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3 hours ago

Aroostook Partnership’s new CEO brings life sciences background

By Laurie Schreiber

Four months after the departure of its previous president and CEO, Aroostook Partnership brought on a new leader for the role, effective May 5.

Kiersten Purington succeeds Scott Dionne, who resigned after less than a year on the job.

A person poses for a headshot.
Photo / Courtesy Aroostook Partnership
Kiersten Purington

Purington brings a background in the life sciences. Her most recent position was founder and principal of Blue Dragonfly Solutions LLC, a firm that offers project and program management solutions for life sciences clients. 

She founded Blue Dragonfly in 2018 in Greater Boston to help life sciences clients with project and program management within the clinical and regulatory space, alliance management, new client acquisition and executive and board communications, according to her LinkedIn profile. The types of clients she typically worked with were early stage biotech, big pharma and life sciences nonprofit and educational institutions.

Her previous leadership experience at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in Boston and background in grant writing, research and organizational effectiveness are considered assets in her new role, according to a news release.

Business intricacies

Aroostook Partnership is a nonprofit private-public partnership whose mission is to ensure economic strength, growth and resilience of the County.

“Her passion for community and economic development aligns perfectly with our mission, and her scientific background will allow her to quickly grasp the intricacies of many businesses in our county,” said Jennifer Buckingham, the partnership’s board chair and leader of the search committee. 

As the only public-private regional economic development organization collaborating with all the communities in the County. The organization’s focus includes serving as a single point of contact serving private sector leadership, talents and resources in the region. Capabilities include research, data assemblage and analysis. Its incentive valuation program estimates the value of state incentive programs, municipal incentives, utility discounts, labor cost differentials, building and infrastructure lease incentives and other factors designed to draw business to northern Maine.

It connects companies with business leaders to address specific or technical questions about doing business in northern Maine, assists companies interested in cross-border trade and coordinates area visits for prospective companies considering a northern Maine location.

The partnership generates hundreds of inquiries annually by marketing the region as a business destination.

Career change

Purington had been looking for a career change when she learned of the Aroostook Partnership opening. The career change was inspired by her volunteer work supporting injured and orphaned animals at the Center for Wildlife in Cape Neddick.

“It’s important for me to do meaningful work that is grounded to a greater purpose,” she said. “I was drawn to the mission and commitment of the Aroostook Partnership to address some of the key challenges impacting our local communities including increasing the availability of affordable housing, improving workforce training and access to jobs, and supporting new business.”

Purington said she will draw from her academic, business and leadership experiences to drive the partnership’s growth.

Purington was introduced to Aroostook County by her husband, who has roots in Houlton, on a snowmobiling trip. She said she fell in love with the area’s commitment to hard work and entrepreneurship, as well as its rural beauty. 

Purington earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from Barnard College, a doctor of philosophy in behavioral and neural science from Rutgers University and an MBA from Boston University. 

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