Meet the Panelists
JerriAnne Boggis
Executive Director
Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire is an organization that preserves, celebrates, and honors African American history in the state. JerriAnne is a writer, educator, and community activist who works to correct the historical record on the racial complexity and richness of New Hampshire’s diverse past. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2022 Social Innovation Leader Award in the non-profit sector by the Entrepreneurs Fund of New Hampshire, the Ona Judge Award by the Human Rights Society in 2021, and named as one of the ten most influential women of the century in New Hampshire by the Seacoast Press in 2020. Most recently, an interview with her was featured in the November 2022 issue of Yankee magazine.
Tom Boucher
CEO-Owner
Great NH Restaurants, Inc.
T-BONES | Cactus Jack’s | Copper Door
Tom Boucher is a seasoned leader in the restaurant industry. Over his first five years with T-BONES, Tom demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership, progressing through various roles and ultimately becoming a general manager.
As a founding partner of Cactus Jack’s in 1995, Tom played a pivotal role in establishing the restaurant and served as its General Manager until 1998. His expertise led him to take on expanded responsibilities as Director of Marketing and later as Director of Operations for both T-BONES and Cactus Jack’s.
In 2004, Tom ascended to the role of CEO, where he has been instrumental in shaping the company’s strategic direction. In 2008, Tom acquired ownership of the company and brought his long-term team of leaders on board as partners to work alongside him. Under his leadership, Great NH Restaurants has successfully expanded to encompass three distinct brands—Six T-BONES, One Cactus Jack’s, and Two Copper Doors—totaling nine thriving restaurants. Tom’s innovative approach includes the establishment of T-BONES Meats & Sweets, a commissary that enhances operational efficiency, and the creation of the non-profit organization www.FEEDNH.org, reflecting his commitment to community engagement.
Tom Boucher’s vision is to position Great NH Restaurants as the premier dining destination in New Hampshire, prioritizing exceptional experiences for both guests and employees.
Dr. Paul LeBlanc
Board Chair
Human Systems
Chief Bottle Washer (and former President)
Southern New Hampshire University
Dr. Paul J. LeBlanc is the Board Chair for Human Systems, a new AI and Education company he co-founded with noted researcher George Siemens.
Until June 2024, he served as President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU). He remains at SNHU as a researcher, writer, and advisor. Under the 20 years of Paul’s direction, SNHU has more grown from 2800 students to over 250,000 and is the largest non-profit provider of online higher education in the country, and the first to have a full competency-based degree program untethered to the credit hour or classes approved by a regional accreditor and the US Department of Education.
Paul is considered one of America’s most innovative educators. In 2012, the university was #12 on Fast Company magazine’s “World’s Fifty Most Innovative Companies” list and was the only university included. Forbes Magazine has listed him as one of its 15 “Classroom Revolutionaries” and Washington Monthly named him one of America’s ten most innovative university presidents.
In 2018, Paul won the prestigious IAA Institute Hesburgh Award for Leadership Excellence in Higher Education, joining some of the most respected university and college presidents in American higher education. He has also received the Ernest L. Boyer Award (NACU), the Distinguished Alumnus Award (AASCU), the Ray Schroeder Leadership Award (UPCEA), The Zemsky Medal (U Penn), and the Alumnus of the Year Award from his alma mater, Framingham State University. He was named 2022 Citizen of the Year in his home city of Manchester, NH.
Amanda Grappone Osmer
Owner
Grappone Automotive Group
Amanda is the fourth generation of her family to own and help operate Grappone Automotive, established by her great-grandparents as a single gas station in 1924. Today, Grappone represents five new car manufacturers with sales, service, and retail and wholesale parts departments. Grappone employs about 375 Team Members and is located in Bow, NH.
Team Grappone operates in an environment in which the whole person is asked to show up and participate at work with the company’s mission in mind: to build lifelong relationships with team members, guests, and the community by serving with integrity, kindness, and respect. In 2017 Amanda launched Leadership Grappone, a program that seeks out the company’s emerging leaders and challenges them mentally, emotionally, and physically over a nine-month period with the goal of uncovering their true leadership potential.
Faith and volunteer work are central to Amanda’s life purpose, and she has served on many nonprofit and advisory boards in her career. One project near to her heart is the co-founding of The Dewey School, a nature-based preschool located at Canterbury Shaker Village. She lives in Sanbornton, NH with her husband, a high school coach and all-around amazing human being, their three children, dog and other critters, and fruit and veggie gardens.
Dianne Mercier
Former President
People’s United Bank
Dianne Mercier spent 36 years in banking prior to retiring in 2022. She joined banking as a teller and concluded her career as president for People’s United Bank, NH. Mercier spent the majority of that time specializing in commercial finance in support of business creation and growth and championing local not-for-profits in service of community needs.
“I live in New Hampshire with my husband, John, after having raised two beautiful people, Robert and Sarah, both of whom are now raising their own two beautiful people, our four grandchildren,” Mercier says. “John and I love to travel and spend time on Bow Lake. I love to walk, do yoga, and when my better self prevails, I meditate. We have beautiful dogs in our past and future, just not right now.”
Mercier continues to be involved with Rivier University in Nashua, the Greater Manchester Boys & Girls Clubs, and has “taken up the Queen City Rotary as a joyful hobby.”
Moderator
Mike Cote
New Hampshire Editor
NH Business Review, New Hampshire Magazine, 603 Diversity
Cote oversees New Hampshire Magazine, a monthly magazine on interesting people, places and happenings in the Granite state, and NH Business Review, a biweekly publication, covering all business-related news and events in New Hampshire. Additionally, Cote lead the editorial effort at 603 Diversity, a quarterly publication that shares the cultural contributions made by New Hampshire’s diverse communities. Cote also co-hosts the weekly “Down to Business” podcast with Managing Editor Amanda Andrews.
A Manchester, New Hampshire, native, Cote has worked for newspapers and magazines in both Colorado and Florida, such as ColoradoBiz and Naples Daily News. He started as a business and city editor at the New Hampshire Union Leader in July 2012 before being promoted to senior editor in May 2020. Cote also wrote a weekly column in the business section throughout his 11 years at the New Hampshire Union Leader. He received a bachelor’s degree in English and communication from the University of New Hampshire and a master’s degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Colorado Boulder. Cote is also a member of Make-a-Wish New Hampshire’s board of directors.
Gary Hirshberg
