T he 2011 slate of candidates for the Alumni Association Board of Trustees will bring increased talent and diversity to the board, if elected by alumni during the annual balloting.

Running for the seven positions on the board are Bradley J. Aiken '65, '78G, Martha A. Byam '75, Harold E. Davis '63, Craig J. Heisner '88, Glendowlyn F. Howard '05G, Valerie R. Shelton '82 and Gerarda "Gerry" S. Weidema '76.

Aiken, of Durham, majored in zoology and later earned an MBA at UNH. An active volunteer in his community, he is vice president of the Class of '65, chairman of its 50th Reunion gift committee and an avid supporter of UNH athletics.

Byam, of Hampton Falls, N.H., is a clinical assistant professor of social work at UNH. She majored in social work and earned a master's at the University of Utah. She was co-chair of the "Decade of '70s" reunion committee and is active in her community.

Davis, of Groton, Mass., and Jaffrey, N.H., received a bachelor's in mechanical engineering. He is a member of the CEPS Alumni Society board of directors and is active in professional organizations.

Heisner, of Northbrook, Ill., majored in economics and earned an MBA at Northeastern. He's a member of the organizing committee for the UNH Chicago alumni chapter and is active in community and professional organizations.

Howard, of Durham, earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering and architectural design from Princeton, a master's in manufacturing systems engineering from RPI and an MBA from UNH. She has served as a Pathways mentor and is active in community, educational and music organizations.

Shelton, of Newmarket, N.H., majored in business administration. She is on the Wildcat Winners Circle board and on the boards of numerous professional organizations.

Weidema, of Stratham, N.H., majored in accounting at UNH and earned a bachelor's degree from Southern New Hampshire University. Active in professional organizations, she has also served on the UNH Parents Council.

l be available by the start of voting on March 15. Alumni may request a paper ballot by calling (603) 862-2040 or (800) 891-1195; e-mailing alumni@unh.edu or writing to 2011 Election, Elliott Alumni Center, 9 Edgewood Rd., Durham, NH 03824. Voting online and by paper ballot will run through April 11; election results will be announced at the annual meeting on June 11.

They vary widely in age, interests and fields of expertise, but the seven alumni honored at the Alumni Association's awards ceremony at Homecoming last fall have made significant contributions to the university, the state and the world at large.

John "Jack" Lawson '49, '52G rose up through the ranks of educators in Massachusetts from teacher to commissioner of education before serving as associate vice president of alumni affairs at UNH during the 1990s. Kathleen Kidder '95G secured the right of her fellow nurse practitioners to practice without physician oversight in New Hampshire, a landmark breakthrough now considered best practice.

Fred Kfoury '64 is president and CEO of Central Paper Products, a UNH supplier that returns a percentage of its profits to the university to help students buy textbooks. Fred Olsen '97 headed the UNH Boston alumni chapter for more than four years, helping it grow to host more than 14 large-scale alumni events last year. Olsen also leverages his front-office position with the Red Sox to help UNH alumni in their eternal quest to score reasonably priced Red Sox tickets.

Electrical engineer John Gianforte '85, an amateur astronomer, has led countless viewing sessions at the UNH observatory and shared his knowledge with television audiences and newspaper readers across the state. H. Edmund "Ed" Bergeron '70 has generously contributed to the renovation of Kingsbury Hall and to two endowed scholarships, one in honor of Michael Blanchette '06, an intern at his company, HEB Engineering, who tragically passed away just before graduating.

And Frederick "Ted" Dey '84, a financial consultant, has volunteered at UNH in many capacities, including serving as the president of the Alumni Association board, spearheading the creation of a strategic plan for the association and serving as a Pathways program mentor.

J. Bonnie Newman '07H was described as one of the most prominent and influential people in New Hampshire when she was awarded the Pettee Medal, the Alumni Association's most prestigious award, in November. A former interim president and dean at UNH, Newman served as chief of staff for Sen. Judd Gregg, as assistant to the president for management and administration for President George H.W. Bush and as the executive dean at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. She also founded and owned the Coastal Broadcasting Corp. and held the license of WZEA-FM radio. Noting that UNH is at the core of who she is, Newman added the university is also "where I was inspired to help make the world a better place."