Sean Toomey

Public Administration M.P.A. | Deputy Fire Chief in Concord
Sean Toomey

UNH Master of Public Administration student Sean Toomey, spends his days serving as deputy fire chief at the Concord Fire Department and his nights studying for his master's degree at the UNH Graduate School Manchester Campus.

An alumnus of UNH, Toomey graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. He worked in the private sector as an engineering consultant and in 2001 completed his Master of Science in Fire Protection Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He joined the Concord Fire Department in 2005 as the assistant life safety officer.

When asked why he chose to pursue a career in public service he responded, "I felt like as a consultant I was fighting the rules...now I'm not fighting the system, I'm helping people. And it's in my blood. My grandfather was the fire chief in Manchester for many years."

As Toomey rose in the ranks at the fire department, he became increasingly interested in learning more about the administrative functions. He returned to school in the fall of 2010, investigating the UNH Master of Public Administration degree program. "I was most interested in the courses that were taught by real-world practitioners which I could directly apply to my current job. And the convenient location of the Manchester campus and course times fit my schedule."

Toomey aspires to one day be the state fire marshal.

A member of the Greater Concord Leadership Program, Toomey participated in NH's Penguin Plunge benefiting the Special Olympics on a team of 11 other City of Concord officials. When not serving the public, Toomey enjoys raising dogs for his dog sledding team.

Since 1963, the UNH MPA Program has trained and educated public service and non-profit professionals in New Hampshire and the New England region, and is the only MPA program in New Hampshire. Manchester courses are offered in the early evenings, one evening per week, for 8 week or 15 week sessions.

The mission of the UNH Graduate School Manchester Campus is to provide high-quality graduate-level educational opportunities for working professionals to prepare them for leadership roles in the fields of education, human services, public health, business, and government by focusing and extending the University of New Hampshire's professional graduate programs to the economic and population center of the state. Classes are offered through the Graduate School's Manchester Campus conveniently located in the heart of the I-93 corridor.

For more information on UNH's Master of Public Administration program, contact Pam Neville or attend one of our evening information sessions