New Futures Honors Health Policy Champions at 28th Annual Awards Celebration

CONCORD, N.H. – On Thursday, October 23, New Futures held its 28th Annual Awards Celebration, which honored legislative achievements and recognized individuals who have made significant contributions to the health and well-being of the Granite State in 2025.

New Futures, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, champions policies that support the health and well-being of all Granite Staters, ensuring that all New Hampshire residents have equitable opportunities to live, work, and thrive.

Kelly Untiet, Board Chair, opened the evening by welcoming the crowd and introducing a video highlighting New Futures’ work and partnerships to ensure that older adults in New Hampshire have access to the resources they need to live and age, like access to transportation, health care, affordable housing, and supports for family caregivers:

"This past year has been challenging," said Michele Merritt, President of New Futures, in her opening remarks. "We know we will continue to face obstacles in 2026, and it’s going to be hard. But at least for tonight, I hope we can leave you feeling overwhelmed with the power of this community: the partners, volunteers, and people who are showing up and doing this work when it is the hardest."

Merritt added, “Upholding nonpartisan values doesn’t mean avoiding difficult or politicized conversations or issues. It means staying grounded in evidence. It means advancing well‑researched, data‑informed solutions to complex problems. And it means continuing to reach across divides to listen, build understanding, find common ground, and to try to move forward together, even when the path is hard.”

New Futures' 2025 award recipients worked throughout the year to advocate for policy changes that improve opportunities for New Hampshire’s children, families, and communities.

Katie Lyon-Pingree was honored with the Jennifer Wierwille Norton Advocacy in Action Award. Throughout the legislative session, Lyon-Pingree bravely shared with lawmakers how losing her 18-year-old son in 2021 following a behavioral health crisis may have been prevented if services like the 988 Suicide and Crisis Care line and FAST Forward wraparound services had been available to her family. “I guess you could say I’ve gotten the advocacy bug,” said Lyon-Pingree in a powerful video that played during the event, adding, “You could say this is just an extension of me taking care of my son.”

Senator Sue Prentiss was recognized as the Legislator of the Year for her bipartisan work on several policies that strengthen families, such as her work on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Care line, and this year’s successful comprehensive maternal health package that ensures new mothers can receive mental health screenings at their baby’s pediatrician appointments.

New Futures also recognized all 13 of New Hampshire’s Regional Public Health Networks for their work advocating for the health and well-being of their communities with the President’s Award.

In addition to the awards, New Futures honored the following individuals with scholarships:

• Health and Wellness Scholarship: Dr. Christine Arsnow and Dr. Julie Kim, of the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, for their efforts to defeat attacks on vaccine access for New Hampshire children.
• Madeline Demeule Behavioral Health Scholarship: Dennis Calcutt, Executive Director of Connected Families NH, for his advocacy to ensure all youth and their families can receive treatment for mental health in their communities through FAST Forward wraparound services.
• Kids Count Scholarship: Erin Downey, for sharing their experiences with the state’s youth mental health system with lawmakers throughout the session.

Merritt wrapped up the evening by returning to the idea of trying. “Trying is what advocacy really is. It’s showing up, even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed. It’s sharing your story, even when it’s hard. It’s writing testimony, meeting with lawmakers, or making one more phone call, because deep down, you believe the next conversation might be the one that shifts a perspective or snaps an issue into view for someone who couldn’t see the impact before.”

Learn more about the 2024 New Futures award winners: