Manchester, N.H. – The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) will honor Manchester native, Jeremy Hitchcock, with the Walter R. Peterson Award for Education and Public Service. Hitchcock, a technology entrepreneur and former chairman of the CCSNH board, will be recognized on November 3 at Manchester Community College. The Walter R. Peterson Education and Public Service Award is presented to an individual whose contributions best exemplify the values of public service and dedication to higher education.
“We are thrilled to have this opportunity to recognize Jeremy Hitchcock’s tremendous public service, leadership, and support of New Hampshire’s community colleges,” said CCSNH Board of Trustees Chair Kathy Bogle Shields. “We look forward to gathering this fall to celebrate Jeremy’s investment in our mission, alongside the many other causes he and his wife Liz have championed and supported. Funds raised for this event will support the work of our colleges and students who are the backbone of our local workforce and communities.”
The Hitchcocks are technology entrepreneurs and investors whose companies, past and present, include Dyn, an Internet performance management company, Minim, an AI-driven residential managed WiFi and IoT security platform, and New North Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund investing in information assurance – AI/ML, cyber, and next-generation communications. They are the Principals at Orbit Group, providing venture capital and private equity opportunities for community-building enterprises and economic development initiatives in Manchester. They own Bookery Manchester, an independent bookstore in downtown Manchester and The Factory on Willow, a live/workspace for creators, innovators and entrepreneurs. Hitchcock served for four years as the CCSNH chair of the board of trustees before stepping down in 2021.
The Walter Peterson Award recognizes individuals who reflect the late governor’s values, his legacy of public service and his commitment to higher education. Peterson served as New Hampshire’s governor from 1969 to 1973 and remained a strong supporter of higher education throughout his life, including as a trustee of CCSNH. Past recipients of this award include former Govenors John Lynch and Jeanne Shaheen, Barbara Couch of Hypertherm, Alex Ray of The Common Man, and Paul Holloway of Holloway Motors.
Business, civic, and political leaders and supporters of the state’s community colleges will celebrate Hitchcock and CCSNH on November 3 at Manchester Community College.
For information on the event and/or supporting New Hampshire’s community colleges, please contact Lisa Clark at The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges at (603) 230-3529 or lclark@ccsnh.edu.
The Walter R. Peterson Award is presented through The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges. The Foundation provides greater access to educational opportunities through financial assistance for student scholarships, program development and enhancements to facilities across New Hampshire’s seven community college and actively seeks contributions from public and private sources to create scholarships and program partnerships that prepare students for in-demand, skilled jobs to meet the needs in the workforce.
