Shurtleff Receives Caroline Gross Fellowship Award

House Democratic Leader and state Rep. Stephen Shurtleff, D-Penacook, was recognized yesterday in Statehouse ceremonies by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation for demonstrating a high standard of performance during his years in public service, according to a press release.

The Caroline L. Gross Fellowship was established in the memory of the former Concord legislator who worked in numerous positions in the House of Representatives, the Governor’s office, and as a State Representative from Concord. In 1989 she was appointed House Majority Leader, a position she held until her death in 1993.

Upon her death, her family, friends, and colleagues established this fellowship fund to nurture the next generation of public servants.

Speaker Shawn Jasper, who served as the assistant majority leader under Rep. Gross, called her, “one of the most remarkable ladies I have ever met,” also calling her an important mentor in his development as a legislator.

The Caroline L. Gross Fellowship honors individuals for their extraordinary work in public service. This annual award pays tribute to a woman whose own dedication to public service lives on through the work of the fellowship recipients. The fellowship enables the recipient to attend a three-week summer seminar at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Shurtleff, a six-term member of the House and a member of the Concord City Council since 2007, never served alongside Gross, but he told his colleagues in accepting the fellowship that he shared her legacy.

“I believe that we all have the ability to look for the thread that binds us instead of shining a light on the issues that may divide us,” said Shurtleff.

Rep. Shurtleff has served on Criminal Justice (2 terms), Judiciary (2 terms), Legislative Administration (3 terms) and Pension Reform (1 term), as well as numerous House leadership roles. He has also served as Concord At-Large City Councilor since 2004. He is a former United States Marshal supervisory deputy for the U.S. Department of Justice.

Caption: Richard Ober, left, the president and Chief Executive Officer of the NH Charitable Foundation, and state Rep. State Shurtleff.