​​Jim O’Connell is a public education advocate and cybersecurity business leader who knows what it means to get things done for New Hampshire. As Vice Chair and citywide elected member of Manchester’s School Board, Jim has led the city’s $306 million capital project to upgrade facilities, determined to deliver world class school buildings for students. On the board, he’s earned a reputation as a results-driven leader who delivered contracts to school employees, the largest increase for educators in the city of Manchester in decades. Beyond his work supporting public school educators, Jim led the effort to implement a $15 minimum wage for hundreds of workers in Manchester. 

Now, Jim is running for Executive Council to continue to deliver for our state, bringing his same brand of hard work and practical leadership to Concord to protect reproductive freedom, safeguard public education against extremists and bring people together to make it easier for Granite Staters to live, work and raise a family right here in New Hampshire. As a business person with expertise in public-private partnerships and large-scale projects, Jim knows how to deliver for the public good. He will advance our fight to bring commuter rail to New Hampshire and take on a statewide leadership role on transportation, which is key to growing the Granite State economy. 

An immigrant and proud American citizen, Jim has lived in Manchester for 27 years. He and his wife Kathy, have four children. Molly, Liam, Lily and Aidan, are all products of Manchester’s public school system. He served as a director for the NH Soccer Association, is a past Board Member of the North Manchester Little League and previously was PTO President at Hillside Middle School.