Public Program: "A Conversation with New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan" this Tuesday

Please join us for "A Conversation with NH Governor Maggie Hassan," moderated by Professor Charlie Wheelan '88, from 4:30 to 5:30 pm in Silsby 28 on Tuesday, May 19.

What is it like to oversee the policy functions of the Granite State? Governor Maggie Hassan will discuss her experiences in office as well as her upcoming goals for New Hampshire with Dartmouth’s own Professor Charlie Wheelan '88. Now in her second term, Governor Hassan is focused on bringing people together to build a stronger, more innovative New Hampshire.

In Tuesday's public talk, Governor Hassan will discuss her viewpoint on current economic policies, including her "Innovate NH" jobs plan, which seeks to build the best workforce in the country and strengthen the economy by making higher education more affordable, doubling the state's research and development tax credit, and providing businesses with technical assistance to help them create jobs.

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan

The Governor will also speak about what it takes to maintain New Hampshire's high quality of life as one of the safest, healthiest, and most livable states in the nation. She has successfully worked to invest in a stronger mental health system, put more state troopers on the road, restore the Children in Need of Services (CHINS) program, and increase funds for services for people with acquired brain disorders and developmental disabilities, among others.

In an environment where politicians hesitate to cross party lines, Governor Hassan has worked to enact a bipartisan plan that expands access to health coverage, which is the most significant piece of health care legislation that the State of New Hampshire has seen in decades. Governor Hassan will reflect on these policies as well as what’s to come in her second term in her talk.

Governor Hassan began her career in public service in 1999 when Governor Jeanne Shaheen asked her to serve on the Advisory Committee to the Adequacy in Education and Finance Commission. Her experience as a business attorney, along with her role as the parent of two children, one of whom experiences severe disabilities, enabled her to provide a unique perspective as the commission did its work. In 2004, Governor Hassan was first elected to the New Hampshire Senate, serving the people of the 23rd District, which included numerous Seacoast towns. During her six years in office, she was selected by her colleagues to serve as both President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the State Senate. As a leader in the Senate, she helped pass universal kindergarten so that every child has the same opportunity to succeed; helped lower the state's dropout rate by increasing the legal dropout age to 18 and establishing alternative education programs; worked to pass New Hampshire Working, a nationally recognized effort to help businesses and workers during the recession; sponsored the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) to reduce long-term energy costs, curb pollution, and create jobs; and was instrumental in passing marriage equality in New Hampshire. The Governor earned her B.A. from Brown University and her J.D. from the Northeastern School of Law. She also serves on the Board of Trustees (ex-officio) of Dartmouth College.

Charles Wheelan is Senior Lecturer and Policy Fellow at the Rockefeller Center, and Senior Lecturer in the Department of Economics. Wheelan was formerly a senior lecturer in public policy at the Harris School at the University of Chicago. He has also served as a correspondent for The Economist, and written freelance articles for the Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, and theWall Street Journal. Wheelan's first book, Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science, served as an accessible and entertaining introduction to economics and is now published in 10 languages. The Chicago Tribune described Naked Economics as "clear, concise, informative, and (gasp) witty," and was selected as one of The 100 Best Business Books of all Time by 800-CEOREAD. Wheelan's next two publications Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from the Data, and The Centrist Manifesto were published in 2013. Professor Wheelan is the co-founder of the Centrist Party, the party that supports candidates and public policies that enable the development of free enterprise, limited government and individual liberty, while protecting the common good, well being and the economy of the public at large.