Cultivating Collaboration
The NH Research & Industry Council is composed of members representing industry, the executive and legislative branches, and higher education across the Granite State. Members meet quarterly to review research and workforce progress, assist in outreach and evaluation, and support emerging connections between research and business.
Government
Joe Dorion
Director of Workforce Development
NH Department of Business & Economic Affairs
As Director of Workforce Development, Doiron works to advance state workforce development strategies and oversees and administers the staff and programs at the Office of Workforce Opportunity (OWO) within the Department of Business and Economic Affairs. The Office of Workforce Opportunity administers New Hampshire’s federal funding under the U.S. Department of Labor’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Joe previously served as Deputy Director for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Relief and Recovery (GOFERR), as the Workforce Development Administrator in OWO and as Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives. Prior to state government service, Joe worked in Senator Kelly Ayotte’s office. He has a BA in political science from New England College and a master’s degree in public administration from Norwich University. He lives in Pembroke with his husband Gabré and their rescue dog King.
Education
Brian Bicknell
President
Manchester Community College
Dr. Brian Bicknell is president of Manchester Community College. Previously, he served as Vice President of Academic Affairs at MCC from 2016 to 2019, and interim president until 2020. As MCC’s vice president, he provided leadership in development of market-driven academic programs focusing on student learning and success.
Bicknell joined MCC following a six-year tenure at Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT) in Boston, where he most recently served as Dean of Academic Affairs. From 2004 to 2011, Brian was the Dean of Students at Montserrat College of Art in Beverly, MA. Prior to his position at Montserrat, he was Director of Housing and Residence Life at The Boston Conservatory and began his career at Fitchburg State College directing student activities.
Dr. Bicknell attained his doctorate in Higher Education from The University of Massachusetts Boston, presenting his dissertation on “How Community College Presidents Frame the Purpose of Higher Education.” He received his Master of Mental Health Counseling from Fitchburg State College and his bachelor’s from Fairmont State College. As a college administrator for more than 15 years, Brian also relishes his role in the classroom and has served as adjunct faculty at Endicott College, Northeastern University and BFIT.
Sr. Paula Marie Buley
President
Rivier University
Sister Paula Marie Buley is President of Rivier University in Nashua, NH. A member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Immaculata, PA, Sister Paula brings to Rivier more than twenty-five years of experience in higher education administration. Formerly Executive Vice President of Administration at Seton Hall University, she has served in senior roles at Anna Maria College, Mount St. Mary University and Immaculata University. She holds an Ed.D. in Higher Education from the University of Pennsylvania, an M.A.L.S. in Catholic Studies from Georgetown University, and an M.B.A. from Villanova University. She currently serves as a director for Catholic Charities of New Hampshire and St. Joseph Hospital. She is also a member of the executive committee for both the New Hampshire Higher Education Commission and the New Hampshire College and University Council. Her professional service has included extensive experience in the development and implementation of comprehensive master plans and programs which support teaching and learning excellence, and her research interests include issues of organizational governance and leadership in higher education.