USM president, who plans to leave the school in June, will oversee two foundations

Photo / Courtesy of USM Glenn Cummings, who will step down as president of the University of Southern Maine, will lead two foundations.

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By Jessica Hall

University of Southern Maine President Glenn Cummings, who plans to step down in June, will join the Glickman Family Office in Portland as president and CEO, overseeing two foundations.

In the position, Cummings will lead the Albert B. Glickman Family Foundation and the Judy Glickman Lauder Foundation, in addition to other duties at the Glickman Family Office. The family office also manages investment resources for the three-generation family.

In October, Cummings announced his plan to step down as USM president, a role he has held since 2015. During his tenure, Cummings led USM to record-high out-of-state enrollment growth and helped raise almost $9 million for a program assisting first-generation college students.

Also under Cummings, USM recently launched its largest-ever construction project and laid the foundation for a new arts center in Portland that will include a music school.

Cummings will begin full-time in his new position on July 1, when he concludes his tenure with USM. Over the next few months, Cummings will provide part-time service to the family office.

“With his depth of experience, Glenn is the best person to help us to expand the work of the Albert B. Glickman Family Foundation and the Judy Glickman Lauder Foundation,” says Judy Glickman Lauder, chair of the board of directors for both organizations. “We are extremely proud to have him join the organization and to help lead our work in support of mental health, medical research, the visual arts, and education.”

Cummings previously served one year as the president of the University of Maine at Augusta. He served President Barack Obama as deputy assistant secretary within the U.S. Department of Education. He is a former speaker of the house in the Maine House of Representatives, majority leader and chairman of the state’s Joint Committee of Education and Cultural Affairs.

“Throughout my career, I’ve focused on trying to have a positive impact on our community, our state and our country. I believe that this opportunity will help continue that work in a new setting,” Cummings says. “The Albert B. Glickman Family Foundation and the Judy Glickman Lauder Foundation, through their philanthropy, are changing lives for the better, and I’m excited to be a part of that important work.”

Cummings says he had intended to return to teaching full time when he announced his decision to step down as USM president in October.

“At this point, I believe that I can have the greatest positive impact helping with these two amazing foundations, whose work has made Maine and the country better places. It’s my hope that I will be able to teach on a part-time or adjunct basis at the University of Southern Maine as I’ve done before. I love the University of Southern Maine and hope to stay involved,” Cummings says.

The Albert B. Glickman Family Foundation typically supports the arts, medical research, human services and Jewish agencies and temples. Judy Glickman Lauder is a photographer and wife of cosmetics billionaire Leonard Lauder. Her association with Maine came through her late husband, Albert Glickman, a native of Portland.