NH SBDC wishes UNH’s Peter T. Paul College’s Dean Deborah Merrill-Sands good luck on her retirement. Deborah has been one of our strongest supporters in her role at Paul College and as our most recent Chair of SBDC’s Advisory Board.
Deborah saw SBDC’s potential and challenged us to excel in all that we do and to think bigger. She believed in our small but mighty team and became our biggest champion. SBDC is now more well-known and respected on campus and throughout the Granite State - we are no longer one of NH’s best kept secrets!
The NH SBDC Team admires so much about Deborah, but we especially admire her strength and grace under pressure and the challenges of Covid these last two years. We admire her passion for innovation, her compassion for others, and commitment for always doing what’s right and in the best interest of others.
During her time at UNH, Deborah has created an atmosphere that encouraged new ideas and partnerships. The culture of Paul College is now forever changed because she opened doors and broke down silos. Because of Deborah’s influence, SBDC is more connected to UNH programs like Voice Z, Business in Practice, the Center for Business Analytics, Cooperative Extension, the Survey Center, and UNH Innovation.
Deborah, on behalf of the NH SBDC Team and our clients and partners, thank you for your service and for all that you’ve done to make SBDC the organization it is today. We are forever grateful for the new opportunities you helped us access for our organization, as well as for the small businesses across the State of New Hampshire. Your impact on the Paul College community and beyond will be felt long after you retire.