The University of Maine System Board of Trustees unanimously voted to appoint Malloy as the next Chancellor, replacing James Page, who will retire effective as of June 30. The appointment comes after more than a year of planning and a nationwide search.
“My time in electoral politics is over, but I am still passionate about providing public service leadership that matters,” Malloy said in a statement. “Maine has set a national example for public higher education reform, and I am eager to work with the board, the presidents, faculty, staff, and university supporters to build on this progress for Maine’s learners.”
Malloy, 63, will be the 13th chancellor of the University of Maine System since it was formed in 1968. He served two terms as governor from 2010 through 2018 before opting not to run for re-election, paving the way for new Gov. Ned Lamont. Malloy also served 14 years as the mayor of Stamford.
“Dan Malloy is an executive leader and public servant committed to taking on complex change initiatives and getting the job done,” James Erwin, chair of the UMS Board of Trustees, said. “As governor, he delivered reforms and structural changes to the state government that were not always popular, and certainly not expedient, but that advanced the long term interest of his state and its citizens.
“Under Dan’s leadership we will help lead Maine’s response to our workforce shortage and skills gap by connecting more of what we teach directly to a job, by reaching more adult learners and other Mainers underserved by higher education and lifting their Maine-career aspirations, and by continuously including new approaches to what we teach and how we teach it to meet the competitive challenges of today’s higher education marketplace.”
Malloy said that the University “has to act with urgency” as Maine’s workforce challenges “grow larger by the day.”
“Decisions will come fast, but they will be informed. I will be devoting many of my first days to visiting the campuses. I want to meet with new colleagues, hear from students, and see first-hand how our universities are serving the people and communities of Maine.”
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