Wednesday, March 16th 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. in the Woodside Building at the Taylor Community, 435 Union Avenue, Laconia, NH
In this lively and engaging presentation, PSU’s Stephen Barba, executive director of University Relations, will share tales from the 48 years he worked at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. No other hotel in American can match The BALSAMS for the scope and scale of its historic collection and for the opportunity every guest has to enjoy this collection throughout the resort.
From 1959, when he attended summer caddy camp as a teenager, to his retirement as Innkeeper Emeritus in 2006, Barba was fascinated by this magical resort destination – truly a world apart – and during his 36 years as president and managing partner, he collected a treasure trove of historic memorabilia, ephemera, and photographs.
Barba has presented his “Story of The Balsams” hundreds of times in Dixville Notch and throughout New England. He will narrate a program of historic slides to illustrate the evolution of the resort from the 1800’s to the present day, intermixed with personal anecdotes and observations. The title of the presentation is a borrowed quotation from noted American writer and humorist Mark Twain.
Barba has held leadership positions for dozens of organizations serving his community, state, and nation. During his career he has been awarded National Resort Executive of the Year; Master of New England Inn-keeping; NH Distinguished Citizen of the Year; NH Business Leader of the Year; the University of New Hampshire Granite State Award; the New Hampshire Business Excellence Hall of Fame; and he has been recognized for his lifetime achievements by eight state and regional organizations.
Since 2006, Barba has served as a member of the senior administration at Plymouth State University. He lives in Concord, with his wife, Gail.
Overcast. Temperature: 66; Wind: E at 5; Conditions as of Thu May 23 at 10:00 PM EDT