City Year New Hampshire Announces Executive Leadership Transition

Longtime Executive Director, Pawn Nitichan, to transition in the new year as City Year New Hampshire builds on a strong foundation for the future

MANCHESTER, N.H. — October 14, 2026 — City Year New Hampshire announced today that Executive Director of City Year New Hampshire and Senior Vice President of City Year, Inc., Pawn Nitichan, will transition from her role in early 2027, following 27 years of leadership and service with the organization. The Board of Directors will begin a national search for her successor later this fall.

“Pawn’s life of service has been a source of inspiration for all who know and work with her,” said City Year New Hampshire’s recent past board chair, Dick Samuels. “Through her vision, strategic positioning, and tireless work, City Year New Hampshire has helped thousands of our students and families build better lives.”

The transition comes at an exciting moment for City Year New Hampshire. With a strong foundation of student impact and community partnership, and a bold vision for extending its reach through the 7-Year Promise, Nitichan and the board believe this is an ideal time to welcome new executive leadership to build on the organization’s success and lead City Year New Hampshire toward even greater long-term impact.

The 7-Year Promise is an ambitious new initiative conceived by Nitichan around a simple belief: young people should not have to navigate life alone. The initiative will extend the relationships that begin in the classroom, connecting students with City Year alumni mentors from elementary school through high school and into post-secondary pathways and early career. By helping students build social capital—strong support, shared trust and opportunity networks, the 7-Year Promise aims to expand the connections, resources, and opportunities young people can draw upon as they pursue their aspirations.

Nitichan’s service with City Year New Hampshire began in 2000, when she joined as a founding staff member and soon became co-executive director alongside Alex Allen, now City Year’s SVP of Product Management. In 2012, Nitichan took over as the site’s sole executive director.

Over the course of its history, City Year New Hampshire has served more than 100,000 students across the state while recruiting and developing nearly 1,000 AmeriCorps members to serve New Hampshire communities. Many of these young adults have remained in the state and gone on to contribute as educators, civic leaders, and members of New Hampshire’s workforce.

For the past 15 years, City Year New Hampshire has focused its service on Manchester’s public schools, the largest and most diverse school district in the state. Working alongside teachers and school leaders, City Year AmeriCorps members serve as Student Success Coaches, providing students with academic support, encouragement, interpersonal skills coaching, and consistent relationships that help them thrive in school and beyond. In the 2024–2025 academic year alone, City Year New Hampshire served more than 3,000 students and delivered nearly 3,700 hours of targeted support in math and literacy.

“This is an exciting moment for City Year New Hampshire,” said Nitichan. “For 27 years, I have had the extraordinary privilege of experiencing firsthand the power of young people committed to service and the remarkable potential within the students we serve. I am deeply proud of what generations of AmeriCorps members, staff, board members, educators, partners, and supporters have built together—and even more excited about what lies ahead.”

“Under Pawn’s leadership, City Year New Hampshire is strong and looking forward to ever greater impact for our students and community,” said new City Year New Hampshire Board Co-Chairs Jennifer MacDonald and Casey Snyder. “The 7-Year Promise reflects both Pawn’s belief in the potential of young people and her commitment to continually asking what more we can do. As we look to the future, we are excited to welcome a new executive director who can build on this strong foundation, while Pawn continues her leadership and involvement with the 7-Year Promise.”

“I believe this is the right moment to welcome a new generation of leadership to build on what we have created together and take City Year New Hampshire even further”, added Nitichan.

Nitichan will lead City Year New Hampshire through the leadership transition, following which she will continue to help lead and advance the 7-Year Promise.

Throughout Nitichan’s tenure, City Year New Hampshire has developed a nationally recognized culture of idealism and service. In 2007, City Year New Hampshire hosted the National Conference on Idealism, bringing more than 1,500 AmeriCorps members, alumni, civic leaders, and community partners from across the country to celebrate youth leadership and national service while completing community service projects benefiting schools, veterans, shelters, and local communities. City Year New Hampshire has also received eleven “Best of City Year” awards, City Year’s highest national recognition, as well as the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s Corporate Fund Dunfey Award.