Father Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., president of Saint Anselm College, has announced that Mr. Neil Levesque has been appointed as the next executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics.
Levesque, who was most recently a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, worked for 13 years with Congressman Charles Bass, serving as his campaign manager and state director. He also served as state director of The ONE Campaign, an organization devoted to raising awareness of extreme poverty and its effect on the reputation and security of the United States.
Neil Levesque brings a diverse set of skills that will help the New Hampshire Institute of Politics secure its future as a nationally recognized center for education and research into American politics, government and civic life, said Father Jonathan. "Neil not only has first hand knowledge of politics at the New Hampshire and national levels, he also has significant experience as a manager, public policy analyst and fundraiser. I am most pleased to welcome him to the Saint Anselm community."
Levesque will replace Rev. Dale Kuehne, Ph.D., associate professor of politics and founding executive director of the NHIOP, who returned to the position last July as interim director.
Dale Kuehne was generous enough to leave his classroom in order to guide the institute during this period of transition, Father Jonathan said. "He threw himself into the demands of running the NHIOP during an extremely busy period, which included the presidential elections, while maintaining his work as a scholar and author. I am deeply grateful for his hard work and his commitment to the institute he helped create."
Levesque, a Henniker resident, holds a political science degree from Wheaton College. Upon graduation in 1993, he immediately entered politics by serving as an administrative assistant to N.H. Sen. David Currier. In 1994, he joined forces with Congressman Bass and served with him through five successful elections and 12 years in Congress. His many roles included managing a team of staff in four state offices, organizing legislative agendas and public policy initiatives, raising money in accordance with federal guidelines, and public relations.
From 2007 to 2008, he worked with the ONE Campaign to put global poverty on the foreign policy agenda of presidential candidates. ONE.org was funded by the Melissa and Bill Gates Foundation.
Levesque joined Morgan Stanley in March 2008, and was part of an advisory team with responsibilities in private, corporate and endowment fund management. He also has served as a political and public policy consultant for the Diocese of Manchester. He will assume his responsibilities at Saint Anselm on August 4.