SNHU Officially Unveils New Southwest Operations Center in Tucson, AZ

Contact:

Lauren Keane
Southern New Hampshire University
203.695.2264
l.keane@snhu.edu

Tucson, A.Z. (Feb. 19, 2020) – Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) celebrated the opening of its new downtown Tucson operations center with a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception on Feb. 19. Community leaders and city officials joined more than 100 new SNHU staff at the opening and welcomed the university to the Tucson community.

“SNHU’s operations center will help adults get the skills they need to remain competitive in our fast paced and ever-changing 21st century economy,” said Sharon Bronson, Pima County supervisor. “Workforce development is vital to Tucson’s continued economic success and it is educational innovators like SNHU that will help our community deliver the workforce that employers need now and in the decades to come.”

SNHU recently hired more than 100 new staff members from the Tucson area. The new Tucson-based team includes student support staff members, including academic advisors, student financial services staff, admission representatives, IT support and a variety of leadership roles.

“We are excited to officially open our new Southwest Operations Center right here in the heart of Tucson,” said Paul LeBlanc, president and CEO, SNHU. “Today we celebrate our new friends and colleagues in Arizona who will lead our student support services for thousands of learners across the West Coast, and we look forward to being an engaged member of the Tucson community.”

The new location was selected after a nationwide search. SNHU chose Tucson for its welcoming atmosphere, close fit with SNHU’s culture, and opportunities to get involved in the Tucson community.

“SNHU now occupies a prominent location in downtown and will continue to grow for many years to come,” said Joe Snell, president & CEO of Sun Corridor Inc. “Downtown Tucson is becoming immensely popular with talent and workforce attracted to its burgeoning food, arts, theatre and music scene. SNHU joins corporate neighbors Caterpillar, Hexagon Mining, Madden Media, Tucson Electric Power, and Ernst & Young, among others.”

Ahead of the ribbon cutting, the entire Tucson-based team as well as SNHU leadership from New Hampshire participated in a day of service across the city. Tuesday’s projects included cleaning up a 13-acre park with Tucson Clean & Beautiful, boxing 26,000 lbs of food at Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona, preparing and serving meals with the Primavera Foundation, bundling 10,000 diapers with Diaper Bank of Southern Arizona, and landscaping a veterans facility with Esperanza En Esclante.

“Here in Tucson, we’ve hired a talented group of staff who bring to the table new ideas, diverse perspectives and great enthusiasm to help our learners reach their educational goals,” said Ann Fraley, vice president of Southwest Operations, SNHU.

The university opened the Southwest Operations Center to better serve online students in western time zones.

“Education provides a key to the doors of opportunity, and having a great national leader in online education opening a regional student assistance facility in our community, it is indeed a great day for Tucson and Pima County,” said Bronson.

About Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a private, nonprofit institution with an 87-year history of educating traditional-aged students and working adults. Now serving more than 135,000 learners worldwide, SNHU offers over 300 accredited undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, available online and on its 300-acre campus in Manchester, New Hampshire. Recognized as the "Most Innovative" regional university by U.S. News & World Report and one of the fastest-growing universities in the country, SNHU is committed to expanding access to high quality, affordable pathways that meet the needs of each learner. Learn more at www.snhu.edu.

###