Neighbor News
Heather Robitaille, Merrimack School Board Candidate
On April 9th, vote for Heather Robitaille, a community volunteer and dedicated public education advocate with financial experience.
I have proudly been a Merrimack resident for over 20 years. I live here with my husband, Rob, and our daughter, Katie who attends school at Thorntons Ferry. My entire life, I have been a strong believer in volunteerism and in giving back to my community. As a teenager, I spent over 10 years volunteering as a martial arts instructor, which gave me the opportunity to not only teach children self-defense, but also discipline, leadership, confidence, and teamwork. I also volunteered at the Manchester Animal Shelter, working to care for the animals and helping them find their forever homes. While volunteering, we also adopted our dog, Clara, from the Manchester Animal Shelter.
Over the last 4 years, I actively watched and participated in Merrimack's school board meetings, deliberative sessions and am currently serving on the Merrimack School District Budget Committee. While on the budget committee, I served as a liaison to Merrimack High School and the Student Services department. These experiences gave me a deeper understanding about our district- its successes, opportunities, and the concerns of our community. I am running for the Merrimack School Board so I can play a direct role in ensuring EVERY child in our district is able to reach their HIGHEST educational potential.
Education & Professional Experience
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I went to college at the University of New Hampshire, where I graduated with my BS in Microbiology. My studies helped me sharpen my critical thinking skills and understand the importance of making decisions that are evidence-based and data driven. These are skills that benefited me as I started my professional career at Fidelity Investments right here in Merrimack. Working at Fidelity allowed me to develop my financial knowledge as well as strategic execution, teamwork, and leadership skills as a senior manager. While at Fidelity, I volunteered at the Manchester Animal Shelter, working to care for the animals and helping them find their forever homes. During my time as a shelter volunteer, we also adopted our dog, Clara from the Manchester Animal Shelter. I also participated in many of the "Fidelity Cares" volunteer initiatives and worked at Fidelity Investments for nearly 10 years before leaving after my daughter was born.
Community Involvement
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Once my daughter, Katie began school at Merrimack PTA Kindergarten & Preschool (now the home of the Merrimack Historical Society), I got involved supporting the students, staff and families there. I enjoyed being an active volunteer and served on the Merrimack PTA board for two years until Katie began school at Thorntons Ferry. I am currently serving in my second year as president of the Parents and Teachers of Thorntons Ferry (PTTF) with an amazing team of parents. In this role, I bring administrators, educators, and families of the Thorntons Ferry community together. I have also been a substitute for the district to help with the substitute shortage the district faced during and after Covid.
Outside of our schools, I also coach for the Girls on the Run program and volunteer for the Girl Scouts where I help Merrimack's children develop important life skills. I am also teaching my daughter the importance of giving back to her community by participating in local food and toy drives, writing cards for the Meals on Wheels program and attending Merrimack's annual Wreaths Across America wreath laying ceremony.
Over the last 4 years, I have actively watched and participated in Merrimack's school board meetings, deliberative sessions and am currently serving on the Merrimack School District Budget Committee. While on the budget committee, I served as a liaison to Merrimack High School and the Student Services department.
Why I am Running for School Board
My experiences as a volunteer, budget committee member and participant in local meetings gave me a deeper understanding about our district- its successes, opportunities, and the concerns of our community. I am running for the Merrimack School Board so I can play a direct role in ensuring EVERY child in our district is able to reach their HIGHEST educational potential. I am committed to ensuring our district continues to build upon the progress it has made and improves areas that need attention. At our most recent school district deliberative session, I made an amendment to a petition to keep all political agendas out of Merrimack's curriculum. I am also a strong supporter of our educators and support staff, including the MESSA contract on this year's ballot. Our staff and support staff are the heart and soul of our schools and deserve to be paid competitively. This will ensure we can attract and retain high quality staff, which will improve students' educational outcomes and successes and reduce our reliance on costly contractors.
I am asking for your vote on April 9th because I have a proven track record of community involvement and educational advocacy. I will also bring a unique perspective to the school board as an individual who does not have a formal background as a teacher. I feel that my knowledge, experience, and insight will make me a valuable addition to the Merrimack School Board, where I can partner with the other board members to ensure the needs of our district are met, while balancing the concerns of our taxpayers.
For more information on my experience and the priorities I would like to focus on as a school district, please visit my campaign website and Facebook page:
