Allison Heartquist, former Haverhill mayoral chief of staff, was recently named director of HP3—Haverhill-Public Private Partnership, created to match Haverhill students with living wage careers.
HP3 is the brainchild of retired Army Lt. General John D. “Jack” Gardner of Alexandria, Va. He learned about Haverhill as a senior service fellow at Harvard, began pitching his ideas locally in 2018 and launched in 2019.
“We are incredibly fortunate that Allison is willing to accept this challenge. She is a hugely talented leader, possesses extensive management experience, knows the community and is the perfect person to lead what is a complex and nonstandard mission,” Gardner said in a statement Monday.
Heartquist went to work as director of the program at the beginning of the month.
Retired U.S. Army Lt. General Jack Gardner speaks before Haverhill City Council in 2019. (WHAV News file photograph.)
Gardner describes HP3 as a community partnership focused on achieving one goal—for all Haverhill Public School students to achieve a true living wage job, a job where they can have a good home, transportation and raise a family if they desire.
The partnership intends to coordinate a process that leverages the work of the schools and social organizations and drives an integrated community effort focused on the goal. Key tasks include helping middle and high school students recognize their interests, understand career opportunities and develop career plans.
Other aspects of the program include a mentor program to support students from middle school age to post-high school early adulthood and a transportation program. Once a year, the partnership will convene key community stakeholders, assess progress and identify adjustments required to achieve the goal.
HP3 lost momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic, but official said, “the program is again moving forward on what is seen as a long-term endeavor.”