Former Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy will lead the University of Maine system. The university announced Thursday morning that the board of trustees unanimously voted to appoint him the next Chancellor of the University of Maine System.
The current chancellor, James Page, will retire on June 30 and Malloy will begin his service on July 1.
“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 in a statement. “As governor he delivered reforms and structural changes to state government that were not always popular, and certainly not expedient, but that advanced the long term interest of his state and its citizens.”
Prior to serving as Connecticut’s governor, Malloy was mayor of Stamford.
“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.”
“The Board’s Strategic Priorities sets expectations and direction for our work. We have to act with urgency -- 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,” Malloy went on to say.
Malloy is the current Rappaport Distinguished Visiting Professor at Boston College Law School and taught undergraduate political science for 12 semesters as an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut.
