps community leaders make decisions that recognize the needs and interests of all community members.

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Leadership Development

We work with communities to expand leadership capacity through strategies and training that builds leadership skills that promote collaboration, effective planning and the ability to help move projects from inception to completion.

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Community leadership workshop

Articles

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Building Stronger Boards: Strategies for Recruitment, Retention & Engagement
Municipal boards play a vital role in our communities. They influence everything from our local budgets and school curricula to land use planning and ... Learn More
Exeter intercept survey training group
Supporting Local Businesses Starts With Listening
Community Business Engagement in Exeter
The Town of Exeter partnered with UNH Extension on a Community Business Engagement program, which helps cities and towns understand needs, challenges ... Learn More
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Overcoming Digital Barriers in Greater Nashua Summit
Local Solutions, Shared Successes
The inaugural Overcoming Digital Barriers in Greater Nashua Summit brought together nonprofit leaders, small business professionals, and digital advoc... Learn More
Exterior of the Clarement MakerSpace building, a large historic brick structure
Collaboration Was Key at Leadership Upper Valley’s Economic Development Day
On January 8, the 2025 graduating cohort of Leadership Upper Valley spent the day at the Claremont MakerSpace learning about economic development effo... Learn More
Nate Bernitz and Christopher Parker sitting on opposite sides of an oval table
Building Bridges: Dover's Approach to Inspiring Confidence in Local Government
Key takeaways from a conversation with Dover’s deputy city manager
Cities and towns across New Hampshire use localized approaches to decision making, transparency and accessibility, public engagement and provision of ... Learn More
Nate Bernitz, Sue Cagle and Becky Levy standing in front of a presentatin screen at the NH Municipal Association conference
Crafting Creative Solutions Through Conflict: Insights from the NHMA Conference
On October 30 and 31, UNH Extension Community & Economic Development field specialists Nate Bernitz, Rebecca Levy, and Sue Cagle attended the annual N... Learn More

Events

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Resources

Beyond Vacancies: Building Strong and Enduring Municipal Boards
Volunteer boards and committees are the backbone of local governance in New Hampshire, but many communities struggle to consistently recruit and retai... Learn More
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Understanding Public Trust at the Local Level
Imagine what’s possible in a community where there is a high level of mutual trust between residents and their local government. This information bri... Learn More
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Fostering Social Capital Through Community Events
Community events play a crucial role in fostering social capital, which is essential for community development. Social capital refers to the networks,... Learn More
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What is dot voting?
Dot voting is a technique for semi-anonymous voting. Participants are given sets of colored sticky dots, which adhere to a variety of surfaces where a... Learn More
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10 Components of Vibrant Communities
A vibrant community relies on several key components, including economic vitality, community health, natural resources and recreation, community engag... Learn More
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Antrim NH Visioning Forum Report 2023
The town of Antrim, New Hampshire conducted a two-day community visioning session on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14, 2023. The forum utilized... Learn More

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