Portsmouth resident Ross Gittell has been appointed chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire. The CCSNH Board of Trustees announced its appointment of Gittell on Dec. 11.

He will take over the position on Feb. 1 for J. Bonnie Newman, who has been serving as interim chancellor since August. Former chancellor Richard Gustafson retired this summer, spurring a national search for a replacement.

Gittell is a professor of management at the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics. He is a widely published source for economic analysis and forecasting in the state.

Gittell holds a Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University, a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California at Berkeley, and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Chicago.

The new chancellor will have his work cut out for him, as the N.H. Legislature has enacted deep cuts in funding to the Community College System. Gittell has long advocated the importance of education to economic recovery.

“Our ability to provide affordable and accessible programs of high academic quality, with strong ties and relevance to business and industry, is essential to ensure a competitive NH economy and broad economic opportunity,” he said in a press release.