Inaugurated as New Hampshire’s 80th Governor in January 2005, John Lynch is bringing a renewed spirit of bipartisan cooperation to the State House and working to make progress on the issues important to New Hampshire families – improving education, reducing health care costs, protecting the environment, and creating good jobs.

In his first months in office, Gov. Lynch has joined with bipartisan coalitions of legislators to propose legislation to present a lasting solution to New Hampshire’s education funding challenge, to reduce health care costs for small businesses, and to establish an independent Ethics Commission for the Executive Branch.

As a businessman, John Lynch proved he could keep an eye on the bottom line and still watch out for people. He is doing the same thing as Governor, proposing a lean and a lean and responsible two-year budget that meets the needs of the people of New Hampshire.

Gov. Lynch’s commitment to putting the interests of people first is an extension of his work as a business and community leader.

As the President and CEO of Knoll, Inc., a national furniture manufacturer, he transformed a company losing $50 million a year into one making a profit of nearly $240 million. Under his leadership, Knoll created new jobs, gave factory workers annual bonuses, established a scholarship program for the children of employees, created retirement plans for employees who didn’t have any, and gave workers company.
Gov. Lynch has also served as chair of the University System Board of Trustees, where he worked to keep tuition increases to a minimum; as director of Admissions at the Harvard Business School, where he made ethics one of the criteria for admissions; and as president of the Lynch Group, a business-consulting firm in Manchester.

Long a community leader, John Lynch served on the board of Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, on the board of the Capitol Center for the Arts, is the past president of the UNH alumni association, and a longtime coach of youth soccer, hockey, softball and baseball.

Gov. Lynch was born in Waltham, Massachusetts on November 25, 1952, the fifth of William and Margaret Lynch’s six children and attended the local public schools. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father ran a local Boys’ Club.

Working his way through college, John Lynch earned his undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire in 1974. He also holds an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

He and his wife of 27 years, Susan, live in Hopkinton, and have three children, Jacqueline, a college freshman, and Julia and Hayden, who attend local public schools.