NHBCA Head Tricia Soule to Step Down for New Opportunity as Organization Concludes Its Mission
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NHBCA Head Tricia Soule to Step Down for New Opportunity as Organization Concludes Its Mission
Manchester, N.H. (March 28, 2025) — After more than six years of dedicated leadership, Tricia Soule, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts (NHBCA), will be stepping down at the end of NHBCA’s fiscal year on April 30, 2025. She will be relocating to assume the role of Director of Development at the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos, New Mexico. The NHBCA Board met on March 27th and highlighted Soule’s transformative impact on the organization while making the decision to conclude the organization’s work, having successfully fulfilled its mission.
Since joining NHBCA in 2018, Soule revitalized the organization, strengthening strategic partnerships that elevated the arts as a key driver of economic and community development in the Granite State. Building upon the strong foundation laid by Joan Goshgarian, who served as NHBCA’s Executive Director for 35 years, Soule expanded the organization’s impact by collaborating with more than 100 artists and numerous nonprofits across New Hampshire. Under her leadership, NHBCA deepened ties between the business and arts communities through innovative programs and events, including nine augmented reality exhibitions and two mural projects — one in partnership with NH Hospital and the latest with Granite YMCA in Londonderry. She further championed theatre, dance, music and the visual arts through the organization’s annual Arts Awards gala.
“While we are saddened to see Tricia go, we also celebrate her next step in a distinguished career,” said NHBCA Board Chair and President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Tom Raffio. “Her passion and vision breathed new life into NHBCA, ensuring that artists and cultural organizations had the support and recognition they deserved.”
Reflecting on her tenure, Soule shared, “I am incredibly grateful to the NHBCA Board for their support, especially the outstanding leadership, guidance and mentorship of Tom Raffio and Board Treasurer Jeremy Veilleux. Their commitment helped steer NHBCA through challenging times, including the Covid pandemic.”
With Soule’s departure, NHBCA will conclude its work after 41 years of advocating for and promoting the arts. “The board has determined that NHBCA has successfully achieved its mission of fostering strong connections between New Hampshire’s business and arts communities,” said Raffio. “As a result, we have made the difficult but thoughtful decision to sunset the organization at the close of this fiscal year.”
NHBCA will work closely with the New Hampshire Division of Charitable Trusts to facilitate the organization’s wind-down process. Given the timing of this transition, NHBCA’s 41st Annual Arts Awards, originally scheduled for June 2, has been cancelled as the board finalizes the organization’s closure.
This transition aligns with a personal milestone for Soule, as she and her husband have begun spending more time in New Mexico following his retirement as a Humanities teacher at St. Paul’s School in Concord. “Moving into this next chapter at the Harwood Museum allows me to continue championing the arts in a region that has long been personally meaningful to me,” Soule said.
For more information, please contact Tom Raffio at 603-223-1300
About the NHBCA
The New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts (NHBCA) has championed the arts as an essential component of economic development for more than four decades. By fostering partnerships between businesses, artists, and cultural organizations, NHBCA has played a vital role in strengthening New Hampshire’s creative economy. As NHBCA prepares to close its doors, its legacy will live on in the lasting relationships and initiatives that have enriched communities across the state.