New board chair Paul Provost gets a close-up look at Granite Edvance

Never mind that he’d just retired from his post as president of NHTrust. Paul Provost was eager to get a look at his best-fit occupations as he draped his orange jacket over a chair in one of Granite Edvance’s appointment rooms. 

“If you tell me that I should have been Bob Dylan, you’re going to make my day,” Provost told Granite Edvance Education and Career Specialist Chris Cox as he prepared to go over his YouScience results.

The career assessment was just one stop in a fast-paced tour of Granite Edvance for Provost, who began his term as chair of the Granite Edvance Board of Trustees last month. Other highlights included sitting in on customer calls and appointments, participating in a team meeting, and hanging out at two community college open houses with Granite Edvance team members.  

“I’m definitely a get-my-hands-dirty kind of person,” Provost said. “The opportunity to hear live conversations with students and parents brought to life the journey from the first inquiry to a real concrete path forward.” 

If getting a peek under Granite Edvance’s hood suited Provost’s leadership style, it also spoke to his experiences as a first-generation college student and parent of two grown children who have followed in his footsteps.  

“My parents were that generation that just knew in their hearts that education was the key,” said Provost, who grew up in Vermont. What they didn’t know was how to help him navigate his education goals. For that, he relied on resources and support from the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, an organization similar to Granite Edvance.   

“If it wasn’t for VSAC, I wouldn’t be sitting here,” said Provost, who earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Vermont and his master’s from Saint Michael’s College.  

Five years ago, when Granite Edvance President and CEO Christiana Thornton asked Provost to join the board, he jumped at the chance. “I said, ‘This is what I live and breathe,’ ” he said. 

As he steps into his role as chair, Provost wants to build on the strong foundations the board and staff have created in recent years. “We want to keep the momentum going to position Granite Edvance as the best resource in the state for advice about college and career planning, including adult learning and skill enhancement,” he said. “We’re also strongly committed to fostering an inclusive culture, to ensure these wonderful and important resources are equally available to all.”  

Provost’s new role as board chair coincides with a life change that will afford him more time to focus on serving his community. This month, he returned to NHTrust as a certified financial planner. Prior to that, he spent the month of January on sabbatical, getting up close and personal with organizations he’s affiliated with or simply admires – which is how he found himself helping with homework and doing yoga at the local Boys & Girls Club and chatting with community college students alongside Granite Edvance team members Shawn Kithcart-Bulk and Lauren Broderick. 

“Advice is Granite Edvance’s specialty, and, wow, did I see that there,” he said. “I remember the first time I opened the FAFSA. This is a very complex topic, and Shawn and Lauren are so good at breaking it down and speaking to young people.” 

As for the YouScience consultation, Provost may not be taking up guitar anytime soon, but he did learn that he’s a “future focuser” with a strong aptitude for idea generation – talents that may in fact come in handy for a board chair.