Maine Med elects Libra official as chairman of board of trustees

Maine Medical Center announced today that Jere Michaelson, right, president of the Libra Foundation, has been elected chairman of its board of trustees. MMC also announced that Katherine Coster, a banker, was elected to serve as vice chair of the board.

Write a Comment

By Staff

Maine Medical Center has named a Libra Foundation executive to lead its board of trustees, the Portland hospital announced today.

Jere Michelson, president of Portland-based Libra, will serve as chair of the board, while Katherine Coster, a banker, was elected to vice chair.

“Maine Medical Center is fortunate to have a long history of talented and dedicated volunteer leaders serving on its board of trustees. I’ve had the privilege of working alongside Jere and Kathy for several years now and I am excited to see where their guidance and governance will help take Maine Medical Center as we continue to improve the quality of care and experience we provide for patients and the community,” said MMC President and CEO Rich Petersen.

Maine Med is the state’s largest medical center, licensed for 637 beds and employing nearly 8,700 people. It is undergoing a major expansion in Portland. As a nonprofit, it provides nearly 23% of all the charity care delivered in Maine. It is a member of the MaineHealth system, a growing family of health care services in northern New England.

Michelson, who oversees Libra’s operations and finances, is a CPA by training and has served as chair of the finance committee for Maine Medical Center’s board of trustees, as well as serving on the executive committee. He also sits on the board for Gorham Savings Bank and was appointed by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins to serve on the Military Service Academy Selection Committee.

Coster has spent the majority of her career in commercial banking at institutions in New York, California and Massachusetts.

She became a trustee of Maine Med in 2013 and chairs the board education and research committee. She is also a member of the finance, quality and safety, governance and credentials committees. She is a past board chair of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine and has served in volunteer roles for a number of nonprofits including Parish of the Holy Eucharist and Dartmouth College.