The college has created a Dean’s Development Board with a commitment to advancing the College’s mission and its philanthropic development goals, while also advancing the University’s strategic goals. The board comprises the 10 individuals outlined below with a strategic plan to maintain between eight and 10 members. The Board meets twice each year and Board members serve a three-year term.
Purpose
- Facilitate fundraising for the College from corporations, foundations and private individuals.
- Advocate on behalf of the College in the community, both regionally and nationally.
- Secure, unrestricted funding to help meet the Dean’s most important, but unfunded priorities.
- Cultivate relationships in coordination with the College and Director of Development that will build support for the College.
Development Board Member Biographies
Samantha Furstein '92, Chairperson
Samantha is a proud graduate of the University of New Hampshire, where she studied animal science in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture. After graduation, Samantha launched her career at Roche Molecular Systems (RMS) where she focused on developing rapid diagnostic test kits in the lab using PCR technology and taught training classes and managed clinical studies. After leaving RMS, Samantha went on to manage clinical studies at Agennix, Inc., a small start-up biotech company in Houston, TX, before stepping into a role managing clinical studies at Progenics Pharmaceuticals in Tarrytown, NY. She remained at Progenics Pharmaceuticals until she retired to raise her family.
Pauline A. Ikawa
Graduated from UNH 1977 (BS Botany and Plant Science)
Retired from TD Bank: 28 years as a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager specializing in Community Development, Fair Lending regulation, monitoring and risk.
She also serves on the following:
- New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority: Board of Directors and Finance Committee
- New Hampshire Food Bank: Advisory Board
- Families in Transition, Manchester: Advisory Board
- Palace Theatre, Manchester: Community Advisory Board
- American Furniture Masters Institute: Board Treasurer
- NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire: Resource Development Committee
Christine A. Klatt ’82
Christine Klatt is a biopharmaceutical leader with the unique ability to transform strategy into results through the power of collaboration. She joined Keryx Biopharmaceutical at the beginning of 2017 as the Chief Operating Officer. In her leadership role, she serves on the Executive Committee while leading initiatives in cross-functional integration, operational excellence, and program management. She heads the Manufacturing, Technical Operations, Quality, and Regulatory functions.
Prior to Keryx, she served as a Senior Vice President at FORUM Pharmaceuticals. At FORUM, She established the Program Alliance Management cross-functional matrix to integrate across the entire organization. She also led the CMC, Supply Chain, and Quality functions.
At Biogen for over 25 years, Christine held positions of increasing responsibility as the company advanced from a biotechnology pioneer to an internationally recognized Fortune 500 company.
Christine is a Certified Strategic Alliance Professional (CSAP). She holds an M.S. in innovation and technology management from Boston University, Certificates in Management and Biotechnology Strategy from Harvard University, and a B.S. in biochemistry from the University of New Hampshire.
Henry L. Huntington '80
Henry is president of Pleasant View Gardens, Inc., a 13-acre wholesale greenhouse operation specializing in ornamental floriculture with locations in Loudon and Pembroke as well as Costa Rica. Founded by his parents, Pleasant View Gardens is now owned by Henry and his brother, Jeffrey, who are also partners in Proven Winners, LLC, a plant brand marketing company; Plant 21, LLC, a plant breeding company; and Ticoplant of Costa Rica, an offshore unrooted cutting production company.
Henry holds an Associates Degree from the Thompson School of Applied Science at the University of New Hampshire. He is a recent director of the Ohio Florists Association, co-chair of the New Hampshire Ornamental Horticulture Endowment, member of the Leadership Advisory Board for the Thompson School of Applied Science, past president of Bedding Plants International, and a fifteen-year member of the Planning Board for the Town of Loudon.
Jeff Huntington '76
Jeff Huntington is vice president and COO of Pleasant View Gardens (PVG), a wholesale floriculture business with operations in Loudon and Pembroke, NH, flower breeding facilities in Austin, TX, and a production facility in Costa Rica. He is responsible for production and growing needs of the business. Jeff and his brother, Henry, are third generation growers and partners of PVG. Their parents, Jon and Eleanor, established PVG in 1976 from what was then a small three-house wholesale foliage business. PVG has continued to apply innovative ideas to their ever-expanding business. In the mid-1980s, the Huntingtons diversified their product line and branched into color and propagation, which remains the heart of their business.
Jeff received his A.A.S. in horticulture and agronomy from the Thompson School of Applied Sciences in 1976 and is a current member of the COLSA Development Board and a former member of both the UNH Alumni Board and New Hampshire Pesticide Control Board.
John Rossi '69
Dr. John Rossi received his Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of New Hampshire and his doctorate in Microbial Genetics from the University of Connecticut in Storrs. For postdoctoral training, John attended Brown University Medical School in Providence, Rhode Island, where he trained under Dr. Arthur Landy, studying the genomic structure, organization, and expression of two gene clusters encoding tRNA-tyrosine in E. coli.
In 1980, John moved to the Department of Molecular Genetics at the City of Hope in Duarte, California. John’s laboratory began to develop and test the idea of utilizing catalytic RNAs – or ribozymes – to inhibit HIV infection. This research program has led to two clinical trials in HIV infected individuals and a first-of-its-kind clinical trial using a triple gene therapy approach in AIDS/lymphoma patients.
Arthur Tzianabos, '89 Ph.D.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Homology Medicines, Inc.
Arthur Tzianabos brings 25 years of experience in the biotechnology industry-leading teams in the discovery, development, clinical translation and commercialization of new treatments for rare diseases. During his nine-year tenure at Shire, he played an active role in the development, approval, and commercial launch of multiple therapies for patients with rare genetic disorders. He also worked closely with the Business Development and Corporate Venture functions to invest in and acquire new companies and technologies to build Shire’s product pipeline. Dr. Tzianabos joins Homology Medicines from OvaScience, where he served as President and CSO and was responsible for translating breakthrough science into new treatments, including the commercial launch of the company’s first product. Earlier in his career, Dr. Tzianabos was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and maintained laboratories at the Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics at Harvard Medical School. He has published more than 80 scientific papers, reviews, book chapters, and patents. Dr. Tzianabos holds a B.S. in Biology from Boston College and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of New Hampshire.
Glenn Coppelman '76G
Glenn is a retired business development professional consultant, currently advising nonprofits, businesses, and Seacoast New Hampshire-area towns on planning, economic development, grants, and strategy. He is currently the senior economic development planner at the North Country Council in Littleton, NH. From 2001-2014, he was the economic development director at the Community Development Finance Authority. Before that, he worked as a business development manager with Intergraph (now Hexagon) and held roles as product marketing manager at Eastman Kodak and region manager at Optronics International. After graduating from UNH, he began his career as a Cooperative Extension agent, focusing on community outreach in energy conservation and alternative energy. As a hobby, he runs Evergreen Farm, a Christmas tree farm in Kingston, NH. He received his BS in earth science at Framingham State University (1974). Glenn joined the COLSA Advisory Board in 2023.
Colonel Richard Stark '78
Most recently, Rick has been an adjunct professor of political science, government, and international affairs at Maine College of Art (MECA). Before MECA, he taught political science and government at Northern Virginia Community College. He retired from the U.S. Army as a colonel in the Medical Service Corps and later held roles in Washington, D.C., including director of legislative affairs for the U.S. Department of Defense, staff member on the House Armed Services Committee, and senior advisor for the U.S. Department of State. In 2006, he joined Honeywell’s Washington D.C. Office as Vice President of Defense and Space. He also served as vice president for government programs for the National Organization on Disability in 2009, securing veterans’ funding, and was director of the Wounded Warrior Careers Program.
At his core, Rick is an artist, explorer and avid traveler, and is committed to education and workforce development. He served as Vice Chairman of the board of his alma mater, Vermont Academy where he served on the development and enrollment committees, including implementing 360 assessments for faculty and improving strategic metrics across the school. Rick graduated from UNH in 1978 with a B.S. in business administration with a minor in animal science. Rick went on to receive his M.S. in health administration, education and training from Texas State University and an M.S. in National Security Studies from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces.
Susan "Lee" Warner '25P
Lee received her B.A. in environmental design from Boston University in 1983. Mostly recently she served as the Associate Director of Marketing and Communications at Waynflete School in Portland, ME from 2013 – 2021. Prior to that, Lee spent 25 years in the tech sector, working with software application companies. She now contributes her time and expertise through various volunteer roles, including serving as Vice President of Operations for the Small Point Association, Chair of the Marketing Committee at Farms for Food Equity, a member of the Community Engagement team at Global Lyme Alliance, and as part of the Advisory Network and Fundraising Committee for Third Thought Initiatives for Civic Engagement. She also continues to serve on the board of her family’s foundation.
