Leadership

Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance Jr., President

Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance, Jr. became the 16th President of New England College on December 12, 2022.

Dr. Lesperance arrived at NEC in 1999 to serve as Assistant Professor of Political Science, a role he relished for 17 years. He transitioned to NEC’s administration in 2016 when he became Dean of Residential Undergraduate Programs. He has served as Director of the Center for Civic Engagement; Vice President of Academic Affairs; and most recently, Provost.

A political enthusiast, Dr. Lesperance moved to New Hampshire in 1999 to take advantage of the State’s special place in presidential politics. His love of the political process has helped him lead NEC’s civic engagement focus. He is a frequent commentator in regional and national media outlets, where he is often quoted on public policy, presidential elections, and U.S. foreign policy. Among his more recent publications, he was Associate Editor of the annually published two-volume Political Handbook of the World (2017–2020), a contributor to both Leadership and Legacy: The Presidency of Barack Obama (2021) and The New Islamic State (2016), and the author of “American Foreign Policy and the 2016 Election” in the Journal of Social Science and Modern Society (September/October 2016). Additionally, he has authored numerous articles and chapters in peer-reviewed journals, textbooks, and other publications.

He received his BS in Political Science and MA in International Studies from Old Dominion University and his doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University.

Dr. Lesperance was born in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He resides in Cogswell House in Henniker with his wife, Stephanie; daughter, Grace; and their two dogs, Nero and Emmitt.

Board of Trustees

Ray Apy, BA ’89, MS
Ray drives the design and successful execution of overall corporate strategies and the development of target growth, profit, and operating objectives. He currently serves as CEO of Northeastern Biochar Solutions LLC and its subsidiaries, and as Managing Partner of Saratoga Ninja Lab, LLC. Prior to that, Ray served as President and CEO of Annese & Associates, Inc. and as Regional Vice President of ConvergeOne, Inc. Ray received his BA in Environmental Studies from New England College and his MS in Environmental Science and Policy from The State University of NY, College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Karen Backus, MBA
Karen, Principal and Co-Founder of U3 Advisors’ New York office, is a seasoned consultant specializing in real estate development and strategy. With extensive experience in advising universities and nonprofits, Karen excels at guiding clients towards their institutional goals. She played a pivotal role in the planning and development of projects like Cornell Tech and Columbia University’s Manhattanville campus. Prior to co-founding U3 Advisors, Karen established her own successful consulting practice and held leadership roles at Forest City Ratner Companies and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. Karen holds a BA from Wesleyan University, magna cum laude, and an MBA from Yale University and is a licensed real estate broker in New York State. Karen also serves on the Board of Directors of the Corbin Hill Food Project and as Vice Chair for the Urban Land Institute’s University Development & Innovation Council.

Emmanuel Balogun, BA ’10, PhD
Emmanuel is an Assistant Professor of Political Science at Skidmore College, specializing in African politics and international relations. With a focus on African agency in multilateralism and global governance, his research explores topics such as international organizations, peace and security, and global health governance. He authored Region-Building in West Africa: Convergence and Agency in ECOWAS, shedding light on how regional organizations like ECOWAS shape governance in West Africa. As a scholar-practitioner, Emmanuel bridges academia and policy, having advised the Department of State on U.S.-African relations and served as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion fellow for Bridging the Gap. He’s recognized for his contributions, receiving the Skidmore College President’s Award for Excellence in 2021. Emmanuel, a first-generation Nigerian-American, holds a PhD from the University of Delaware and is affiliated with Georgetown University. He shares his expertise internationally through publications and presentations, occasionally contributing to “The Monkey Cage” at The Washington Post. Dr. Balogun is an alumnus of New England College and a member of the class of 2010, having earned his degree in political science.

Peter Bordes, BA ’86
Peter is a lifelong serial entrepreneur, executive, investor, mentor, and advisor. He is the CEO of Kubient. He serves on the Board of Directors of Beasley Media (NASDAQ: BBGI) and as Vice Chairman of Ocearch. He founded and serves on the Board of Directors of oneQube, MainBloq and TruVest. He was also a Founder, CEO, and Chairman of MediaTrust, which was the ninth fastest growing company in the United States under his leadership; a founding member and Chairman of the Performance Marketing Association; Founder of Trajectory Capital; and Founder of Mason Cabot Investment Bank. Peter was ranked in the top 100 most influential angel investors and business leaders in the United States on social media and is a member of the Thiel Foundation 20 Under 20 Mentor Program. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Music School. Peter earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication, Business and Media Studies from New England College.

Chris Brazill, BA ’81, MBA, CPMR
Chris serves as Vice President for Marketing and Sales at Brazill Brothers and Associates, Inc., an employee-owned manufacturer’s representative firm serving the electrical, energy management, and lighting markets. He received his BA in Business Administration and Political Science from New England College and earned his MBA in Finance from Montclair State University. Chris is a Certified Professional Manufacturers Representative (CPMR) and resides in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He also serves as President of the Ridgewood YMCA Board of Directors.

Thomas W. Farmen, BA ’74, MSA
Tom became a member of the Board of Trustees in 2000. He graduated from New England College with a BA in Business Administration and earned an MSA in Human Resource Management from Western Connecticut State University. Retired from his career in education, Tom is the Headmaster Emeritus of Rumsey Hall School in Connecticut. Now an author, he also serves on the Board of Directors for Special Olympics of New Hampshire. You may cross paths with Tom at Mount Sunapee Ski Area where he works as a greeter during the winter months.

Elbridge T. Gerry III, BA, P’13
Ebby is the proud father of a New England College alumnus and joined the Board in 2013. He is the Managing Director and head of municipal fixed income management at UBS Global Asset Management, and also serves as vice president of several investment companies and funds. Among other areas, Ebby’s expertise includes investment strategy, municipal bond institutional sales, and municipal bond trading. He is a graduate of Colgate University.

Katherine Haley, PhD
Katherine Haley is the former President of Gettysburg College (PA) and Whittier College (CA). She is a Senior Consultant with Academic Search, a leading executive search firm in higher education.  Dr. Haley has placed over 50 university presidents/chancellors, and numerous vice presidents and deans.  She also advises colleges and universities on leadership succession, governance, and effective board performance. Prior to serving as the first woman president at both Gettysburg and Whittier, she was the first woman provost (and Professor of English) at Kenyon College. Kate holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in Victorian Literature and a B.A. from Tufts University.

Don Hasseltine, BA ’84
Don is a vice president and senior consultant at the Aspen Leadership Group where he conducts executive search and consults on organizational development issues with nonprofits from around the country. Before this role, he served as a Vice President for Advancement (development and alumni relations) for 18 years. His most recent position was as the Vice President for Development at Brown University where he helped launch their historic $3B fundraising campaign. He also has served as Vice President for Advancement at the colleges of Carleton, Dickinson, and Colby-Sawyer. Earlier in his career, he served as Director of Annual Giving at both Georgetown University and the University of Virginia. Don has been a regular presenter at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) International and DI and DII conferences and a published author on advancement. Don’s programs have won numerous awards for outstanding performance. He currently writes a LinkedIn blog called Coach’s Corner where he explores advancement and leadership issues.

Adam B. Kapner, BA ’02
Adam is the founder and owner of NYC Apartment Management, Inc. The company, established in 2013, manages 20 co-operative, brownstone, condominium, and rental buildings. A real estate entrepreneur and executive with an extensive understanding of the New York real estate market, Adam has 15 years of real estate and property management experience in Manhattan, the Hamptons, and the Tri-State area. He earned a BA in Business Administration from New England College, was a member of NEC’s ski team, and served as a White House Intern for President Bill Clinton.

Stephen Ketchum, BA ’83, MBA
Steve is CEO and Managing Partner at Sound Point Capital Management in New York City. Sound Point is a $7 billion asset management firm with particular expertise in credit strategies. He serves on the board of the East Side House Settlement, the New York Police & Fire Widows’ & Children’s Benefit Fund, and the Museum of the City of New York. Steve earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from New England College and went on to earn his MBA from Harvard University.

Jay Lucas, JD
Jay Lucas serves as Chairman and Managing Partner of The Lucas Group, a strategy consulting firm that he founded in 1991, focused on the specialized needs of private equity investors and their portfolio companies. Previously, he served as Vice President and Partner of Bain & Company. In addition, he is the founder and Managing Partner of LB Equity, a fund that invests in small growing brands in the beauty sector. Lucas is a strong supporter of veterans, leading efforts in NH for Children of Fallen Patriots. He is also founder of the Newport Sunshine Initiative, an effort to revitalize his hometown of Newport, NH. Lucas earned his MBA from Harvard Business School, his JD from Harvard Law School, and a BA from Yale University. He attended Oxford University as a Marshall Scholar, where he studied International Relations and Military History.

Daniel Lynch, BA ’85
Dan earned a BA from New England College in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. He is now Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development in the Institutional and Fiduciary Services group of Natixis Global Asset Management. Dan is very active supporting the Home for Little Wonders, the Winthrop School mentoring programs in Boston, Dana Farber, and the Jimmy Fund. He holds his Series 26 Registered Principal license.

Thomas Markey, BA ’82
Tom earned a BA from New England College and joined the Board of Trustees in 2018 after serving on the President’s Advisory Board since 2014. As a student, He was member of the Lacrosse Team and spent a semester at NEC’s Arundel, England Campus, where he was a member of the school’s first Rugby Team. As the Lead Advisor for the Markey Group at Morgan Stanley, Tom earned the designation of Wealth Advisor and successfully completed The Senior Account Executive Program, at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is also designated as a Portfolio Management Director, Financial Planning Specialist and Senior Investment Management Consultant.

Eric Morgan, BA ’83
Eric is an experienced chief executive who has led and built software and software-as-a-service (SaaS) businesses ranging from $5 million to $150 million. Several of these companies were acquired by public companies. He brings a unique perspective to entrepreneurs/founders, investors, and other business leaders: One size does not fit all, and each company must adopt an approach that is best for their desired outcomes and stage. His areas of expertise include software, cloud computing, venture/private equity, fundraising, building growth strategies, mergers and acquisitions, all aspects of software go-to-market, and organizational development including virtual organizational management. Eric is an investor and board member of several start-up SaaS companies. Eric earned his BA in Business Administration from New England College.

Lex Scourby, BA ’75, MBA
Lex is the current Chairman of the Board of Trustees and has been a member of the Board since 2000. He co-founded Orion Seafood International, Inc., Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 1988. He received his BA degree, cum laude, from New England College, majoring in Mathematics/Environmental Science. He earned an MBA from Long Island University, with a major in Finance and International Business. Lex is a past President of the NEC Alumni Association Board of Directors and is currently the chairman of the Committee for Development, member of the Committee on Academic Affairs, Committee for Enrollment and Student Engagement, the Executive Committee, and the Committee on Infrastructure. He is also a past President of the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Lex serves on the Board of Cross Roads House in Portsmouth and the Portsmouth Regional Hospital Board.

Lori Sherer, BA ’83, MBA
Lori’s career spans 30 years as an innovator and business-builder in digital and advanced analytics with leading management consulting firms, corporations, and educational institutions as an advisor, practitioner, investor, and entrepreneur. The past decade has been spent co-founding and building global advanced analytics practices and products to support clients in the healthcare, financial services, and tech sectors with defining and implementing their “future back” strategies. Lori is a Partner with Bain & Company in San Francisco, following stints with McKinsey & Company, Risk Management Solutions, and Fair Isaac Corporation. Her early career was spent with consulting firms Mitchell Madison Group and Oliver Wyman. Lori serves on the Boards of Advisors of Stanford’s Institute for Computational Mathematics and Engineering (ICME) and Women in Data Science (WiDS). She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and public administration from New England College and an MBA from the Olin School of Business at Babson College.

Clarke Smith, III, BA ’79
Clarke Smith, III, currently serves as Director of Underwriting at Trident Marine Managers, a Marine & Energy Wholesale Insurance Broker and Managing General Agent for several insurance carriers.  From April 2018 to June 2020, he served as Vice President at International Special Risks, one of the largest marine intermediary insurance brokers in the country. From November 2012 to April 2018, he served as President of Norman-Spencer Recreational Marine Operations. Clarke has been underwriting marinas, boat dealers, boat manufacturers, boat rental operations, and yacht clubs for over 36 years. Previously, he served on the Association of Marina Industries Board of Directors from 2008 to 2016. Clarke is currently a Board Member of the Boating Industry Risk Management Council and is a Founder of the Joe Namath Foundation. He holds a BA from New England College.

Mary Simon Streep, BA ’77
Mary graduated from NEC with a BA in Elementary Education and has been a member of the Board since 2005. Many members and two generations of the Streep family have attended and served New England College in various capacities. In addition to her work with the College, Mary supports a number of other associations and is the President of Mary Streep Interiors in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

Michael K. Thomas, EdD
Michael is the President and CEO of the New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) in Boston, a regional organization working with the 260 colleges and universities in the six New England states. Michael frequently lectures on issues related to education policy such as regional and global competitiveness, the internationalization of higher education, and college readiness. He also has experience in corporate training and human resources. Michael holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and master’s degrees from Teachers College, Columbia University, and Harvard University. He has also earned a doctorate from Harvard University and an MBA from Boston University.

Jeff K. Towle, P’99
Jeff’s son attended New England College and Jeff joined the Board of Trustees in 1996. He is President of Davis & Towle Group which provides personal, business, and professional insurance and financial services. Jeff attended the College of Insurance in New York City and received his Chartered Life Underwriters designation from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and his Certified Insurance Counselors designation from the same society in Austin, Texas.

TJ Whitelaw, BA ’76, MBA
TJ joined the Board in 2011 and is the current co-Vice Chair. He is a retired information technology executive and consultant with expertise in sales management, partner development, channels and operations management for a variety of high tech product lines and businesses. TJ held a series of management positions at industry leaders Digital Equipment, Compaq, and Hewlett Packard, joined Riverbed Technology in what was, at the time, the most successful start-up company in Wall Street history. In addition to his bachelor’s degree from New England College, TJ earned his MBA from Northeastern University.

Astrid Williams, BA ’81, MS
Astrid is the Clinical Office Coordinator at Emerson Hospital and was formerly the Executive Director for Concord-Carlisle Community Chest for over 16 years. She has managed the major fundraising for all human service organizations in her local community of Concord, Massachusetts. Astrid is also a sales associate at Sara Campbell LTD. She graduated from New England College with a BA in Sociology and earned a master’s in Non-Profit Management at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

William W. Wyman, MBA
Bill is co-founder of Oliver, Wyman & Company, a management consulting firm that serves the top executives of major companies throughout the world. Prior to Oliver, Wyman & Company, he held several positions at Booz Allen & Hamilton, including President of the Management Consulting Group, member of the executive committee, and member of the board. In recent years, Bill has worked as a director and advisor to more than a dozen public and private companies. He also has served as a trustee to several not-for-profit organizations and as an advisor to several private equity partnerships. Bill served in the United States Navy, graduated from Colgate University with a degree in economics, and earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.