REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS / QUALIFICATIONS, FINANCIAL AND MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT - 2019 SEDC The Strafford Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) is requesting proposals for providing financial and management consultancy services. Copies of the RFP may be found on the SEDC website, www.sedcnh.org or at the office at 100 Main Street, Suite 101, Dover NH 03820, during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., M-Th. Proposals must be submitted either by email to dmccann@sedcnh.org or received by SEDC via US mail, by 5:00 PM on July 25, 2019.

​Esther Varnum is a current intern at SEDC. Her work has included grant research and application writing in addition to assisting in the recommendation of potential projects that are presented to the Board. She has also created a Three Statement Model in Excel that uses a business’ financial history to project their future financials.
Esther is pursuing a B.S. in Statistics at the University of New Hampshire and will graduate in the spring of 2020.


Jack Russo recently completed his internship at SEDC. His work at SEDC involved analyzing and interpreting financial spreadsheets as well as assisting in the loan application review process of potential borrowers. One of Jack’s biggest contributions to SEDC was the creation of a program that utilizes an R based logistic regression to determine the likelihood of loan repayment of a borrower. 

A 2019 graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Jack holds a B.S. in Information Technology with a concentration in Finance and has accepted a financial consultant position at Merchants Auto.

Financial Development Officer Matthew Norton departs SEDC after a year of service. He moves onto the NH Community Loan Fund where he will serve as Business Lender.

In December of 2017 our successful efforts to obtain and sell tax credits to fund a new position at SEDC were featured in a piece posted by ReThink Health in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By selling tax credits awarded by the New Hampshire Community Development Finance Authority, SEDC was able to establish a new position to assist Strafford County regional treatment and recovery centers to connect with funding to build capacity, much needed infrastructure, and support organizational stability.

ReThink Health proposes that this method of financing health initiatives be adopted to fund other regional health initiatives.

​We thank ReThink Heath and Amanda McIntosh for their acknowledgement and recognition of our efforts in the region!

Click here to read about the successful relocation of a Portsmouth tool and die business.

​Congratulations to North East Cutting Die and thanks to Dan Grey of Coastal Economic Development Corporation for the referral!

Stephanie Benedetti is a Financial Development Officer at SEDC. Stephanie will assist in the development of Strafford county’s main street businesses and small business development throughout the area.


Prior to joining SEDC, Stephanie’s area of expertise comes from financially managing government funded private engineering, construction, and planning development projects. As the former business and financial manager of an architectural cost construction firm in New York City, she brings an extensive amount of financial, small business planning, and community development knowledge to the organization.

​Stephanie holds her BS in Business Management with a minor in Accounting from SUNY at Farmingdale.
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