From stories as diverse as the article last week about PIRG seeking wind power, to recent coverage of USM’s budget crisis, to the upcoming appointment of a new USM President, the “Board of Trustees” have been mentioned an awful lot. But who are they? As the current USM representative to the board, I felt I would be in a good place to explain who this board is.
They are 15 people who are appointed by the governor, as well as one ex-officio member (currently Susan Gendron, the Maine Commissioner of Education).
After being appointed, they appear before the Joint Committee on Education and are confirmed by the Maine Senate to serve a five year term.
Higher education has affects on the economy, on human welfare, on the education of our youth, on the technology we will use, and the growth of industry in our creative economy.
Because higher education is a community within itself that serves the larger community in which institution resides, the BOT consists of diverse individuals from across the state who are invested in the future of higher education in Maine.
So who are these 15 men and women?
One is a student. Every two years a new student is appointed to the board. Currently serving is Krissandra Horn from UMF. Get ready because in a year and a half USM Student Government will be taking applications!
The current Chair of the Board, Meg Weston, recently followed her passion and received an MFA in creative nonfiction, she is also an avid photographer with a love of capturing images of volcanoes, and she was the President of The Portland Press Herald and the Maine Sunday Telegram.
Bill Johnson is the former Mayor of Saco.
Jim Dowe is the President of the Maine Public Broadcasting Network.
Jean Flahive was formerly the dean and a professor of a community college and recently wrote “Billy Boy: The Sunday Soldier of the 17th Maine.”
Norman Fournier is the Executive Director of Fish River Rural Health.
Tamera L. Grieshaber owns an art gallery.
Charles “Wick” Johnson III is the owner of Kennebec Tool and Die and a former teacher.
Barry McCrum is the president of McCrum and Company, an advocacy and business solution firm.
Marjorie Murray Medd has advocated for education and economic development all over the world.
Paul Mitchell runs an insurance agency and helped found Kennebec Valley Community College.
Victoria Murphy, served in both the Carter and Johnson administrations and now owns her own company (she also got a degree from USM last spring).
Wayne Newall has worked passionately to preserve the Passamaquoddy language and culture and works on creating a culturally integrative curriculum while also working on an appointment from the U.S. Secretary of Interior, devising rules for “No Child Left Behind.”
Charles O’Leary served Maine for twenty years as the President of the Maine AFL-CIO and was a teacher.
Joe Wishcamper is the Manager and President of The Wishcamper Group, LLC and other development companies. We at USM owe tremendous thanks to him and his wife Carol for their generosity, which has helped fund the Wishcamper Center currently under construction on our Portland Campus.
This outstanding group of people will appoint the next President of USM, they will approve any elimination or addition of academic programs. They will approve any new purchases of lands as well as construction and major renovations.
They confer tenure to our professors.
And yes, they ultimately approve our budget as they allocate the state appropriations to fund our school.
In May they will meet to approve our tuition rates-which are likely to rise once again.
Intrigued? Their next meeting is here at USM on March 9 and 10.