Sixty-Fourth Convocation of New England College - September 7

Michele D. Perkins President of New England College will offer the welcoming remarks, followed by a greeting from Dr. James Murtha, Chairman of the New England College Board of Trustees. Dr. Murtha has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2004 and previously served as vice chairman. Additional speakers include Dr. Hilton Hallock, Vice President of Academic Affairs, and David Johnson, President of Student Senate.

Under the leadership of Thomas Raffio, Northeast Delta Dental was named both one of the Best Companies to Work For in New Hampshire and one of the 25 Best Small Companies to Work For in America for five consecutive years. The Concord-based company administers dental benefits to more than 700,000 residents of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Tom holds leadership positions on numerous boards, committees, and community groups. He is currently serving his second term as the District 2 Representative for the New Hampshire Board of Education. He is an Incorporator and Chairman of the Board of Granite State Quality Council; he serves as a Board member and is a former Chairman of the Board of Early Learning New Hampshire; and he is a charter Member of the Board of Advisors of the New Hampshire Humanities Council. Tom is a member of the Reception Committee of the United Way of Merrimack County, the Bow Schools Foundation, the New Hampshire Scholars Leadership Board, and the Internship Committee of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College. Tom’s leadership of Northeast Delta Dental, his role on community boards and advisory councils, and his dedication to the State of New Hampshire have earned him recognition from numerous organizations in the state. He was named Business Leader of the Year in 2004 and, in 2010, Business Leader of the Decade by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives and Business NH Magazine. In 2005 he received the Leadership in the Arts Award from the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts. And in 2009, Governor John Lynch proclaimed November 16 as “Tom Raffio Day.” Tom has received degrees from Harvard University and Babson College, is a Fellow of the Life Management Institute, and a graduate of the Leadership New Hampshire Class of 1997.

“We are delighted to award the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Tom Raffio,” stated Dr. Perkins. “His community service career is an illustrious example of the impact that an individual can have on a local and global level. The leadership role that he has taken in education, healthcare, and the arts is a model for the citizens of New Hampshire and has enriched the quality of life in the state.”