Political junkie's new job is to light spark for others

In the Nashua Telegraph, Albert McKeon profiles Neil Levesque, the incoming Executive Director at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm's.

Neil Levesque fully realized New Hampshire's intimate relationship with politics when Al Gore stopped by Nashua High School early in the 1988 presidential campaign season.

Levesque not only got a first glimpse of Gore as a potential national leader, but he spent time with Albert Gore Sr., who was acclaimed in his own right as a former U.S. senator.

Levesque was thrilled a teenager with a love of politics could have close access to politicians. But this was New Hampshire, where the primary plops aspiring world leaders into people's living rooms and high school auditoriums.

Now, more than 20 years later, the 39-year-old Levesque has the responsibility of ensuring a new generation of students have the same sort of access to politicians, as well as an environment to further their understanding of politics.

As a fellow political junkie who was inspired by youthful exposure to the First in the Nation Primary, I'm thrilled to see a good man and a good friend heading up such a worthy institution as the IOP.