Paul LeBlanc (college president)

Early life and education

LeBlanc's family immigrated to the United States when he was a child. He became the first person in his extended family to attend college. He enrolled at Framingham State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree. He then received his master's degree from Boston College and his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Professional career

From 1993 to 1996, LeBlanc worked for Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company (now Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). He then served as the President of Marlboro College in Marlboro, Vermont from 1996 to 2003. In 2003, LeBlanc became the President of Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) in Manchester, New Hampshire. LeBlanc is a signatory of the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment and the Amethyst Initiative

In March 2015, LeBlanc embarked on a three-month assignment to serve as a senior advisor to Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell. His focus was primarily on how the Department of Education can establish better accrediting standards for competency-based learning and other innovations. The Chronicle of Higher Education describes LeBlanc as a leading advocate of competency-based learning.

For his leadership at SNHU, LeBlanc has been named one of America's Ten Most Innovative College Presidents by Washington Monthly. He is also a recipient of the New Hampshire State Merit Award from the New England Board of Higher Education, as well as the Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the New Hampshire High Tech Council.

Personal life

LeBlanc and his wife Patricia have two daughters, Emma and Hannah.