Ruais announces 30-member transition team ahead of Jan. 2 inauguration

Paul Feely, The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester
·3 min read

Dec. 5—Mayor-elect Jay Ruais on Tuesday announced the roster for his 30-member transition team as he prepares to be sworn in Jan. 2.

The team — including names that should be familiar to those who follow Queen City politics and business news — is expected to offer input on issues including, but not limited to, homelessness, public safety, economic development, housing and education, Ruais said.

"I am honored to work with these subject matter experts as we prepare to take office in January," Ruais said. "They will form a core nucleus of our efforts as we seek to address our challenges and help our city reach its full potential. We will continue to add to this group of advisors, and I look forward to collaborating with them over the next two years to meet the needs of our community."

The transition team includes:

Hon. Frank Guinta, former mayor of Manchester, and congressman

Tim Baines, former alderman and small business owner

Norri Oberlander, president of North End Properties

Sandra Almonte, owner Don Quijote Restaurant

Jeremy Hitchcock, co-founder and managing director of New North Ventures

Ben Gamache, founder and president of Gamache Properties

Toni Pappas, Hillsborough County Commissioner

Michelle Chretien, CEO, Empire Mortgage Corp.

Cristy Velez, assistant dean of student success, Southern New Hampshire University

Philip Taub, partner head of Private Equity Nixon Peabody

John Hughes, partner McLane Middleton

Lucy Lange, president and general manager of the Manchester Radio Group

Patrick Tufts, president and CEO of Granite United Way

Susan Howland, Director of Trusts and Foundations Granite United Way

Tom DeBlois, president, Tokena Corporation

Gus Fromuth, president and founder of Energy Freedom Logistics

Tom Blonski, president and CEO, Catholic Charities New Hampshire

Sarah Ambrogi, Managing Partner, Ambrogi Law Office

Nick Gray, founder and managing principal, Gray Property Group

Nathan Stanton, president, Trinity High School and St. Joseph Regional Junior High School

Travis York, founder and CEO, York Creative Collective

Zachery Palmer, Ward 5 Resident and community economic development professional

Nick Vailas, healthcare advisor

Diego Catano, owner, Antojitos Colombianos Restaurant

Abderazak Ali, owner of Mapway Transit LLC and Immigrant Community Liaison

Ovide Lamontagne, senior counsel of Bernstein Shur

Will Infantine, president of Aspen Insurance and state representative

Jason Lacroix, general manager, Autofair Honda

Laura Gandia, counsel, Devine Millimet

Mark Sanclemente, Manchester Police Department

Last week, Ruais announced the hiring of former Ward 6 alderman and Manchester City Charter Commission member Nick Pappas as his chief of staff.

Pappas was elected alderman in Ward 6 in November 2015, defeating Karen Ladd.

In March 2017, Pappas announced he would be resigning from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen after selling his Hermit Road home "much quicker than expected."

Ruais, 38, defeated former state senator and current Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh in November to become the first Republican mayor in Manchester since 2017.

Official vote totals showed Ruais topping Cavanaugh 9,428 votes to 8,934, at 51% to 49%.

Ruais will take office with an evenly-split Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The conservative faction includes Chris Morgan, Krissy Cantor, Ross Terrio, Ed Sapienza, Norm Vincent, Kelly Thomas and Joe Kelly Levasseur. The Democrats are Dan Goonan, Pat Long, Christine Fajardo, Tony Sapienza, Jim Burkush, Bill Barry and Dan O'Neil.

Ruais represents a conservative tie-breaking vote, if necessary. Assuming block voting, that will give Republicans a majority on the board for the first time since 1998.