BUSINESS BEDROCK
Sean Ryan, Executive Director, of Greater Peterborough COC
Born at Honolulu’s Tripler Army Medical Center (same as Bette Midler, whom he would later meet) Sean Ryan’s peripatetic life has taken him around the globe and to virtually every state. “My siblings were born in West Germany, Massachusetts, and Japan, to give you an idea of the military brat life,” says Ryan, whose journeying spirit includes lineage both to the Mayflower and native peoples of New England and maritime Canada.
Living in various locations around New Hampshire since 1973, Ryan followed early careers in education and banking before joining Marriott, where as regional director for sales and marketing, he oversaw multiple property openings and conversions around New England. In 1994, he met his future husband, Paul, and they moved to Peterborough in southwestern New Hampshire’s scenic Monadnock region. Dating to 1737, this LGBTQ-welcoming town, with a prominent industrial and manufacturing history, also has a rich cultural and artistic heritage.
Monadnock
“Bette Davis first acted here as a teen,” says Ryan. “Founded in 1907, the MacDowell Colony, still offering programming, is the nation’s original artists’ colony. Peterborough inspired Thornton Wilder’s acclaimed 1930s play Our Town. There’s also the acclaimed Peterborough Players theater group from 1933, the Sharon Arts Center, a dynamic dining scene, and much more. And we are right by Mount Monadnock, one of the most hiked peaks in the world.”
Yet, tourism had lagged for years. “It was an afterthought, if it all,” says Ryan, who became President of the Monadnock Tourism Council in 2013. “There was little support from the state, which only engendered disengagement and disinterest in tourism development.” In 2014, Ryan, now married to Paul and proud parent of the two young boys they adopted from the state’s foster care system, interviewed for the open post of executive director for the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce (www.peterboroughchamber.com).
Gilson Pond Near Mt. Monadnock
“It meant a pay cut, but it was a quality of life decision, and the right one,” relates Ryan, who assumed the role with all the gusto of the proverbial new sheriff in town. “The first step was to get our members out of their shells and into actively marketing and promoting themselves. No more waiting around for visitors to show up and cash registers to ring: it was time to start bragging a little and showing off Peterborough’s considerable appeal.”
Changes at the state level favored a positive turnaround in attitude and direction. “Victoria Cimino was appointed as director of New Hampshire’s division of travel and tourism development right when I started with the chamber,” says Ryan. “Coming from the travel industry, she instituted new tourism development processes that we could confidently emulate.
It was our opportunity to productively engage with the state.”
No stranger to the halls of government—Ryan’s career path had put him in front of four U.S. presidents and several governors, senators, and congressional representatives—he made getting the state’s attention on Peterborough his priority.
Peak Into Peterborough
Cimino, Governor Chris Sununu, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, and business development officials, including representatives from the Small Business Administration in D.C., have all come to Peterborough for economic development forums and networking events. Ryan in turn takes members for similar events at the State House in Concord. He also engages the Monadnock region’s five other chambers in collaborative activities; secures significant media coverage for the region; and travels across the US and Canada spreading the Peterborough message. Built on teamwork, Ryan’s efforts have galvanized the business community—with measurable impact.
“Early on, a local proprietor walked into my office in her chocolate-covered apron and bluntly informed me she was dropping her membership if I didn’t ‘do something’ for her business,” relates Ryan, who took the challenge head-on. “Later, after securing coverage in outlets including Bravo, the New York Times, and the Boston Globe, and getting her more involved with promoting her business, she came back a believer.”
Monadnock Reigon Stone Bridge
As buy-in spread among Ryan’s member businesses, 65 percent of which are women-owned and include many LGBTQ proprietors, Peterborough’s story has changed. “Taxes on business profits are up six percent over last year, which means more business is coming in,” says Ryan. “We now count 333 members, up from 245 when I took over. Peterborough, a traditional incubator hub, continues to attract entrepreneurs and start-ups. By our weekly count of out-of-state license plates alone, backed by visitor numbers, tourism is visibly on the rise. Peterborough is on the map, and with a new marketing campaign to promote the entire region, plus plans for international outreach, we are on pace for continuing tourism and overall economic growth.”
