Promoting Dynamic and Sustainable Community on the Seacoast  

We educate about the vaue of building our local economy.

We are independent businesses, residents and nonprofits working together.

We share the belief that a healthy community, economy and environment go together.

Investing in all three locally helps us build a sustainable future on the Seacoast.

We deliver education and awareness about this vision, and encourage projects that help bring it to life.

Specifically, we've picked five areas to make an impact: local business, local food, local energy, local capital and local arts and culture.

Our current projects range from business networking meetings to community festivals to campaigns like the 10% Shift.

We do this work with the help of our members, and with the help of other organizations like ours around the country.

Through this work, we encourage business members to become community leaders, and community members to invest in our community.

The more success we have, the more we are able to do. Together, we are building a local, living economy.

• Ensure that the Seacoast retains its unique character
• Support a strong community and thriving local economy with meaningful jobs, a diversity of businesses and involved citizens
• Decrease the negative impacts of human activity on our environment
• Know and collaborate with others in the community who share similar concerns and values
• Increase the convenience of making environmentally and socially sustainable decisions
• Model sustainable practices for the community

Seacoast Local programs currently include the Buy Local Campaign, the Seacoast Local Festival and the Making the Connection sustainability speaker series. This winter, our members successfully completed the (H)EAT campaign, raising money for 10,000 meals and 10,000 gallons of home heating oil for residents in need.

Have more ideas about what we can accomplish? Tell us! Learn more about how to get involved here. 

Our Board of Directors includes:

	Kelly Cioe, president of the board, is principal of Whalen Public & Media Relations, a creative, comprehensive, value-based public and media relations agency in Portsmouth. She draws on her business experience, industry knowledge, persuasive communications and strong media relationships to help clients achieve their objectives. As president of the board of directors for Seacoast Local, Kelly hopes to raise awareness in the region about the importance of local business, non-profits, community, and arts and culture.
	Shannon Hill grew up in the concrete jungle of suburban Chicago, watching "mom and pop" stores close as national chains slowly ate up the landscape. She dreamed of life on the East Coast, and in September 2003, she began living the dream in New Hampshire. Shannon is committed to shopping, eating and living as locally and sustainably as possible. She is the director of Simply Green Biofuels and a member of the Dover Energy Advisory Committee.
	Local First movements and Independent Bookstores go together like peanut butter and more peanut butter. Tom Holbrook started RiverRun bookstore 7 years ago with the tag line: "Locally Owned, Locally Operated, Locally Involved." A desire to preserve the culture, environment, and unique character of the Seacoast led him to co-found Seacoast Local.
	Denise Mallett and her husband, Evan, own and operate Black Trumpet, a bistro and wine bar in downtown Portsmouth. They are committed to working with nearby growers, farmers and fisheries to bring local, sustainable and delicious dishes to their guests. Through her work with Seacoast Local, Denise hopes to help bring local and healthy food to all Seacoast residents, but especially to our schools and children.
	Karen Marzloff has been writing for local media for 15 years, and five years ago began working at The Wire, a news and culture weekly in Portsmouth, N.H. The Wire documents its community, but it also creates its own arts and culture initiatives, such as the RPM Challenge and the ArtSpace concert series. As a founder of Seacoast Local, she brings a deep understanding of the link between local media, local business and local people.

• Karen Marzloff, Coordinator, info (at) seacoastlocal.org
• by phone at 603-766-1775 
• by mail at Seacoast Local, PO Box 1459, Portsmouth, NH 03802

Seacoast Local is an affiliate of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, a 501c3 organization working to catalyze, strengthen, and connect local business networks like ours.

We also participate in the New England Local Business Forum, coordinating efforts with other local business alliances around New England.