13-03-2025
New Hampshire's 40 Under Forty share their stories, inspirations
Mar. 13—Gene Martin grew up in a homeless shelter and never imagined he'd be getting an award and having his picture taken with the governor.
But on Wednesday night, that's exactly what happened.
The Manchester resident was among the New Hampshire Union Leader 40 Under Forty community leaders honored at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. This year marked the 24th year of the program, which honors the state's most influential young professionals.
"A lot of folks probably don't know that I grew up in a homeless shelter and really had nothing as a kid and really have grown and continued to sort of like, beat the odds," said Martin, 38. "If you would have told me when I was living in the homeless shelter that I would be recognized as 40 Under Forty, I don't think I would have believed you."
A graduate of Manchester Memorial High School, Plymouth State University and the University of New Hampshire, Martin is now working on a doctorate at UNH. He's also the executive director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute.
Because Martin beat the odds, he has no shortage of inspiration to help others in New Hampshire do the same, including his two young daughters, he said.
"I hope all the things I've done thus far and continue to do is really focusing on them and having a state where everyone can thrive," Martin said.
Supporting others
Another common theme amount honorees was their work in the community and professionally to support people in need.
That motivation fuels Dr. Samantha Gnanasegaram, a 38-year-old honoree from Manchester who is a psychiatrist at Hope Counseling Services.
"Every patient encounter that I have, patients that I can help and help improve their quality of life and their ability to have relationships, jobs, to achieve their dreams — every one of those is my greatest accomplishment, as well as my kids," she said.
Honoree Mary Maybury of Peterborough is the executive director of Farmsteads New England, an organization that helps empower adults with developmental disabilities. Despite her accomplishments, she said she has much more work to do.
"We plan to continue to expand and grow and face the housing crisis head on," she said. "We have great projects going on where we're opening up beds for individuals with developmental disabilities and acquired brain disorders. The issue right now that we're facing in New Hampshire and throughout the country really is that there's limited amount of housing for individuals, especially in the most vulnerable populations."
Maybury, 38, is a foster parent, spent 15 years in the Army and recently finished writing a book titled "Leading with Laughter: Practical Lessons from the Frontlines of Leadership."
Critical help
Cordan James Haveron, 37, is a mentor, TEDx speaker and disabled veteran in Manchester who founded Vetrun Movers, a felon-friendly moving company that helps at-risk veterans. He volunteers with The Comeback Kids and the Boys and Girls Clubs in Nashua and Manchester. His proudest achievement is being a father of two boys and a girl.
What's next for him?
"Growing to get more trucks, to add more guys, to serve more people, and then my mentorship program, getting facilitation happening, where I'm adding more mentors, serving more youth and families, and having more discussions on how families can be strengthened in New Hampshire," he said.
Twenty-seven-year-old Jace Troie of Manchester is a community engagement coordinator at the state's National Alliance on Mental Illness New Hampshire, known as NAMI NH. His organization helps people affected by mental illness and suicide through support, education and advocacy.
A theater lover and former high school hockey player who is active in the local community theater scene, Troie is most proud of the work he's done for suicide prevention for the LGBT community.
"I want to continue working on supporting the LGBT community in suicide prevention matters in whatever way I can, creating a welcoming state for folks so that everyone is able to not only live comfort, live comfortably, but also thrive," he said.
Mentoring youth
Another recipient, Adam Larrabee of Amherst, gives back in hockey rinks, both foreign and domestic.
As the president and founder of NH Whalers, a nonprofit youth hockey organization, Larrabee, 39, hopes to teach life lessons to as many kids as he can and help them learn about the world beyond the ice.
"We started with one youth team. We now have 20. We used to only have boys teams. We now have five girls teams," he said.
A former professional hockey player in Finland, Larrabee said he is proud to offer opportunities to travel and learn leadership skills — experiences that have already led to young players giving back to their communities.
Honoring NH's young leaders
Gov. Kelly Ayotte, a 2002 40 Under Forty honoree, helped kick off the awards ceremony by thanking the award recipients for their service.
"I don't think any of you sleep. Not only your contributions in the professional sense, which are phenomenal, but also really all of you contributing to your communities at a local level through your nonprofit service, through helping other people, inspiring other people, coming up with new ideas as to how our state can be even better and stronger," Ayotte said.
New Hampshire Union Leader President and Publisher Brendan McQuaid said the 40 Under Forty honorees exemplify what makes the state great.
"This event always reminds me that in New Hampshire, impressive young people are a renewable resource," he said.
Sponsors
New Hampshire Insurance Department, Community College System of New Hampshire, Orr and Reno, ATOM Group and Devine Millimet sponsored the 2025 40 Under Forty.
Mike Skelton, president and CEO of the Business & Industry Association, helped McQuaid introduce this year's 40 Under Forty class.
"BIA has long partnered with the New Hampshire Union Leader in recognizing emerging leaders like today's honorees. We are pleased to once again be part of this important celebration of tomorrow's business, political and opinion leaders," he said.
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