New Board Elected at University of Maine Foundation

Contact: Media contact: Amos Orcutt, President/CEO, University of Maine Foundation, 800.982.8503

At the 2003 Annual Meeting of the University of Maine Foundation, Robert W. Daigle was elected Chair of the Board for 2003-2004.  A Camden resident, Mr. Daigle is a 1971 graduate of The University of Maine and is President and CEO of Camden National Corporation.

The newly elected chair Mr. Daigle stated, “I am honored to have been elected Board Chair of the Foundation, particularly as we move into the Foundation’s 70th anniversary in 2004.  I look forward to working with UMaine alumni and friends as we approach this very special milestone.”

In 1934 the University of Maine Foundation was started with $1,000 from the Class of 1909 and now has total assets of over $100 million.  In the most recent fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, the Foundation received $9.2 million in gifts, of which over $5 million was from the Charles E. Gilbert Trust, for worthy and needy students attending The University of Maine.

During the last 10 years private gifts to the Foundation to benefit the University of Maine totaled $59.5 million.

The Board of Directors also elected the following Officers:

  •             Donald F. Collins, Caribou – Vice Chair

  •             John I. Simpson, Bangor – Treasurer

  •             Charles M. Hutchins, Bangor – Secretary

  •             Amos E. Orcutt, Bangor – Assistant Treasurer/President

  •             Brent R. Slater, Bangor – Clerk

The annual luncheon was attended by over 165 people and was held at The University of Maine in Orono.  Peggy Crawford, Director of Student Financial Aid at The University of Maine, was the keynote speaker.

The University of Maine Foundation is an independent 501 (c)(3) organization.  Established in 1934, the Foundation exists to encourage gifts and bequests that nurture academic achievement, foster research and elevate intellectual pursuit at The University of Maine.