Meet Our Board of Directors
Misty Crompton
Chair
Misty Crompton is a dedicated grade 7 social studies teacher of 22 years who lives with her family in New Boston, NH. As a middle school educator in Derry she has served in many additional roles over the years including Team Leader, History Club advisor, Junior Oratorical organizer and Podcast Club leader.
Heidi Crumrine
Vice Chair
Heidi Crumrine is an English and reading teacher at Concord High School. She has been teaching for 19 years, including three years in the New York City Public Schools. She is the 2018 NH Teacher of the Year. She has a B.S. from the University of New Hampshire, an M.A.T. in English education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and an M.Ed. in reading instruction from Grand Canyon University.
James Mitkonis
Treasurer
James Mitkonis is a Senior Manager at Nathan Wechsler & Co., specializing in nonprofits. James has a B.S. in Business Administration and M.S. in Accounting from the University of New Hampshire and is a licensed CPA in New Hampshire. James currently lives in New Boston with his wife and twin boys.
Doug Cullen
After 20 years in the Education industry in New Hampshire, 15 years spearheading career and workforce development functions at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire as the Manager of Career Services, Cullen is now guiding the Apprenticeship and Workforce Development efforts for two separate professional associations: Manager of Workforce Development for the New Hampshire Timber Owners Association (NHTOA) and Manager of Apprenticeships/IBuild Initiatives for Associated Builders and Contractors of New Hampshire/Vermont.
Paul Leather
Paul Leather is the Partner for Policy and Local and State Partnerships for the Center of Innovation in Education, C!E, and directs the Interstate Learning Community, in collaboration with the State Performance Assessment Learning Community sponsored by LPI, addressing design and implementation issues related to instructionally relevant assessment systems at local and state levels.
Robin Melone
Robin Melone is a New Hampshire attorney at Pastori | Krans. She is respected for her litigation, negotiation, advocacy and compassion. She dedicates much of her time to supporting educational institutions as an external investigator, trainer, and advisor on issues related to Title IX and student and employee conduct.
Emeritus Members
Pawn Nitichan
Pawn Nitichan is the Executive Director of City Year New Hampshire and a Vice President of City Year Inc. With Nitichan’s leadership and her commitment to helping students, corps members, and staff succeed, City Year New Hampshire has more than tripled its service capacity and developed a widely recognized culture of idealism.
Tom Rath
Tom Rath is one of the most notable Republican strategists and advisers in the state. Tom served as the Chairman of the election campaigns of New Hampshire’s former U.S. Senators, Warren Rudman, and Judd Gregg and he actively assisted in the U.S. Senate process that confirmed David Souter as Supreme Court Justice.
Adam Ruedig
Adam Ruedig is a financial advisor with The Ruedig Group at UBS in Concord and Portsmouth, Prior to his career as a financial advisor Adam worked as an architect in New York and Boston. In addition to the Reaching Higher NH board, Adam serves on the Board of the Portsmouth Housing Authority.