Changing times for four nonprofits funding development
Just as four Maine banks changed leadership in January of this year — there have been 11 new bank CEOs in the past four years — four Maine nonprofit organizations involved in community and business development have recently or are about to change their helmsman.
“With four turnovers at these funding organizations, we'll have fresh energy,” said Susan Inches, who was on CEI's board and is a principal at Red Oak Group, a North Yarmouth consultancy. “Not that the former people were bad.”
The four heads include Ron Phillips, CEO and president of Wiscasset-based CEI, whose plan to retire in 2016 was announced in June. He spent nearly 40 years at the nonprofit he founded. Also in June, the Maine Association of Nonprofits, based in Portland, said Executive Director Scott Schnapp plans to retire within the next year after serving the group for 14 years.
Maine Development Foundation, based in Augusta, has already filled the shoes of former CEO and President Harold Clossey, who stepped down in April citing health and personal reasons, the second top leadership change in two years. Yellow Light Breen, a former executive vice president and chief strategic officer at Bangor Savings Bank for the past 12 years, took over Aug. 10. Breen was a former board member of MDF, and is known for his volunteer and public service efforts in education and economic development. He also served as the chair of the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education and Realize!Maine, an initiative that seeks to reverse the brain drain in Maine.
The fourth leadership turnover is at Portland-based Maine Community Foundation, which named Steven Rowe, a former Maine attorney general, as its next CEO and president. He is scheduled to start Sept. 15, until which time Meredith Jones, whose plan to step down was announced last fall, will continue to serve as CEO and president. According to MCF's website, the fund has awarded 128 grants to 103 organizations since it began grant-making.
Inches says CEI has hired an executive search firm to help find a new CEO and president. Meantime, Corenna Howard, CEI's chief operating officer, and Elizabeth Rogers, senior vice president of marketing and communications, are helping define the job, she said. The new head is expected to be announced at CEI's annual meeting next spring at Bowdoin College, Inches said.
CEI also had recent internal moves, including in March electing Ellen Seidman as the new chair of its Board of Directors, Betsy Biemann as vice chair of the board and Chip Newell as a new board member. Additionally, David Wedick became the new chief financial officer in May, and John Egan became senior vice president of loans and investment after Michael Finnegan retired in June.
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