Courtesy / University of Maine System
Deborah Hedeen was appointed president and provost at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
Updated: March 25, 2020
New president appointed for UMaine at Fort Kent
By Staff
The new president and provost at the University of Maine at Fort Kent brings 27 years of higher education experience, including nearly two decades in leadership roles.
University of Maine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy announced this week that Deborah Hedeen was appointed to the top spot.
Hedeen has served as the provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Montana Western since July 2016, according to a news release. She holds a doctorate in special education from Syracuse University.
Hedeen took the helm from Dr. Tex Boggs, who had been serving as interim president and provost since July 1, 2019, after the retirement of John Short.
Hedeen participated in a virtual introduction event that was streamed to the University of Maine System’s YouTube channel on March 24. Her appointment begins July 1.
National search
Hedeen was chosen through a national search, which Malloy announced during a first-day-on-the-job visit to the University of Maine at Fort Kent last summer.
The UMFK Presidential Search Committee began its work last September under the leadership of search chair Kelly Martin, a Fort Kent resident and vice chair of the University of Maine System board of trustees. The committee was charged with recommending to the chancellor an unranked list of no more than four individuals qualified to lead the university along with an assessment of each of the candidates.
“We were able to bring four highly qualified higher education leaders to campus for a visit and present a strong slate of candidates to the chancellor for his consideration,” Martin said in the release.
Malloy commented on the selection of Hedeen: “Our commitment to our rural communities and campuses is student-focused and mission-driven. Dr. Hedeen understands the importance of strengthening access to education across all regions of Maine and that we have to work together to get the job done for our students. She impressed us all in her visit this winter and it is a pleasure to welcome Deb to UMFK and the University of Maine System leadership team.”
Hedeen said, “I am so thrilled and honored to have been selected to serve as the next president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent. The faculty, staff and students are so proud of this university, its history and the programs and services that make UMFK a premier rural university. I am impressed, inspired and ready to get to work on campus and across the University of Maine System to continue building on the strength and reputation of UMFK.”
The president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent is advised by a board of visitors composed of community leaders and university stakeholders. Doug Cyr serves as the chair of the board and was a member of the search committee.
“UMFK is an important resource for today’s students and employers,” Cyr said in the release. “It is also an institution that enjoys broad support for its long tradition of community service and enrichment.”
Most Recent
Most Recent
Related Content
Anonymous
March 26, 2020
Congratulations to President Hedeen and the boldness and insight of the System Chancellor to support the Ft. Kent community by keeping UMFK a separate and district university.
Paul Tracy
March 26, 2020
Why are we hiring a President for a campus with less than 2,000 students and all the expense that goes with this? This position was supposed to be a shared one with UMPI?
2 Comments