Laying the Foundation
Early in his tenure as President of the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce, John Nyhan received an invitation from the U.S. Chamber Foundation to apply to the Business Leads Fellowship Program (Business Leads). The program equips business leaders with the tools to address education and workforce challenges in their regions—a mission that deeply resonated with Nyhan and would soon reshape his approach to community development.
Expanding Opportunities
After completing the inaugural Business Leads cohort in 2018, Nyhan drew on what he’d learned to champion workforce readiness initiatives in the Hampton area. Inspired by the program’s emphasis on aligning business and education, he partnered with a local high school’s Extended Learning Opportunities Program to launch a new initiative called Pathways. This pilot connected 10–12 students with hands-on training at the New Hampshire School of Mechanical Trades—an effort made possible through student-centered grants and the collaborative mindset fostered by Business Leads.
The Pathways program trained students across four key trade pathways: electrical, plumbing, oil, and HVAC. To date, 55 students have completed advanced training, and 40 have transitioned directly into trade careers. Depending on the field, some graduates entered apprenticeship programs while others secured immediate employment. For students unable to afford advanced training, scholarships are available, ensuring equitable access to career preparation. With new funding from the state of New Hampshire, up to 260 students are now expected to participate in the initiative over the next three years.
Measuring Impact
Following the success of the program’s first three years, Nyhan applied another key takeaway from Business Leads—measuring impact through data. He partnered with the University of New Hampshire to assess Pathways’ effect on economic mobility. The research confirmed that the program successfully identified workforce sectors most in need of talent and strengthened local industry partnerships. It also revealed that students from low-income families benefited most from the hands-on experience, validating Pathways as a model for inclusive, community-driven workforce development.
Building Inclusive Pathways
While Pathways focuses on trades training, Nyhan’s broader vision—shaped by his Business Leads experience—embraces all learners. He believes that not everyone needs to pursue the same career path, but every student deserves access to opportunities that match their interests and strengths. Through the Hampton Area Chamber, Nyhan continues to promote diverse educational and career pathways that prepare all young people for success in a changing economy, reflecting the Business Leads commitment to building adaptable, future-ready workforces.
Strengthening Community Connections
Community collaboration—another cornerstone of Business Leads—has guided Nyhan’s partnership with Catapult Seacoast, a young professionals network working closely with the Hampton Area Chamber. Together with regional chambers—including those in Exeter, Dover, and The Falls—Catapult fosters engagement through networking events, volunteer opportunities, and leadership development programs. One highlight is the annual Hampton Seafood Festival, where more than 500 volunteers, many of them Catapult participants, bring the community together. For Nyhan, this partnership embodies one of his guiding mottos: “If you work and live in the community, you need to be involved in the community too.”
Building the Future Through Community
Looking ahead, Nyhan continues to apply the collaborative mindset fostered through Business Leads to promote better coordination on workforce issues across New Hampshire’s Seacoast region. “The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing,” he notes, emphasizing the importance of aligning local organizations around shared goals. By fostering communication among schools, businesses, and civic leaders, Nyhan aims to create a unified strategy for workforce and education development—one that embodies the systems-level thinking championed by the Business Leads Fellowship Program.
Through his participation in Business Leads, John Nyhan gained not only knowledge but also a framework for community-driven action. His work through Pathways and his regional partnerships demonstrates how Business Leads Fellows are transforming insights into tangible impact—strengthening the workforce pipeline, expanding opportunity, and preparing New Hampshire’s next generation for success.
