Public service ‘is a natural extension of how we’re trained as individuals who learn about the law — how it’s enacted and also what it means from a public policy point of view,’ says attorney Ovide Lamontagne.

Senate Minority Leader Jeff Woodburn says ‘the lack of civility’ at the State House ‘can be disorientating and depressing, but we can’t give up.’

‘I think the people we’re attracting want to commercialize their own technology and do it their own way,’ says Nila Bhakuni, director of technology transfer at Dartmouth College.

‘The business community already understands the challenge of climate change and is rapidly adopting energy-efficiency and renewable energy strategies,’ says Tom Burack, who stepped down on Jan. 2 after 10 years as the state’s Environmental Services commissioner.

‘Nonprofits are providing very sophisticated programs, managing sophisticated, complex issues,’ says Kathleen Reardon, CEO of the NH Center for Nonprofits.

‘I want state government to be easier to deal with, more friendly, more transparent,’ says newly elected Gov. Chris Sununu.

‘To the extent the public sector is either sidelined by political gridlock or undermined by reactionary measures, it’s imperative for businesses and investors to stand up for the right things,’ says Joe Keefe, CEO of Pax World Investments.

‘We need housing that is close enough to our workforce that it doesn’t become a financial burden or a time burden on our workforce,’ says Rosemary Heard, president of CATCH Neighborhood Housing.