Teresa R. Rosenberger
President of Devine Strategies

Biography

Teresa, the former President of FairPoint Communications in New Hampshire works extensively helping clients develop a strategy for success and growth. Teresa has extensive experience in regulatory matters, government affairs, public relations, grassroots organizing  and economic development. Teresa interacts regularly with the Governor, state legislature, state agencies, New Hampshire’s federal delegation, the federal government, local organizations, NH cities and towns and other public officials on areas of concern to the firm's clients. Throughout her career, Teresa has expertise in the areas of telecommunications, public utilities, healthcare, taxation, licensing, environmental issue, human resources, and all general business issues.

Teresa's approach to problem solving is to work within the client service team, providing potential political, legislative and grassroots solutions. Understanding the dynamics of both the political and legislative process at the federal, state and local levels allows Teresa to be a valuable contributor to a client service team.

Throughout her 30 year career in public policy, communications and advocacy, Teresa has been involved at both the national, state and local level. She began her career at U.S. News and World Report magazine. She has been a member the speech writing and research staff at the White House under the presidencies of Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan. From 1989-1996 Teresa was a political and communications consultant for The American Association of Retired Persons, helping develop federal and state advocacy positions and strategies for involvement in the presidential and other federal elections. She has also consulted for the Healthcare Leadership Committee in Washington, D.C., specifically working with their management to develop integrated state strategies to implement healthcare reform legislation. Teresa has worked on issues in the State of New Hampshire for the last decade and a half. Most recently, Teresa was the President of FairPoint Communications in New Hampshire. While at FairPoint, Teresa was able to successfully bring the company out of bankruptcy and totally change its image to one of respect. Under Teresa’s leadership, FairPoint was voted the best telecommunications company in NH.

EDUCATION:

University of North Carolina, Bachelor of Arts, Journalism, 1971

Representative Matters

• Community Reinvestment Opportunity Zones
  This legislation written and lobbied for by Devine Millimet's Government Relations practice is a landmark pro-business measure. It authorizes the establishment of Community Reinvestment Opportunity (or "CROP") Zones in under-utilized parts of cities and towns around the state. This law, which the Chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee called "historic", marks the first time that New Hampshire has approved the granting of state tax breaks as incentives to attract or retain businesses to the state.
• Net Operating Loss Reform
  This legislation, authored and lobbied for by Devine Millimet, repealed the existing DRA rule, which requires losses to be carried back before they can be carried forward. Because New Hampshire does not allow refunds or credits based upon losses, which are carried back, the net effect of the existing rule was simply to negate the loss credit off losses which a business might apply against profits in future years. The Department of Revenue estimated that this bill would save millions of dollars for New Hampshire businesses each year. This success came on the heels of our victory in upping the net operating loss limits from $250,000 to $1,000,000 which again was initiated, written and lobbied by the Devine Millimet Government Relations practice team.
• Additional Funding For Nursing Homes
  This legislation, authored and lobbied for by Devine Millimet, obtained an increase of $12 million per year for private nursing homes (which includes church nursing homes) in the state. This was the first increase for nursing homes in four years. This bill also contained a contingency section, which insured that the state could not reduce the level of general fund dollars currently being paid to nursing homes or divert money from the nursing homes.
• Eminent Domain
  In our continuing efforts to create some fairness for business property owners in eminent domain proceedings Devine Millimet successfully lobbied the passage of two key bills. One increases the cap on relocation assistance for businesses in eminent domain proceedings from $10,000 to $100,000. The other requires the State to pay a landowner up to $1000 for an independent appraisal prior to a taking.
• Housing Discrimination
  Our practice group was able to effect a change in housing discrimination laws so that it is now legally possible to build 55 and older housing, which excludes children. An inconsistency between the existing statutes and administrative rules of the Human Rights Commission had been preventing developers from building over-55 housing complexes legally.
• The Executive Branch
  Our team persuaded the Commissioner of DES to rescind and reverse a rule that had already been approved by the Commissioner and the JLCAR (the Joint Legislative Committee on Administrative rules). The effect of the rule would have been to weaken the existing standards set by law for wetland delineations.

Speaking Engagements

• Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College, "Women in Politics"
• The Women’s Leadership Institute Annual Conference, 2011
• NH Women Inspiring Women Conference 2010

Community Involvement

• New England Council, Board of Directors
• Business and Industry Association(BIA), Board of Directors
• Named one or NH’s most Influential Women in Business
• Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce, Past Chair and Board member
• Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy, former Board of Directors
• Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association, Past Chair and Board member
• New Hampshire Historical Society, Past Chair and Board Member
• New Hampshire Preservation Alliance, former Board of Trustees
• Capitol Region Healthcare Board, former Board of Directors
• Concord YMCA, Board of Directors, Past Chair
• Past Member NH Telecommunications Advisory Board (appointed by the Governor)
• Past Member State/ Capital/ Regional Zoning Commission
• Past Member of the economic Development Advisory Board ( appointed by the Governor)