Laurie G. Lachance
A tribute to her visionary leadership and lasting contributions to Maine
LAURIE G. LACHANCE
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A Message from Chamber Leadership
THE MAINE STATE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE is honored to recognize Laurie G. Lachance in our seventh edition of OneVoice Maine, and to thank her for decades of unwavering commitment to our State. Laurie’s passion for Maine has been contagious and impactful. Throughout her distinct and diverse career, Laurie has had a positive impact on the economic, academic, and workforce development challenges facing Maine communities.
While Laurie has achieved many notable firsts as a woman, including the first woman to lead Thomas College and the first woman to serve as Maine State Economist, her authentic leadership has made her a role model not just for women, but for our entire State. Through strategic economic planning at the top levels of state government and by advancing a rigorous curriculum at Thomas College, Laurie has focused her passion on improving economic opportunity for all of Maine. And at every step along the way, she has made time for young professionals starting their own careers and for business and community leaders who benefited from her collaboration.
As you will read throughout this magazine, Laurie’s leadership, intelligence, and passion for helping Maine and Maine people were apparent early in her life. Growing up in Dover-Foxcroft, Laurie brought humility, compassion, and hard work into her leadership roles across the state.
Laurie earned an MBA from Thomas College while working as corporate economist for Central Maine Power. Following that role, she served as State Economist in the Administrations of three governors — a Republican, an Independent, and a Democrat.
In 2020, Governor Janet Mills selected Laurie to co-chair Maine’s Covid-19 Economic Recovery Committee — a pivotal role that helped guide our State through one of the most challenging times in modern history. Laurie led many State initiatives throughout her career, never saying no to a challenge, and always firm in her belief in Maine and its people.
Core to Laurie’s belief in the promise of a strong State economy and central to her commitment to the success of Maine people has been the need to expand quality educational opportunities for every Mainer. This belief culminated in her Presidency at Thomas College, which has been transformed under her leadership and will be the legacy that inspires a generation of graduates and business leaders.
As an individual, Laurie is inclusive, humble, accessible, and empathetic; as a public servant she is hard working, ethical, innovative, and effective. She has been a role model and a mentor to many, and above all else, Laurie’s perpetual optimism is motivating and inspiring.
It is our honor to pay tribute to Laurie in OneVoice Maine and to highlight her tremendous career, service to Maine, and lasting impact on Maine people and Maine’s economic and educational future.
Thank you to everyone who shared their perspective on Laurie as a person, a leader, and a role model. Thank you to Laurie’s family, friends, colleagues, and team at Thomas College, for making this OneVoice Maine edition a reality.
Most of all, thank you to Laurie, for her leadership and immeasurable contributions to our State. Laurie’s unwavering dedication to Mainers is inspirational.
Laurie Gagnon Lachance, you are a true Maine treasure. Congratulations on your retirement!
LUANN BALLESTEROS Board Chair
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subject of each profile, story, or article.
MAINE STATE ECONOMIST DURING THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF THREE GOVERNORS.
PRESIDENT AND CEO, MAINE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION.
PRESIDENT
, THOMAS COLLEGE.
FIRST WOMAN IN ANY OF THESE ROLES. BUT PLEASE,
ust call
VER SINCE I’VE BEEN AT THOMAS, ‘President’ has been an uncomfortable mantle for me. It sounds too distant, like it somehow portrays I’m higher than you,” Laurie said. She is hesitant to tell people she’s just met what she does at the college for fear it will stymie the conversation.
“I tell students to call me Laurie. I like it when faculty call me Laurie,” she said. “I just love people. I love meeting people, finding out about their backgrounds, how they got here, what they’ve done, all those things. It’s much better to interact
Laurie chatting with a student on campus.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
her Laurie
Story by Sheila D. Grant
on a personal level than on a professional level.”
In fact, Laurie loves people so much, and knows so many of them, that it is a running joke within the Lachance family that whether they go out to a restaurant, a movie or the grocery store, they will end up waiting while Laurie invariably runs into someone she knows and stops to exchange a few words.
MIDDLE:
BOTTOM:
SMALL-TOWN GIRL WITH A STATEWIDE HEART
Ask nearly anyone to describe Laurie Lachance and certain words arise repeatedly, such as “brilliant, knowledgeable, committed, a leader,” but also, without fail, “kind, empathetic, authentic, compassionate, humble, honest.”
While Laurie’s professional accomplishments are beyond impressive, she is a small-town girl at heart and carries those values into everything she does.
Laurie’s father, George Gagnon, was a store manager for the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company. Her mother, Mattie Gagnon, a registered nurse.
“They were two very different people, and I think I embody both of them,” she said. “My father was more gregarious and outgoing and wore his heart on his sleeve. My mother, as a health professional, was very steady in her emotions, very calm, and didn’t jump to conclusions. I find that I have some of my mother in me. When faced with really big challenges, I can stay calm and get through it.”
George became ill when Laurie was
TOP LEFT: Laurie’s mother, Mattie Gagnon.
MIDDLE LEFT: Laurie’s father, George Gagnon
Laurie as a child having a lollipop with lifetime friend/ neighbor/ya-ya Vicki Roux.
Laurie with her two older sisters.
five. The family experienced some financial strain as a result. The experience strengthened Laurie’s resolve to be a financial contributor for her future family.
The hardworking Gagnons were committed to sending Laurie and her two older sisters to college, even though George had not attended and Mattie received her RN degree through a non-traditional three-year program during WWII.
“So committed that it became not a question of if, but when and how,” Laurie recalled.
Headed off to Bowdoin College after graduating from Foxcroft Academy, Laurie intended to be a math major, but, “I just fell in love with economics, which seem to apply to everything. Every decision you make is a tradeoff,” she said.
Laurie also discovered a love of travel and of getting to know people wherever she goes. Participating in an AFS international exchange program between her junior and senior years at Foxcroft Academy, she stayed with a family in Austria. Playing on Bowdoin’s basketball team and playing saxophone in the col-
TOP: Laurie (top row center) with high school band classmates
LEFT: Laurie with her parents and sisters
ABOVE: Laurie as a high school student
lege swing band also broadened Laurie’s horizons.
After graduating from Bowdoin as an economics major, Laurie earned her MBA at Thomas College while also working as the corporate economist for Central Maine Power.
It was at CMP that Laurie met David Lachance. The couple married in 1989 and has two grown sons, Michael and Andrew.
“I traveled a lot for professional development for industry groups in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, and we flew out to Washington State—they were on the cutting edge of energy conservation measures. I learned a lot out there.
“And I fully embraced meeting people wherever I went, in airports, at professional development events. I just couldn’t stop myself because it was so fascinating to meet other people from different backgrounds,” Laurie said. “I have this incredible curiosity about people and their backgrounds.”
Laurie served as the first woman Maine State Economist from August, 1993, to October, 2004, with Governors John R. McKernan Jr., Angus S. King Jr., and John Baldacci, but it was now-U.S. Senator King with whom she worked most closely.
“ I fully embraced meeting people wherever I went — in airports, at professional development events. I just couldn’t stop myself because it was so fascinating to meet other people from different backgrounds.” — LAURIE LACHANCE
“During the last year and a half of Governor McKernan’s administration, I came on as state economist. It was a tough part of our history, right after the state shutdown,” Laurie recalled. “It was a great time for me to get up to speed on the long- and short-term economic projections, but I didn’t interact with him much because the former state economist had become head of the State Planning Office and did all the external stuff. I did take over the role of chair of the Revenue Forecasting Committee.”
TOP: Laurie with her sisters.
CENTER: Laurie (#24) with her Bowdoin College basketball team.
BOTTOM: Laurie and her mother at Laurie’s MBA graduation from Thomas College.
Governor King “took a very expansive stance on using employees,” Laurie said. “He didn’t just deal with commissioners. He wanted more depth of understanding on issues so he would call people into his office and really probe to get the best information he could.”
The economic and demographic growth of Maine, along with accurately predicting tax revenues, were critical, “so we worked really closely on many things and his office assigned many projects to us,” she said.
“There wasn’t, at that time, an Energy Office; it had been eliminated. Because I spent 10 years at CMP, I handled a lot of energy issues, like restructuring of the electric industry. I would research the legislative bills and prepare and deliver testimony before the legislature on everything energy.”
There was also a shortage of petroleum products and a spike in prices at one point during the King administration.
“People were really worried about how Mainers were going to heat their homes that winter. I partnered with the Maine State Housing Authority and with a big group that we brought together with all the experts we needed. We formed what was named ‘Bundle ME Up.’ It was a website and program that connected all Mainers to all kinds of resources
– LIHEAP [Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program], insulation opportunities, conservation tips — just how to
ABOVE: An interview with Laurie when she was Maine State
LEFT: The official announcement of Laurie’s appointment as Maine State Economist in 1993.
TOP LEFT: Laurie and David Lachance at their wedding in 1989.
Economist.
“I was so inspired by him that I have tried to model my whole leadership journey from that point forward on the way he leads.”
— LAURIE LACHANCE, SPEAKING OF SEN. ANGUS KING
heat your home for the winter and save money as best you could.”
Other initiatives that Laurie worked on for Governor King included the East/ West Highway proposal, ‘The Productivity Imperative’ report, telecommunications, and attracting retirees to Maine as an economic investment.
“I spent a lot of time looking at tax incentives and economic development incentives and understanding where we could get the greatest return on investment,” Laurie said. “So those were three areas where I spent the most time: economic development policy, taxation policy and energy policy.”
Laurie said that working with Governor King changed her.
“I was so inspired by him that I have tried to model my whole leadership journey from that point forward on the way he leads,” she said. “He’s had probably the most significant impact on my leadership style. To see how he processes information, and comes to a decision by getting input – you may disagree with his decision, but you respect it.”
In October, 2004, Laurie became the first woman President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation.
LEFT: Laurie when she was working at the Maine Development Foundation.
BELOW: U.S. Senator Angus King
“When I was the state economist, I was learning about people’s businesses and challenges. I was doing that to an even greater extent at the Maine Development Foundation,” she said. “I just loved it! If I met someone who had moved to Maine, I would ask, ‘How did you get here and what drew you here?’ It became very natural to just get to know everyone that I could.”
The relationships she formed, along with a deep understanding of Maine’s economy and of what Maine needs to thrive, were some of the assets that enabled Laurie, in 2012, to become the fifth president of Thomas College, and its first female and alumna leader.
“I had a very non-traditional route. But what I bring to this little college in central Maine is a great understanding of the needs of businesses for talent, of where we draw our students from, and, as a first-generation student myself, the barriers for folks from more humble roots to achieve all they can and get their careers launched.”
Former attorney turned executive coach, Lisa Hallee, is both a colleague and a friend.
“We met while working with a foundation on this shared work involving young children and it was in that context that I was exposed to Laurie’s brilliance in imagining education as the key to a better future for Maine’s people,” Lisa said.
“I identified with her. We were both from working class backgrounds, both blue-collar, big families – family was very important,” Lisa said. “She went to Bowdoin; I went to Colby, but our paths had a lot of parallels. If you’re a native Mainer from that kind of background, going to one of these ‘fancy’ schools, there’s a little bit of the experience of being a fish out of water.
“Education opened the world to both of us, so we shared that dynamic of having come from a background that was one way and then both moving in a world vastly different, a much bigger world – and education was key to how we both got there.”
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Maine since
Laurie is so much more than “nice,” Lisa said. “She’s also incredibly brilliant, but she doesn’t lord that over anyone. She is deeply thoughtful about, ‘How can I make things better? How can we do better?’ She is good with people, but she also has strategic vision and an innate capacity for making positive change, and that is so rare. All these wonderful things being said about somebody can be hard to believe. With Laurie, it isn’t exaggeration. It’s who she is. The hype is real!”
In 2014, Laurie was inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame. She served on the New England Board of
Higher Education’s Commission on Higher Education and Employability. She was a board member for Educate Maine and the Maine Employers Mutual Insurance Company. Until spring 2020, she also chaired the board of Educare Central Maine (she is still a member), and as trustee at her former high school, Foxcroft Academy.
Knowing that the COVID-19 pandemic would be a challenging time for Thomas College, Laurie stepped away from some duties only to find herself with new ones. In April, 2020, Laurie was asked to co-chair Governor Janet Mills’
LEFT: Laurie with Thomas College students during an Ice Cream Social Laurie hosted at the end of each semester—one of the many ways Laurie regularly interacted with students.
OPPOSITE: Thomas College’s Scholarship Recognition Day
Economic Recovery Committee.
Josh Broder, Executive Board Chair and former CEO of Tilson Technologies, was also co-chair.
“We were charged with making recommendations on funding priorities as Maine sought to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and received federal support,” Josh explained. “During the course of nearly a year, Laurie and I worked closely together to convene our committee, gather input from Mainers impacted by the pandemic and experts in the economy, and conducted regular meetings to come to consensus on our recommendations, and to brief executive agencies and the legislature on our recommendations.
“During that time we worked nights and weekends over Zoom, and for every public meeting we had, we did a lot of preparation work together to help guide the group,” he said.
“Laurie was leading Thomas College at the time, and the education sector was deeply impacted by the pandemic,” Josh said. “Laurie was able to harness her daily experience to help inform our work, but also somehow maintain critical distance from it, leading a different group of people on a different mission, with a thoughtful and intense passion for solving Maine’s urgent problems.
“Anyone who has worked around Laurie knows she is smart, knowledgeable about so many things, and wise, but what really impressed me about her is the depth of her empathy for others,” said Josh. “Laurie is able to feel deeply, and imagine what other people are going through. She is then able to harness her innate intelligence and life experience to chart a practical path on crafting policy that is pragmatic and achievable.
“Maine is so lucky to have Laurie as
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
a leader in our community, and I’m so appreciative of her lifetime of service to our great state!”
Despite the pandemic, and college enrollments decreasing nationwide, Laurie kept her ship, and the state’s economy, on an even keel. By all measures, Thomas College is thriving.
Now Laurie is looking forward to retiring. A new president has been chosen for the college and Laurie will be President Emerita beginning in November.
One thing that sustains and renews Laurie is returning to the family camp on Sebec Lake in Dover-Foxcroft as often as possible. Going out on the boat to watch the sunset is a treasured family tradition.
“The traditions of the lake are what keep me sane,” Laurie said. “I do lots of reading, lots of walking on dirt roads and wooded paths. I jump out of bed, make a cup of coffee, and grab a blanket and my camera and go down on the dock to watch the sun rise and take pictures. So
much joy comes from family being there, and best friends visiting and the absolute simple pleasures in my hometown. Being very much in touch with nature and appreciating the simple pleasures every single day is what gives me joy, energy, and boundless optimism . . . not 24/7, but pretty much, I can find a path through anything as long as I have that chance to nurture my soul, so to speak.”
Honoring President Laurie Lachance and the difference she has made in the future of Maine
A
Message from Governor Janet T. Mills
ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON this past May, I sat on a stage in the Harold Alfond Athletic Center in Waterville. I was at the Center, located in the heart of Thomas College’s campus, to participate in the awarding of associates, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees to more than 200 students, from every county in Maine, as well as from fourteen other states, and three other countries.
As Governor of this great state, it was my privilege to be there to celebrate the culmination of their hard work and hard-won achievement. Almost half of the graduates were the first generation in their family to graduate from college and I knew how meaningful it was for them to finally have that degree in their hands — a degree that represented a doorway to opportunity.
That powerful moment was made possible in large part by the President of Thomas College, Laurie Lachance, who deeply understands the difference an education can make in a person’s life.
The youngest of three daughters, raised by a grocery store manager and a nurse in Dover-Foxcroft, President Lachance watched her parents save for her college education by putting cash into a box, sometimes only one quarter at a time.
That memory has clearly shaped her commitment to making sure that every student who dreams of going to college can realize that dream.
The first woman and the first alumna to lead the college in its 130-year history, President Lachance has made attaining a college degree from Thomas more approachable, more affordable, and more achievable for students from all over — creating accelerated three year undergraduate and one year master’s degrees, fully online graduate degrees, and lifetime career development services.
Thanks to President Lachance and Thomas College’s faculty and staff, entire families are building a new future here in Maine.
For instance, three out of four members of the Magiera family from Casco graduated this past May, with the fourth family member working on completing his degree.
Dina Harding and her son, Colton, also walked across the stage together this past May to receive their degrees, one a master’s in cybersecurity and the other a bachelor’s in computer science — skills that are in high demand in our high tech world. When asked why he pursued a degree in computer science, Colton said, “I had the desire to be a part of the future, so to speak.”
That’s what President Lachance is best at — preparing Maine people for the future. Throughout her career, whether serving as President of Thomas College, as President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation, or as the Maine State Economist to three governors from three different political parties, President Lachance has worked to ensure that
Maine people can succeed in a changing world and that our economy can withstand whatever challenges come our way.
Challenges including the once-in-a-generation global pandemic that could have capsized our economy.
As one of the co-chairs of my Economic Recovery Committee, along with the CEO of Tilson, Josh Broder, President Lachance’s expertise was critical to stabilizing and strengthening our economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her recommendations helped create our Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, the roadmap we are still using to invest nearly $1 billion sent to us by President Biden to improve the lives of Maine people and families, to support businesses, and to create good-paying jobs.
Thanks to those investments, Maine’s economy is thriving, instead of just surviving, post pandemic. Maine’s gross domestic product has experienced the strongest growth in New England and outperformed the economic growth of larger states like California, New York, and Virginia. In fact, Maine has experienced more economic growth over the last four years than it did in the preceding fifteen.
President Lachance’s advocacy for a high-quality educa-
tion as a driver of economic growth is ensuring that Maine makes smart investments in our people, from expanding early childhood education programs to enhancing student debt relief, that are clearly starting to pay off. Our economy is stronger than ever and getting stronger every day.
When she announced her retirement from Thomas College this year, President Lachance expressed that she hoped her successor has the same “naïve” belief that they can make a real difference. She may think it was a naïve belief, but with an uncommon passion for education, unflinching determination in an economic crisis, and unwavering optimism for the future, President Lachance has proven that it is possible to make a real difference in the lives of Maine people.
As I sat behind her that spring day this past May, President Lachance told the Thomas College graduating class, “You stand here today at the threshold, and you hold in your hands, your heads, and your hearts tremendous potential and opportunity.” On behalf of all Maine people, I am grateful for her unwavering belief in the potential of Maine and for her decades-long work to propel us all into a prosperous future.
BELOW: Laurie and Governor Mills together during Commencement
LEADING WITH Skill & Heart
AT THE HAROLD ALFOND FOUNDATION , high-quality leadership has been a much-valued attribute at colleges and universities we support. Throughout her career, Laurie Lachance is, and has always been, about high-quality leadership with a big heart. Laurie’s career has been impressive, working as she has in government, private industry, and higher education. We got to know Laurie in her leadership role at Thomas College where she has served as President since 2012 and where she earned her MBA.
At Thomas, Laurie secured and implemented some $20 million of Foundation grants between 2012 and 2020. She led the deployment of these funds to strengthen the College’s connections and support the Central Maine business community, while at the same time enhancing the education offerings for Thomas students, many of
By Gregory W. Powell Chairman of the Harold Alfond Foundation
whom are first-generation college attendees.
In 2016, Laurie established the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation, a new initiative to support the revival of the Waterville business community. Then, in 2020, as the pandemic unfolded, Laurie led the launch of a $27 million capital campaign for the College, securing an additional $13.5 million grant from the Foundation, the largest grant in the history of Thomas. The campaign generated more than $30 million in philanthropy, well over its $27 million goal.
With proceeds from the campaign and tireless effort, Laurie deepened academic and employer partnerships of the College through the Institute, launched new academic programs in leading-edge fields, launched the Lunder School of Education, enhanced student
Gregory W. Powell with Laurie G. Lachance at the launch of the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation at Thomas College.
retention in partnership with JMG, and expanded affordability initiatives for scores of students. Under Laurie’s leadership, the Thomas campus was transformed with a new student commons, new academic center, a new residence hall, a new sports center, and new turf athletic fields.
Laurie’s dedication to the prosperity of Maine from earlier leadership roles was especially evident in her Thomas presidency. She steadfastly recognized the important role higher education plays in building the workforce so needed by the Maine economy to prosper. As President of Thomas, she rededicated the College to its long-held mission to build the regional workforce through recruiting first-generation Maine students into higher education, teaching them relevant skills for employment, providing them with a guarantee of employment after graduation and, in so doing, supplying skilled employees for countless Maine businesses.
Laurie’s tangible accomplishments have been many. But Laurie’s greatest contributions throughout her career have come because of her kindness and deep personal devotion to the well-being of others. Laurie has led with skill and heart. Handwritten cards with words of thanks or encouragement have been a Laurie trademark. A champion of the underdog, Laurie has recognized that the education of students is about each of them and their hopes and dreams in life. She has made it a point to know and care for each of them. Walking the Thomas campus with Laurie is to marvel at her name recognition and personal connection with each student she encounters.
To the delight of many, Laurie would often ask to join groups of students at lunch, leaving them feeling valued and asking, “Where else would a college president take time out of their day to eat lunch with students?”
Laurie’s empathy for and genuine
connection with her students was never more prominent and impactful than during the pandemic when lockdowns, quarantines, and dissonance challenged the friendships, intimacy, and personal relationships that are a hallmark of the Thomas education. In that darkest of times, Laurie and her team searched for and found ways to buoy the spirits of Thomas students. Our favorite: in the midst of the pandemic, Caesar the camel and Eeyore the donkey became residents of the campus quad, befriending students and staff alike.
For over a decade, Laurie Lachance has wholeheartedly led a college whose mission embodies relevant, personal, caring education and the promotion of opportunity for students from Maine and beyond. Under her leadership, high standards have been set for the future. She will be missed. But knowing Laurie,we have a feeling she will find a new path, and Maine will be better for it.
Thank you, Laurie Lachance!
Your work in higher education and advancing Maine’s workforce has been an inspiration!
RAISING the NEXT GENERATION
GENERATION of LEADERS
Story by Sheila D. Grant
SK MOST COLLEAGUES to list the achievements of Laurie G. Lachance, and right alongside “Maine State Economist, Maine Development Foundation President and Thomas College President,” one is likely to hear, “proud mom, great mom!”
Despite her many accomplishments, Laurie said, “One of my things as a working woman is that I always carried heavy guilt. Should I have stepped out of the workforce and just been with my children? I did everything I could — I don’t think I ever missed a game, concert or any event of theirs. I would take Fridays off without pay when they were young so I could either be with them or volunteer at their school. I always worried — did I make the right choice?
“I actually asked the boys — do you think your life would have been better if I had stayed home — and they assured me they were very, very glad to have a mom in the workplace and succeeding. It was an interesting thing to probe with them.
“I think the bottom line is this is what every woman who has children deals with,” Laurie said.
Sons Michael and Andrew Lachance share memories of a mom who attended every type of event, as well as serving as soccer coach for first grade students, and leading Cub Scouts.
“We had just a really wonderful childhood and I feel very blessed to have my mom, and my dad, as well,” Michael said. He is grateful for “their examples as parents, being able to have careers and accomplish many amazing things professionally, but also provide a nurturing family environment. We never felt we were missing out or they prioritized their work over us. I think they did a pretty amazing job.”
Younger son Andrew agreed. “I think she did a phenomenal job. I always remember her being present. At the same time, seeing her body of work as you grow up
OPPOSITE: (L-R) Andrew, Michael, Laurie and David Lachance.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LACHANCE FAMILY
“SHE’S CULTIVATED AN OPEN-DOOR POLICY WITH STUDENTS. SHE PUTS THEM FRONT AND CENTER , NOT BEING AN ELEVATED FIGURE THAT’S HARD TO RELATE TO.”
—MICHAEL LACHANCE
and start appreciating the relationships she has with colleagues, the respect and admiration at the Maine Development Foundation or Thomas College, it was very impressive to have seen her balance both those worlds at one time.”
Both young men said growing up with exposure to state government offices and watching their mother achieve so much were beneficial.
Michael lives in Chicago with wife, Gabby Lachance. The couple began dating during their undergrad years at Bowdoin, marrying in November, 2022.
Michael earned his master’s in Business Management at Northwestern University in 2022 and is an Associate Brand Manager at Conagra Brands, parent company of several household names, including Reddi-wip and Orville Redenbacher’s.
When asked, Michael gave some thought to his mother in terms of her legacy. Foremost is the sincere and authentic way she relates with
people, whether family, colleagues or students.
“That is so evidenced in how she’s been as president at Thomas. She’s cultivated an opendoor policy with students. She puts them front and center, not being an elevated figure that’s hard to relate to. She’s so approachable and I know a lot of students appreciate that.”
Throughout her career, Michael said, Laurie has “been able to build these relationships and seemingly knows everyone. She is so well regarded for her integrity, kindness, willingness to go above and beyond to help people.”
Gratitude, too, is something Laurie models both personally and professionally. Hand-written ‘thank-you’ notes go out, whether it’s to a helpful colleague or to adult children who hosted her out-of-town visit.
“That’s who she is, showing gratitude, taking time to sit down and write a note to people,” Michael said.
ABOVE: Laurie with her Austrian brother Andreas Feuerstein (Laurie was an AFS exchange student) and his son Lukas Schwab when they were visiting Maine.
Other elements of Laurie’s leadership are her vision and creativity, he said, throughout her career, “but definitely at Thomas College.
“She’s been able to be a leader that thinks out of the box and brings creative ideas and optimism to challenging situations.”
As a high school student, Michael sat in on some of Laurie’s presentations. “She always had a very optimistic and uplifting vision for Maine, centered around investing in people, entrepreneurship and unlocking people’s potential,” he recalled. “That passion and expertise led her perfectly into the role at Thomas. It was such a good match for her to end up there.
“Being a leader that people want to follow requires that optimism and vision for the future, as well as the people element of being a highly empathetic, people-driven leader,” he said. “She really cares about who she’s working with and making sure everyone is heard and seen and their expertise is valued and taken into account.”
In recent years, Laurie has also become a leader in modeling self-care, Michael said.
“Leadership is stressful. On her job, she has a very heavy burden, one that for years she couldn’t necessarily turn off,” he said. “I think she has done a lot of work, mental health wise, to acknowledge the stress and to set better boundaries and have better, more sustainable self-care practices. That’s been something I’ve really noticed – her willingness to be open with her family about her mental health and about how she was feeling. This is a topic I know she has spoken on at one of her award ceremonies with a primarily female audience, as well, trying to provide leadership and normalize mental health and stress and how to deal with that.”
Michael said he would be remiss not to mention his father, David Lachance.
“This article is focused on my mom and she truly is amazing and I think the world of her and can’t emphasize enough the model she’s been for my life, but I also want to mention my dad. He’s been such an incredible partner to her and supportive of all the opportunities. All these amazing things my mom has been able to do are supported by my dad, by him being so rock solid. He’s a very steady presence in her life, and ours.”
Daughter-in-law Gabby said, “Laurie is an incredibly unique and special person in that she
has gone so far in her career but is the most approachable, humble, kind person I have ever met who is so accomplished. She doesn’t brag about the things that she’s doing. She just accomplishes them and celebrates them, I think, but kind of brings everyone around her in on the things she’s doing, in the family as well as in her career.
“She has so much integrity as to who she is and how she operates,” Gabby said. “She is so open and ready to learn from everyone around her at every opportunity. I think that’s the
Lachance.
OPPOSITE TOP: (L-R) Laurie’s motherin-law Connie Lachance, Andrew, David, Michael and Laurie Lachance.
OPPOSITE BOTTOM: (L-R) Laurie, Connie Lachance, Michael Lachance, Ed Lachance, Andrew Lachance and David
puzzle pieces were to get there.”
While some people operate from a place of fear during difficult times, “Laurie does the opposite. She really hones in on who she is, how she wants to lead, what is important to her, the people she is serving, and that allows her to move forward with so much integrity,” Gabby said.
As for humility, “People older than you are often quick to provide advice, make judgements or not fully hear the whole story,” said Gabby. “Laurie is different. She sits there with her whole self and just looks for ways she can understand that person better, and then seize the opportunity to learn from that experience. I’m in a special positon, being her daughter-in-law, but I see this in the way she interacts with every single person.”
Laurie’s gratitude and graciousness allow her to uplift the people around her as being an integral part of her success, said Gabby. “It is an exceptional leadership skill, so rare in people with so much success. I think people feel connected to her because of it.”
Gabby said she has learned much from Laurie. “She puts so much of herself into the actual work, but she always leaves time for joy, and she always prioritizes her family and her friendships. I think that’s helped ground her to be able to do these really challenging things. As someone having just gotten married and looking to start a family soon, balancing family and career is scary
“ANYONE CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THEIR LIVES IF THEY CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A WAY OF COMPASSION, INTEGRITY AND HARD WORK .”
—ANDREW LACHANCE
ABOVE:
number one thing I admire about her. She’s had so much success but knows that everyone has something to teach her at every moment.”
Gabby said she admires Laurie’s strength, integrity, humility and graciousness.
“I’ve seen so much strength from her in her ability to go into really serious challenges,” Gabby said, citing COVID and the other challenges facing small colleges. “I don’t think it was easy for her by any means, but she also seemed to go into these challenges with curiosity and with the knowledge that she would be able to get to the other side — she just had to figure out what the
to think about, but she has done it so beautifully that it seems more possible.”
Andrew, a Commissioned Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve, attended medical school at Tufts and is currently completing his residency in orthopedic surgery at Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital in Pennsylvania before completing his naval service.
He met fiancée Sadie James nearly eight years ago when both were undergrad students at Bates College.
“In terms of my mom’s legacy, what I will always remember is her genuine passion for
Laurie and her husband, David.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF
the state of Maine and the people around her, whether it’s the chair of the board or the more humble employees,” Andrew said. “She genuinely cares about everyone and treats them with the same kindness and compassion.
“I think another part of her legacy is coming from humble roots, a small town in rural Maine,” he said. “I think it gives, for me, the idea that anyone can have an opportunity to do what they want to do with their lives if they conduct themselves in a way of compassion, integrity and hard work that I think really embodies a lot of what it means to be a Mainer, that blue-collar work ethic combined with genuine kindness and focusing on important values.
“I feel like she lives on through me in so many ways, her and my dad, as well. You see her in a professional setting or at home — how engaged she is in the present, the details she remembers about people, connections with each person – and I think I strive to do that in a medical setting, making connections and caring about each patient,” said Andrew.
“I feel like my mom always makes people feel like the most important person in the room,” he
said. “She’s a very special person and one of the biggest role models in my life. I am grateful to have her for my mom every single day. She’s the most wonderful person I’ve ever met.”
Sadie is a social worker at a college counseling center in upstate New York, commuting from their central Pennsylvania home near the New York border. Working with college students
ABOVE: Laurie and her son, Andrew.
“SHE PUTS SO MUCH OF HERSELF INTO THE ACTUAL WORK, BUT SHE ALWAYS LEAVES TIME FOR JOY , AND SHE ALWAYS PRIORITIZES HER FAMILY AND HER FRIENDSHIPS.” —GABBY LACHANCE
means that Sadie and Laurie “always have a lot to talk about. I’ve really appreciated being able to pick her brain over the years. She has so much knowledge, so much to share and teach from her lived experience and her own work life, too.”
Laurie is probably one of the busiest women Sadie knows, and yet, “what I’ve really admired and learned from her is that she always makes time for people she loves and cares about. I think that is something that the Lachances, in general, are really good at and it’s something I’ve appreciated, being part of that family.”
No matter what the educational, employer or other commitments are, Sadie
said, “they always will show up for each other and make time for each other and that time itself is so valued. It’s not like they are multitasking while they are together. They are there and present with one another because family means so much to them. I think Laurie is such a central piece of that.”
Sadie often seeks Laurie’s input on professional issues “because I know she has dealt with situations like that before — obviously different, but she gets it. There are so many shared lived experiences that women in the professional world experience and Laurie has navigated those for, probably all of her career
would be my guess, and she’s done with it with grace and hasn’t lost track of who she is as a person. When I am struggling with something, she is somebody I want to be able to have input from.”
“I’ve told her time and time again how much of a mentor she’s been to me and she’s so humble,” Sadie said. “I have no doubt she’s served as that for so many women in Maine, women she knows and also ones that she hasn’t realized the impact she’s had on them.
“I hope that she has inspired this next generation of women in Maine, and future generations, to understand that there’s always a door for them to access, that they can be a college president if they want to. They can serve on these really important boards throughout Maine. They can have a family. They can still take time for themselves. We’ve sort of been taught that you can’t have it all; you have to pick and choose. Laurie has broken that perception,” Sadie said.
L-R: Andrew Lachance, Sadie James, David Lachance, Laurie, Gabby Lachance, and Michael Lachance
Laurie G. Lachance
A LEGACY OF MAKING MAINE AN EVEN BETTER PLACE TO LIVE, RAISE A FAMILY, AND SUCCEED
A Message from U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins
TO PARAPHRASE THE OLD SAYING , behind every great state, there are great women. In a remarkable career in business, government, and education, Laurie Lachance has made great and lasting contributions to Maine.
Laurie is a woman of many firsts — the first woman to hold the position of Maine State Economist, the first woman to head the Maine Development Foundation, and the first woman to serve as President of Thomas College. In every role, she has applied her energy and intellect to help create opportunity for the people of our State.
Her inspiring story begins in the rural community of Dover-Foxcroft, where her hard-working parents were determined that their three daughters would be the first members of their family to go to college. With everyone chipping in to a special box for a college fund, they succeeded.
When Laurie arrived on the Bowdoin campus in 1979, she experienced the doubts familiar to many first-generation college students — did she really belong? Her achievements in athletics, arts, and academics proved she did indeed belong and formed the basis of her commitment to help students thrive at Thomas College, where most of the students are the first in their families to pursue higher education.
An initial disappointment at Bowdoin, when a course Laurie wanted to take was filled, turned into a passion when she signed up for a class in a subject area she had never heard of before — economics. After graduating in 1983 with a degree in that field, she took a job at Central Maine Power as an economist while earning an MBA from Thomas College.
In 1993, Laurie was picked by Gov. John McKernan to serve as Maine State Economist, a post she filled with distinction under the next two governors as well, Angus King and John Baldacci. The confidence that three governors — Republican, Independent, and Democrat — placed in her was rewarded with realistic, non-partisan economic forecasting. From seeing in advance the challenges and opportunities of an aging population to calling for increased investments in
education, and research and development, Laurie focused on innovation and realizing potential.
When Laurie became President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation in 2004, she continued her mission to invest in Maine people from childhood on. In an interview during her tenure at MDF, she said, “I realized I was born to give hope to young people from humble roots, from small communities — particularly young women — that all things are possible, it doesn’t matter your background.”
In 2012, Thomas College was searching for a new president. When they called a reference for one candidate, the reference suggested Laurie be considered for the job. The college agreed and encouraged Laurie to apply. Laurie said she was surprised — “There is nothing in my résumé that says, ‘That woman should be a college president,’” but pursued the opportunity. Later that year, she became the first alumna and the first woman to lead the school.
During her first years at the helm of Thomas College, she led a successful massive capital campaign that demonstrated the high regard supporters had for her leadership and for the school’s historic success preparing students for careers in business, technology, and education. Laurie’s focus on innovation and technology in every field of study is helping to equip Thomas graduates with real-world skills for real-world success.
When Laurie was inducted to the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame in 2014, the citation included these words: “There is a reason why Laurie Lachance’s three career changes have landed her at the top of the fields of higher education, human development, and economics in her beloved State of Maine. Laurie has a profound understanding of the role that leveraging individual potential plays in the development of an economy.”
Laurie has made such a positive difference for Maine in all of the positions she has held. Her legacy is that Maine is an even better place to live, raise a family, and succeed. The people of Maine are grateful, and I wish her all the best in the years to come.
LAURIE LACHANCE:
A Remarkable Force
THE FOLLOWING IS A TWO-PART REFLECTION ON LAURIE AUTHORED BY JUDGE KEVIN L. STITHAM (RET.) AND HIS DAUGHTER, STACY O. STITHAM, ESQ., EACH OF WHOM HAS HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING LAURIE IN BOTH A PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY.
KEVIN RECALLS ...
No doubt any reader of these essays on Laurie Lachance will quickly become quite bored in that every paragraph is simply a variation of a single theme, the remarkable force she is.
I was born and raised in the small town of Dover-Foxcroft where I have lived all my life (so far). Laurie’s sister Brenda was always two years ahead of me in school; her sister Anne was always
three years behind me. Laurie as the youngest of her siblings graduated from Foxcroft Academy (FA) nine years after I did. Adding to Laurie’s and my shared experiences growing up, we shared the experience of Bowdoin College as Laurie graduated in 1983, nine years after me. And while I have always known Laurie, I have had the privilege of working with her as a fellow trustee on the Board of FA over the course of many years in
our respective multiple terms.
The impact Laurie has had on every institution that has been fortunate enough to have had the gift of her involvement, is truly breathtaking. What is wonderful about Laurie is that her impact on those institutions can best be understood as the ever-so natural consequence of the good she fosters in her every interaction with every single person she deals with as she goes about her life. To attempt to take the full measure of Laurie necessitates acknowledging not just how remarkable she is, but also when that remarkable nature first revealed itself. As Kierkegaard wrote, “Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards.” In that spirit, I can write of the following event in the spring of 1975.
A concert was scheduled to take place in the FA gym. Taking part would be the middle school band and the FA band. Laurie Gagnon was an eighth grader in that very middle school band. Then-Musical Director Bob Thorne told Laurie (Bob never asked) that she would be directing the overture from the rock opera Tommy — a jarring song that ended even more jarringly. Bob wanted this song to end in a dramatic fashion — Laurie was to leap into the air seconds before the song ended, and she was to time her jump so that at the exact moment the last note sounded she would land on the floor. He promised her that if she did not get the timing exactly correct on concert night, he would make her do the whole song over — from start to yet another leaping finish, until the timing was perfect. To this day Laurie vividly remembers her worry that she would fail; after all, she would have to execute this maneuver in front of her parents, friends, both bands, and the entire community — and she wasn’t even in high school. But Thorne knew in that way of his, that Laurie was more than up to the challenge. Bob knew exactly what he could bring out in each of his students, and he did so by inspiring excellence, working with each student to achieve that excellence,
and adding in just a pinch of fear of failure. Laurie pulled the leap and the landing off without a hitch (just as Bob knew she would do).
She would go on to a series of successful leapings and landings over the course of what would be her remarkable career. Laurie was the first woman corporate economist at Central Maine Power; then the first woman Maine State Economist for three governors (1993-2004); then the first president and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation (2004-2012); and then in 2012 the first woman president of Thomas College in Waterville.
In my conversations with Laurie, she emphasized that Bob Thorne had vastly more impact on her than any other teacher. She explained the magic of Thorne
was such that he: made a student believe they could play the piece; made all the other students believe that the student could do it; and likewise made the entire band believe that by working together, they could play the piece, and succeed. The genius of Laurie was that she took what she learned from Thorne in her seven years of band and forged it into a method for how she would deal with each and every person throughout her life. She personifies and radiates a belief in the potential of each individual, not just in what they can accomplish on their own but also what they as a member of a group can accomplish. Laurie absolutely has an infectious belief in everyone.
When Laurie graduated from FA in June of 1979 she was awarded the just-
OPPOSITE TOP: Sebec Lake, north of Dover-Foxcroft. OPPOSITE INSET: Judge Kevin L. Stitham. ABOVE: Laurie with her high school jazz band classmates.
“ Laurie personifies and radiates a belief in the potential of each individual, not just in what they can accomplish on their own but also what they as a member of a group can accomplish. Laurie absolutely has an infectious belief in everyone .” — JUDGE KEVIN STITHAM
established Helen Dillen Stitham Valedictorian Award. In her speech she summarized how the class had grown over their four years together. As reported in the June 20, 1979 edition of the Observer: “She said the class had 118 distinct individuals each with their own needs and they have learned how to cope with the world and the pressure it puts on them. ‘But most of all’, she said, ‘we’ve learned to love, respect and live with one another.’”
It is most appropriate that Laurie herself has provided the best explanation of her remarkable success. It is striking that she set the course of her life at such an early age, as can be seen in the above account. Laurie personifies love, respect, and the ability to live with one and all. Those three attributes combined with her sharp intellect, Herculean work ethic, and deeply-felt commitment to the common good, fully explain why any reader of these essays on Laurie Lachance will quickly grow bored in that every paragraph simply underscores the same theme: what a remarkable force she is.
STACY RECALLS …
I was an adjunct faculty member at Thomas College for eleven years, until the demands of work and family forced me to recognize that I simply no longer had the time. Each year, Laurie would thank me for teaching at Thomas; each year, I thanked her for helping to make it possible, and for the continued growth at Thomas I witnessed year-by-year. Laurie knew by heart the number of students at Thomas who were the first in their family to attend college as well as the percentage who went on to work in Maine (and often central Maine) after graduation. Both were statistics she justly took pride in, demonstrating to her the direct value that Thomas provided to the local workforce. Under Laurie’s tenure, the President’s Office was located squarely in the heart of campus, with glass-fronted doors that let one look inside the reception area as
ABOVE: Laurie canoeing on Sebec Lake with her husband, David, and son, Michael.
RIGHT: Stacy O. Stitham, Esq.
they walked by. Indeed, it was hard not to stumble across the President’s Office when wandering around Thomas. It occurs to me that that arrangement — centrally located, open-to-all — can be considered a symbol of Laurie herself. I have been fortunate enough to meet any number of accomplished, talented professionals in my life — but I can count on one hand the subset of those individuals who possess the admirable ability to truly focus their attention entirely on the person with whom they happen to be meeting with at any given time. Whenever I have visited with Laurie, she has made me feel as though I am the most valued, important part of her day — which has never once been the case. I am confident that she radiates that same quiet, reassuring warmth and genuine interest with her next appointment, whether that individual is the Governor of Maine or a college freshman. When one of my law partners first met Laurie, he remarked that she was the most down-to-earth, unpretentious, and unaffected college president he’d ever met. It is easy to see why.
But the easy, comfortable familiarity that Laurie projects hides a core competency that’s simply peerless. Laurie’s career trajectory has been interesting and varied, but what it reflects is a woman who can handle any challenge — whether that’s the state economy, collegiate operations, or pandemic planning. It is Laurie, time and again, that business people, community boards, and politicians turn to for advice, guidance, and leadership. While I wish her the very best in her wellearned retirement, for Maine’s sake, I hope she will continue to gift those of us who seek her out with her thoughts and wisdom.
Laurie counted me as a friend long before I had earned the title. Over the past decade or so of occasional conversations, it is my highest hope that I have managed to do so now. Regardless, she will forever remain a mentor to me and an aspirational standard of professional achievement and personal bearing.
Gagnon Lachance ‘79 has
Tribute to Laurie Lachance
By Dick Spellman Executive Consultant at GDS Associates, Inc.
I FIRST MET LAURIE LACHANCE when she started work at Central Maine Power Company (CMP) in 1983 as a management trainee. Laurie had just graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Economics and joined the trainee program along with several other recently minted college graduates. The trainees rotated through several departments at the Company and Laurie joined the Research Department after her training rotation was completed. From those early days working together at CMP it was clear to me that Laurie was destined to be a key person in Maine’s business and education community for the next several decades. Her intellectual curiosity, work ethic, respect for the rights and needs of others and sense of humor are key traits that have helped her be a successful leader in the Maine educational and business community for over four decades.
In August 1985 my wife Janis and I got married at the Bethel Inn (in Bethel, Maine) and Laurie attended our wedding. I recall that Laurie warmly congratulated us on our wedding day and was there with her indomitable positive spirit to celebrate our marriage.
In the early years of her career at CMP Laurie and I worked together on economic forecasts for the State of Maine and the five other New England States in partnership with other members of the New England Economic Project (NEEP). For several years Laurie was the Corporate Economist at CMP. Laurie developed short-term forecasts of CMP electricity sales and company revenues and conducted special economic studies. Through her work on developing economic forecasts for Maine with the New England Economic Project and developing economic outlooks for the CMP service area Laurie quickly became acquainted with State of Maine government staff in the State Planning Office and the Maine Department of Labor. These important connections opened doors for
Laurie as her career progressed. I also had the opportunity in the early 1990’s to testify as a two-person panel with Laurie before the Maine Public Utilities Commission in a regulatory proceeding. Laurie did a lot of preparation in advance of testifying and was thoroughly familiar with all of the technical data and forecast results that were the subject of our regulatory testimony.
Even though I left CMP in 1993 to join an energy consulting firm headquartered in the Atlanta, Georgia area, my wife and I kept in touch with Laurie and her husband Dave. In the early 1990’s Laurie departed CMP to take on the role of the State Economist at the State Planning office. I recall that she was involved in preparing economic forecasts for the Maine economy and providing advice to senior Maine government officials on the outlook for the Maine economy. Laurie served three governors as the Maine State Economist. In 2004 Laurie became the President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation and provided leadership to the MDF until she left in 2012 to become the 5th President of Thomas College.
I joined the Thomas College Board of Trustees in 2010, shortly before Laurie became President of Thomas College. I have been very fortunate to continue to work with Laurie through my role as a member of the Thomas Board of Trustees. Laurie, along with the senior officers of Thomas College and the Board of Trustees, has led Thomas College successfully through the past thirteen years. These thirteen years have been challenging as Thomas has dealt with a decline in the number of high school students due to the nation’s falling birth rate, the Covid-19 crisis that extended from March 2020 through at least the end of 2022, and the continuing need to develop new courses and methods of teaching to meet the needs of today’s students. As President of Thomas College, Laurie has been an aspirational and positive
PHOTO: COURTESY DICK SPELLMAN
leader, often giving students the advice to “dream big”. She also has been successful in leading the development and implementation of strategic plans for Thomas College to ensure a sustainable future for the college built on pillars of the strategic plan.
Laurie exemplifies the qualities of a great leader. She sets aspirational goals and works diligently to achieve these goals, all the while treating students, faculty, college staff, Board members and members of the community with respect, positivity, concern for their needs, and humor (when appropriate). She has an encyclopedic knowledge of Thomas College academic and sports programs. And importantly, she knows numerous business, government, academic and foundation leaders throughout Maine that have been there to support Thomas College financially for a long time. Laurie, with the support of the Advancement Office, has led Thomas College through several successful fund-raising campaigns. The most recent complete capital campaign raised over $30 million for the College, significantly surpassing the campaign goals of $13 million!
Laurie grew up in the town of Dover-Foxcroft, Maine (population 4,422 in 2020) with her parents and three siblings. Her father worked at the local A&P Supermarket in Dover-Foxcroft. Her mother was a registered nurse. I understand that she was a very good student in the Dover-Foxcroft school system and was also a very good basketball player. After graduating from Foxcroft Academy she attended Bowdon College and graduated with a degree in economics. She received an MBA from Thomas College in 1992. Her life story is a good one to share with young people growing up in Maine to show them what is possible if they apply themselves. I consider myself very lucky to have worked with and known Laurie for over 40 years. Laurie is one of Maine’s treasures!
Leadership, Intelligence & Emotional IQ A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Story by Sheila D. Grant
HOMAS COLLEGE PRESIDENT
Laurie G. Lachance, who will soon retire, expressed dismay at being this year’s Maine State Chamber of Commerce honoree.
“This whole thing is really overwhelming to me,” she said. “When Patrick [Woodcock, Maine State Chamber President/CEO] called me to say he wanted talk to me, I honest to God thought he was calling to say, ‘It’s time to give up your seat. Let someone else in education have your seat on the Maine State Chamber Board.’ When he said it was this, I was speechless.”
Laurie speculated that perhaps what makes her story powerful is that, “as a woman, I was able to have this set of opportunities that led to the career that I’ve had. It’s hard, personally, to imagine a ‘legacy’ but I can imagine it only because women
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
“ I would share with anybody to make sure you make time for other female leaders who are experiencing the stressors of leading — it makes the burden so much lighter.” —LAURIE LACHANCE
have come up to me after speeches and just poured their hearts out. It’s been a realization for me that it is really important for women who have had the opportunities that I have, to talk very openly and honestly about the past and make it more available for women in the future.
I get that.”
Meredith Jones, retired President/ CEO of the Maine Community Foundation, has served on the Thomas College board for eight years and is Chair of the Advancement Committee.
“She’s a power pack,” Laurie said. “Meredith worked at the Maine Development Foundation as a single mom putting herself through college. She was a real force there, running Leadership Maine, and as a policy leader working with legislators. Then she went to the Maine Community Foundation and became the CEO and that’s where she ended her career. She’s been an inspiration to me, particularly my guide and my mentor through some very difficult times at Thomas with the pandemic and all the waves of things we’ve had to deal with — racial challenges, Title IX challenges, free community college, just wave after wave of challenges.”
The two women have known each other since the 1990s, when Laurie was president of the Maine Development Foundation and Meredith was president of the Maine Community Foundation.
Meredith and Laurie were also participants in an informal support group of women leaders in the Augusta area that met “just to talk about leadership issues that seemed to be unique to women,” Meredith said.
“That became a real catalyst and kind of an enlightening thing that we were all
having similar challenges, but we’d had nobody to talk to,” Laurie recalled. “We started just to get together and have coffee and share the things that were the greatest challenge to us, the stresses we underwent, the unique challenges of being a female leader and trying to balance the rest of your life outside of work. It made me realize how critically important
it was to reach out and have a group you could feel safe with, whatever the challenge was.”
Barbara Leonard, President/CEO of the Maine Health Access Foundation, had known Laurie professionally before participating in the women’s leadership group.
“That further developed our relationship,” Barbara said. “Laurie and some of
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
the other women leaders and I have since done a summer hiking adventure on a pretty annual basis for … I think this may be the 14th year. I know Laurie professionally, and as a dear friend.”
Laurie said the annual hike grew out of “this incredibly powerful, overwhelming need to take a long hike in the Maine woods. From that point on, a group of
seven women from all different backgrounds have gotten together once a year to go hiking for two or three days. They are a powerful force in my work life. I would share with anybody to make sure you make time for other female leaders who are experiencing the stressors of leading – it makes the burden so much lighter,” she said.
ABOVE: Laurie’s Thomas College inauguration in 2012 with her best friends, aka “Ya-Yas”. L-R: Pam Tait, Karen Fraser, Laurie, Brycelyn (Roux) Williamson, Sophie Roux, and Vicki Roux.
Barbara has come to know Laurie as, “a thoughtful colleague and thought partner and model — maybe less mentor but model — for some of her fellow leaders in the state. Laurie is a leader with strong commitments and deep knowledge and she is the kind of person who can share those commitments and knowledge in a way that draws people in to deeper understanding and to believe and understand what she does. So, she’s able to gather those around her who think similarly, but also those who may feel differently but are brought to see a different perspective. She does that in such a warm and welcoming and graceful way that I think she probably has had ripple influences that none of us are even aware of.
“Some of that came from her time at MDF and her presence at those many Leadership Maine
classes, her participation in and then her bridge hosting of the Leadership Learning Exchange for Equity has continued to influence leaders from many sectors across the state of Maine. While her formal role in education is critical, her role in the broader learning and education of leaders across the state over several decades has been equally important,” said Barbara.
“She’s probably the kindest person I know, and I feel like all of her work is so grounded in her kindness and her love for her family and it all spreads out and pulls everybody in,” Barbara said.
Looking back over her career, Laurie hopes she’s been a guide for other women.
“I’ve been pretty vulnerable in my speaking about my ups and downs,” she said. Speaking as an honoree at the 2022 Maine Women to Watch ceremony, Laurie said that the other honorees
TOP: Laurie at Honors Convocation during Thomas College’s 2022 Commencement celebrations.
ABOVE: Barbara Leonard, President/CEO of the Maine Health Access Foundation
OPPOSITE: Amanda Rector, Maine State Economist
were all younger, “really growing into their leadership roles, doing phenomenal things. And I, at end of my career, felt an enormous weight to share with that predominately female audience that I had just been through a prolonged period of severe burnout after the pandemic.
“I think, particularly as women, we want to do it all,” she said. “We want to please everyone we serve whether it’s our family, our employer, our coworkers, other families at the schools where our kids are — we just want to serve everyone and the last person we take care of is ourselves. It is terrifying what so many female leaders do to themselves because they never give themselves a break from the pressure.”
While Laurie is not yet old, “at this stage, I feel like an elder. I feel it is incumbent on female leaders to not gloss over the sacrifices that women make and the extra challenges they have to overcome every day just because they’re female.”
WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ON THE RISE
Being “an exemplar for future women leaders and an example of a woman who is a first-generation college student from rural Maine who had an outstanding career and understands the importance of being a mentor and role model for future generations” is part of Laurie’s legacy, Meredith said.
Maine State Economist Amanda Rector was working on Realize!Maine, an initiative to attract and retain young people in Maine back when Laurie headed up MDF, a key partner in the initiative.
“Laurie was well known as both the first female state economist and the longest-serving state economist,” said Amanda. “I was probably a bit awestruck when I first met her twenty-ish years ago!
“But, I’ve never felt overshadowed by her,” Amanda said. “Instead, she has always
been supportive and encouraging. Laurie has been such a role model for me over the years. Her work in advancing Maine’s economy and improving the lives of Maine people has been a touchstone for me throughout my career. Early on in my tenure as state economist, people would regularly note upon meeting me, ‘Oh, you’re the new Laurie Lachance!’ She was that synonymous with the role of state economist, even though there had been two people in the position between her and me. Such big shoes to fill! The comments that Laurie shared with me when I surpassed her record as longest-serving state economist meant so much to me because of how much I’ve looked up to her.
“Laurie’s work has left lasting effects no matter where she’s been — I still hear people referencing “silver buckshot” in the context of economic development for Maine; MDF flourished under her leadership; and Thomas College has similarly blossomed. She has touched many, many lives through her career. But in addition to the more tangible programs and outcomes, I think Laurie has also encouraged people through her work to rely on objec-
“ In addition to the more tangible programs and outcomes, I think Laurie has also encouraged people through her work to rely on objective data and value integrity and finding common ground .” —AMANDA RECTOR
OPPOSITE:
tive data and value integrity and finding common ground,” Amanda said.
“Silver buckshot” is a phrase Laurie coined many years ago to signify that there is no one silver bullet for Maine’s economy, but that rather, many efforts on many fronts are required.
DECD Commissioner Heather Johnson said she had heard of Laurie before meeting her.
“She is well-known and respected as a leader on economic matters, and I was fortunate to meet her as I began in my role,” Heather said.
“Laurie appreciates and understands Maine people and has spent her career
working to help people, which I deeply respect and admire,” said Heather. “She has been a trusted person I can go to for honest feedback and ideas when we need additional input on projects and initiatives, and her understanding of localized economies is second to none.”
The commissioner said that the positive impacts of Laurie’s work will be felt for decades to come.
“She is one of the pioneers of collaborative engagement for economic growth. She has also shown that she understands how to engage with young people and support their paths, whatever they may be, through the great things she
TOP: Laurie talking with Thomas College students at a 2024 Ice Cream Social.
ABOVE: Heather Johnson, Commissioner, Maine Department of Economic & Community Development
Hannah Pingree, Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
has done at Thomas College. Her perspective on connecting young people to meaningful work opportunities especially has been a key consideration for me and for our department as we think about keeping young people here and how to attract new talent to our state.
“I feel really lucky to have had the chance to work with and get to know Laurie,” Heather said. “Her approach to collaborative leadership focused on positive outcomes for everyone has inspired many of us – including me – who do economic development work. Laurie has always been focused on doing the right thing for Maine people, which in turn becomes the right thing for the broader economy.”
Hannah Pingree, Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, said she has known Laurie for many years and considers her a friend and mentor.
“Her contributions to Maine are vast as a state economist and, most recently, as president of Thomas College. Just a few years ago, I had the opportunity to work again with Laurie on the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee, which convened during the early days of the pandemic to help guide our state’s economic recovery forward. Her leadership on that committee helped design a framework for Maine’s approach to
post-pandemic economic growth, which contributed to our state having among the best economic record in the nation over the past few years, historic GDP growth, and by extension, a full rainy-day fund that will help our state’s economic stability for years to come.
“Maine has benefited greatly from Laurie’s leadership and devotion over the years, and she has a legacy that will be hard to match! Laurie is a truly tremendous person and I’m glad to see her highlighted in this way,” Hannah said.
Laurie’s reaction to all the accolades is typically humble.
“It’s very nice to celebrate accomplishments, but I think the strength of someone’s legacy is really does it make a difference on the future? And I think only time will tell on that, but does it open people to possibilities for the future? Does it help them consider alternative paths that would make this a better place? And for me, particularly, for young women — first generation, humble roots, from rural Maine — if they can understand that they have within themselves all the potential and possibilities in the world to do whatever they want to do, that would be awesome,” Laurie said.
Honoring Laurie Lachance
We join the Maine State Chamber of Commerce in honoring Laurie Lachance, particularly for her service as a champion of education in Maine. As the first woman and first alumna to serve as President of Thomas College, Laurie has led tremendous growth and expansion of the college and its programs.
We also want to express our deep gratitude for having had the privilege and honor of representing the Chamber in significant matters.
Two Monument Square, Suite 900 Portland, ME 04101
207.775.0200
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Success THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF AN AIM OR PURPOSE
By Dana F. Connors
SUCCESS IN PUBLIC SERVICE is measured by what you do — your actions, your work, but it’s also dependent on the way you do it — your attitude, your style. Both share equal roles in the pursuit of professional success. Laurie Lachance’s legacy of public service exemplifies true professional success.
Upon graduating from Bowdoin College, with a degree in economics, she landed her first job at Central Maine Power Company working as an economic analyst. Not long after, and as a result of her efforts, she became the company’s Corporate Economist.
State Government became her next calling. In the role of State Economist, she had the unique experience of serving under three governors — Governor McKernon, Governor King, and Governor Baldacci; a republican, an independent, and a democrat respectively.
In her next career move, Laurie was selected to serve as the President/CEO of the Maine Development Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization. Under her leadership the organization became known as a driver of sustainable economic growth in Maine with a goal focused on improving the lives of all Mainers.
In 2012, after eight years of service at MDF, she was recruited and selected by the Board of Trustees to take on the role of President/CEO of Thomas College. In doing so, she became the college’s first woman president. Notably, Laurie has gained a reputation as a trailblazer. For example, she was the first woman to serve in all her previous professional positions. In addition to being a trailblazer, Laurie has been a leader in reminding all of us of the inextricably intertwined connection that education has with our economy, when defining success for our state.
OPPOSITE: Dana Connors and Laurie Lachance speaking at the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
Little wonder that when our state was challenged in 2020 with the unprecedented Coronavirus, leaving our people and economy in doubt, our Governor asked Laurie to serve as Co-Chair, to map a pathway forward for the state. And she did. An Economic Recovery Commission was formed with approximately 50 individuals from various sectors across the state. Together, this committee identified priorities for investments to meet the challenge. Research, reports, speeches were major products of Laurie’s service. Here are three of my favorites:
In 2008, as president of MDF, a partnership was formed with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce resulting in the creation of an initiative
These are three of my favorites, but admittedly only three of many reports and speeches, that have played a significant role in her efforts to encourage us, to give us hope about our future, and to help us appreciate what we have.
By now, the “actions” of her career, her work, make the case and clearly speak to her professional success. However, I also believe that success in public service depends upon and is magnified by the “way” in which it is achieved.
Here, Laurie sets the standard. She’s unmatched in her enthusiasm and her passion in whatever she does. Laurie’s excitement, her energy, as well as her encouragement for the future is infectious. Her ability to listen
“ When our state was challenged in 2020 with the unprecedented Coronavirus, leaving our people and economy in doubt, our Governor asked Laurie to serve as Co-Chair, to map a pathway forward for the state. And she did.” — DANA CONNORS
labeled, “Making Maine Work.” Over the course of the next fifteen years there were eight reports published based upon research, surveys of various sectors within our state, followed by recommendations that put forth critical investments needing to be made to guide our economy and prepare our people for success. Three of these reports were priorities presented to gubernatorial candidates. Three other reports focused on workforce needs — specifically, preparing our people, growing our population, as well as the role of new Mainers. The other two reports focused on a strategic plan for the University of Maine System and the need to invest in early childhood quality care and education.
The second report was called, “In Search of Silver Buckshot,” a report that looked at 30 years of economic development in our state. The conclusion was that Maine has many strengths, many assets, and considerable successes but concluded that there is no silver bullet that meets the challenge. Instead, it requires a “Silver Buckshot” approach. It’s a collection of smaller, yet meaningful policies that require investment and marketing.
“Just Imagine,” was a speech that Laurie gave to membership during one of MDF’s annual meetings. In essence, the message was that we need to be aware, “The grass isn’t always greener” when looking at other states and doing so with envy. In fact, we need to realize that we have all of that, and probably more, right here at home in our own state.
to others with patience and empathy, as well as her unwavering positive attitude is what sets her apart from most. Laurie helps us to focus less on the problem and instead, focus on finding the solution and the opportunities before us, without fear of searching for new ways and new ideas. Laurie’s positive attitude has been a key to her professional success. Borrowing from the words of Alex Haley, author of the novel “Roots,” who reminds us to always “find the good and praise it,” that has been Laurie’s mantra.
As I approach my 1,000-word limit, let me simply but sincerely remind everyone that the awards she has been presented with are beyond numerous and impressive. Laurie’s participation on boards, committees, and in initiatives where she’s oftentimes taking a leading role are too many to list, for fear of omitting some.
In conclusion, as Laurie Lachance approaches retirement, I hope she takes the time to reminisce and reflect on the meaning and the significance of her gift of service to all of us, and to our state. That will be her legacy. There is truth in the words, “The very way we see the world, is the very way that the world sees us.”
Laurie, as you have seen us through the lens of positivity and hopefulness, we do the same for you. We thank you; we congratulate you, and wish you the very best in your next chapter.
With appreciation and admiration, Dana Connors
Leaving a Lasting Legacy
By Ed Cervone Director of Partnerships and External Relations for the University of New England.
ABOVE: Ed Cervone meeting with Thomas College education students during his time working at Thomas College.
AS LAURIE STEPS DOWN from her role as president, it would be hard to deny that she is leaving a lasting legacy — and not just at Thomas College. She has had a positive impact statewide and hopefully will continue to do so for years to come.
How does one achieve so much? I have some theories!
At the core is hard work. Laurie is an accomplished economist, communicator, and leader. She worked tirelessly and rose up through the ranks, earning positions of influence in Maine’s private, public, and nonprofit institutions. That is real experience she used to grow as a strong leader. A leader dedicated to the State of Maine — a responsibility that she has never taken lightly. Working hard will get you far but in my opinion, more is needed to achieve lasting im-
pact. The following are just some of the factors that I believe solidifies Laurie’s lasting legacy.
HUMILITY AND AUTHENTICITY
Laurie is from a small town in Western Maine and has not forgotten that. She is proud of her roots and never tries to be someone she is not. She happily wears rural Maine on her sleeve and approaches life with humility and compassion. Although she may not be trying to stand out — she stands out. People gravitate to her. They like her. They trust her. And I think she is a refreshing change from the politically ambitious and polarizing personas we come across in too many of today’s leaders. There is a lot to be learned from her example. People want to work with Laurie. That has been such an important factor of her
“ Laurie’s work has always been about empowering Maine people. This is her North Star.”
— ED CERVONE
success. Big changes rarely happen without support of the people.
POSITIVITY
Laurie Lachance was telling a positive Maine story on a big stage when that wasn’t popular. Many of us can remember years of negative public discourse dominating the Maine narrative.
“Maine is last in this!”
“The future is bleak!”
“Leave Maine if you want to succeed!”
Maine has real challenges and always will but Laurie was (and is) able to see past that and identify the positive things happening from our biggest cities to our
smallest communities. She knows that if you are going to move people to do great things they need to be inspired. Beating them down daily with negative images of their communities and their future is counterproductive and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. If we approach every problem from a deficit viewpoint there will be little progress.
There were plenty of detractors to this approach. Laurie has been called a “Pollyanna” many a time. The good news is that this positive message resonated with far more Maine people. They began to follow Laurie’s example. They sidestepped the naysayers and moved forward with their own positive vision for Maine’s future and did great things.
Laurie’s approach is now mainstream. Millions of dollars are spent by the state, by its communities, and by its businesses, speaking to the wonderful things happening in Maine. We tell the whole world proudly about our home and word has gotten out that Maine isn’t so bad. Groups like Live + Work in Maine built a successful movement on the premise that Maine is an awesome place. We have successful TV shows like MaineLife and Maine Cabin Masters that paint a wonderful picture of Maine to audiences around the world. Laurie was really ahead of this movement and was doing it before it was cool. She knew that an inspired Maine community would do great things.
IT’S ABOUT MAINE PEOPLE
Finally — and most importantly — Laurie’s work has always been about empowering Maine people. This is her North Star (or at least one of them). It didn’t matter what role she was in or what organization she was representing, the work was always about giving every Maine person the ability to achieve their full potential. When that is fully front and center of everything you do, policies, politics, ideologies fall to the side. The one thing
that most Maine people can agree upon is that we should do good things for fellow Mainers — particularly the youngest. By clearly articulating that your goal is a person and not a concept or thing, people find common ground and are able to talk about a range of ideas to a common end. I always found this to be powerful and effective in moving big new ideas and try to do the same in my life.
A great example was with early childhood development. The Maine Development Foundation and the Maine State Chamber of Commerce took a bold and thoughtful step by positioning early childhood development as a top economic priority. There was some initial outrage. Some Maine business leaders took issue with this move and let both organizations know what they thought in no uncertain terms. Thankfully, leadership staid the course and stuck to their guns. This was about Maine kids. This was about families and communities. This was about the future. This was not about programs and policies. Everyone could agree that we wanted our kids to be healthy and able to read. By focusing on the young person, public opinion turned and today we see early childhood development discussed in bipartisan political circles and at business roundtables.
A lot more can be said of Laurie’s impact and I am sure that others will have no problem adding to the story. Many of us who have been fortunate to partner with her still apply the lessons we learned today. Thank you, Laurie, for leading the way. We look forward to seeing what is next.
ED CERVONE was Director of Operations for the Maine Development Foundation under Laurie Lachance’s leadership, eventually succeeding Laurie as president and CEO. He later was Vice President for Innovative Partnerships for Thomas College during Lachance’s tenure as the college’s president. He currently is Director of Partnerships and External Relations for the University of New England.
A TRIBUTE TO LAURIE LACHANCE
Just Imagine
By Cheryl Miller & Roxanne Eflin
“JUST IMAGINE.” These two words became the mantra of the extraordinary woman I call “Fearless” and Friend. For 12 years I was privileged to work alongside Laurie Lachance at the Maine Development Foundation while we were building upon the solid foundation created by Henry Bourgeois, Laurie’s predecessor, with whom I also worked. When Laurie accepted the role as CEO, you could feel a seismic shift begin. People’s personal regard for her and her integrity translated to many doors opening for MDF. We
worked hard, side by side, to empower the organization and very soon program results began to soar. Citizens in every county were relating to our work and benefiting from a new brand of advocacy. It was Laurie who helped inject new enthusiasm into the iconic Leadership Maine program and Policy Leaders Academy by creating themes from Measures of Growth. She was a known entity to the Legislative leaders and with her determination and collaboration Measures of Growth became a “must read” for all
legislatures — an annual North Star guiding document capturing vital statistics, trends and reasons to celebrate Maine’s growing economic vitality.
Laurie is a faith-based leader who walks the talk and models the way. Two phrases come to mind in thinking of her. She always “took the high road” and empowered us all to do the same. She encouraged us to “be bold”, thus enabling her staff and board leadership to develop and launch new ideas, including the Maine Employers Initiative and the Education Leadership Experience.
Laurie’s legacy in Maine State Government, the Maine Development Foundation and Thomas College has made a lasting impression on the vibrancy of our State. Her sphere of influence will continue to grow in her volunteer commitments on several important boards throughout the State.
— CHERYL MILLER, RETIRED SENIOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR OF MAINE DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION
LAURIE INVITED ME to join the team at the Maine Downtown Center, a program with a great origin story that took firm root through MDF’s association with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Center a few years earlier. Working alongside her impacted my life in ways I have yet to experience since. It was through Laurie’s outspoken
TOP: The Maine Development Foundation team at the 2011 Annual Meeting. L-R: Ed Cervone, Roxanne Eflin, Dianne Heino, Laurie Lachance, Ryan Neale, Margot Beland, Maggie Drummond-Bahl, Cheryl Miller, Amanda Roggio
BELOW: Team camaraderie, Laurie style!
“ Her opening presentations at every annual Downtown Conference drew rave reviews … When we pitched the idea of introducing the Downtown Institute training program statewide, she immediately said ‘Yes, and what do you
need to make this excellent?’”
— ROXANNE EFLIN
THIS PHOTO: Laurie Lachance (3rd from left) leading the Policy Leaders Academy tour. January 2010, Machias BELOW: The energy-packed attendees at the 2012 Maine Downtown Conference, Skowhegan
dedication to the core mission of the Maine Downtown Center that inspired and enabled it to expand statewide. She envisioned and encouraged the Maine Downtown Network program, enabling communities of all sizes to participate within their capacity as sister programs to the designated Main Street Communities. New grant money was secured through USDA and the CDC for the Healthy Maine Streets program, a national pilot we created focused on sustainability. Her opening presentations at every annual Downtown Conference drew rave reviews. She shared with me more than once how much she loved the energy of those conferences and kicking them off! When we pitched the idea of introducing the Downtown Institute training program statewide, she immediately said ‘Yes, and what do you need to make this excellent?’ Her spirit of teamwork, and firm yet loving direction she provided at the helm of MDF,
was nothing short of inspiring.
Laurie cares deeply for people, and highly values relationships. She loved and appreciated every volunteer Advisory Council member, every local committee member, every person who believed that even their smallest contribution could make a difference. Laurie’s expansive thinking and fierce belief in the power of Maine people to make this state not just a better place, but a showcase of determination, is legendary. She leads from the heart, buoyed by a powerful trusting belief in the courage and creativity of Maine’s community leaders and the staff and volunteers she invites in to help us all reach new heights. Laurie is a Maine treasure and role model, wrapped in a great laugh and impeccable ethics, and who positively impacts countless lives past, present and for generations to come.”
—ROXANNE EFLIN, FORMER SENIOR MANAGER, MAINE DOWNTOWN CENTER
Whether you are looking to start, grow, or relocate your business in/to Maine, the Office of Business Development is here to help!
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Get in touch with us:
Charlotte Mace, Director
Charlotte.Mace@Maine.gov
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Large Business Development Manager
Ben.Sturtevant@Maine.gov
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Jake.Daniele@Maine.gov
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Tax Incentives Policy Manager
Phoenix.McLaughlin@Maine.gov
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Business Development Coordinator
Shae.McGehee@Maine.gov
Patti Sutter
Business Development Specialist
Patricia.Sutter@Maine.gov
Be sure to listen to The BottomLine podcast with co-hosts Patrick Woodcock of the Maine State Chamber and John Williams of Williams Broadcasting featuring a variety of special guests highlighting important issues and priorities for Maine’s business community and economy.
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The Laurie Lachance Leadership Fund
Laurie Lachance has spent her entire career breaking glass ceilings.
Often the only woman in the room, Laurie‘s drive, determination and passion led her to become Maine’s first female State Economist, first woman to hold the position of President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation and as Thomas College’s fifth president, she is the first woman to lead the school.
Her accolades are numerous; she co-chaired the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee, helping Maine plan and recovery after COVID. She has been inducted into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame, Junior Achievement’s Maine Business Hall of Fame and named as a Woman to Watch in MaineBiz and one of Maine Magazine’s Top 50 Mainers. Plus, many other awards and recognitions throughout her career.
During her time as Thomas’ President, the campus has undergone a transformation. New buildings have been built, Thomas’s Endowment has doubled, student retention grew by 20 percentage points and the average GPA for the incoming class has increased from 2.8 to 3.4.
JUST IMAGINE
To honor Laurie’s impact, Thomas is proud to announce ‘The Laurie Lachance Leadership Fund’ to support students at three key times in their higher education careers.
DREAM
Scholarships help students fulfill their dreams of attending college and tap into the power of a Thomas education. The scholarship dollars raised through the Leadership Fund will help a student’s learning and career goals become a reality. Many students attending Thomas are
First-Generation college students. Scholarships to help with the financial stress of college reassure students that they have support to find their dreams and accomplish them.
TRANSFORM
Paid internships allow students to focus on job training and connections with professional in their field without the pressure of managing an additional job along with their course load. Internships give students an opportunity to take the knowledge they are receiving in the classroom and transform it into hands-on knowledge. In many degree programs, internships are a part of the curriculum. By offering paid internships, students have one less thing to worry about while they earn their degree.
ACHIEVE
Student Success grants offer gap funding when finances shift during a student’s time at Thomas. In order to keep a student on track to graduation, these grants can be a life line to ensure they can continue getting their Thomas education. Graduate School Scholarships support students who lose funding (like PEL grants) when they continue on to get their Master’s Degree. Thomas’s 3 &1 program that offers a Bachelor’s Degree in 3 years and a Master’s in the 4th year is incredibly successful yet, students lose funding when they go for their Master’s degree. These scholarships would help to off-set those costs.
Join us!
To honor Laurie’s impact and donate to ‘The Laurie Lachance Leadership Fund’ please contact Erin Merrill,
Associate Vice President of Advancement
Beyond
Beyond the Walls
CHANGING THE FACE OF EDUCATION, AND THE FUTURE OF MAINE
Story by Sheila D. Grant
T A TIME WHEN COLLEGES and universities are struggling to attract and retain students, Thomas College is instead tenaciously finding a path forward. That is due in no small part to Thomas College President Laurie G. Lachance, who took the helm in 2012. Under Laurie’s leadership, Thomas has taken many innovative leaps, as well as evolving as an accessible, caring community.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
ABOVE: Laurie speaking at Thomas College’s 125th anniversary homecoming weekend in fall of 2018.
OPPOSITE: Laurie at her final matriculation book signing as president of Thomas College.
Thomas College was already “absolutely a leader in the state of Maine in partnering with high schools and offering dual-enrollment courses,” Laurie said. High school teachers with a master’s degree aligned curriculum with Thomas faculty to create classes that, when successfully completed, earned high school students three college credits at no charge. The program helps students gain confidence that they can do college-level work, she said.
An average of 1,000 high school students in Maine consistently earn dual-enrollment credits annually through Thomas.
During Laurie’s tenure, Thomas designed a threeyear bachelor’s degree program in all majors, offering students significant savings of time and money.
“We knew from experience that many students brought early college credits, which would just make it that much easier,” said Laurie.
About 40 percent of incoming students at Thomas earn an undergraduate degree in three years or less. Some choose to enter the job market. Others opt to earn their master’s degree in one year, “which we offer in a very flexible manner, so they graduate at 22 or 23 with a master’s and have higher earning potential.
“It has completely changed the way students think about college, and the savings is enormous,” Laurie said. “They take the exact same number of classes, of credits, to graduate, but in an accelerated way. Students are succeeding — they are still playing sports, leading clubs, graduating with high honors — so it works. It is
PHOTOS: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
really changing the way we deliver education.
“We were first in the nation to partner with Jobs for Maine Graduates, putting a college-level JMG counselor on campus so those students who benefited from JMG throughout high school had a welcoming place, a culture that they were familiar and successful with,” Laurie said. “That was so successful the state paid for most of the state schools to have college-level JMG. It’s a tremendous way of helping students at risk to not quit but to go to college and succeed.”
Thomas also honed its focus on employment for graduates, developing a set of “career builders” that begin in a student’s first year. Students earn digital badges for attaining career and life skills like organization, dealing with stress, how to have difficult conversations
DURING LAURIE’S TENURE, THOMAS DESIGNED A THREEYEAR BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAM IN ALL MAJORS, OFFERING STUDENTS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS OF TIME AND MONEY.
and how to network. Higher-level badges are available for students who work on leadership development and design thinking, a well-known model for innovating and creative solutions.
Thomas students also create a personal and professional plan around what they want to do in their lives, and how they are going to achieve that.
“It’s not that nobody ever did career focus,” Laurie explained. “That’s not the case. But we are integrating it more fully throughout their time in college.”
Another first-in-the-nation innovation at Thomas was the guaranteed job program launched about 25 years ago. The program incentivizes students to take the steps necessary to enter the workplace after graduation. And if a participant doesn’t get a job within a certain timeframe fol-
lowing graduation, “we will pay their federal student loans for up to one year,” Laurie said.
During her time at Thomas, over half of Thomas College students were the first in their family to attend college or come from “humble roots with not tons of money and resources,” said Laurie. “They haven’t traveled the world. There are differences from their backgrounds that can hold them back.”
For example, many students wouldn’t know how to participate in a corporate or nonprofit golf tournament with their future colleagues. To level that playing field, Thomas seniors and master’s students can join a golf program offered each fall. Working with a golf pro, they learn the etiquette and rules of the game, practice, and then play in a scramble with faculty, staff or alumni.
ABOVE: Long-time friend Eric Roux looking at Laurie’s new presidential medallion during Laurie’s inauguration at Thomas College. In the background are Eric’s daughters, Brycelyn Roux Williamson and Sophie Roux.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
“If they never use it, then they never use it, but it gives them a chance to be on a little bit more equal footing with others and not miss out on those corporate and nonprofit opportunities,” Laurie said.
APPROACHABLE, CARING LEADERSHIP BENEFITS STUDENTS
“I met Laurie when I was a first-year student at Thomas in 2014,” said Tyler LeClair, Resource Development Manager at United Way of Kennebec Valley. “I was very nervous about my new adventure, and, like so many of my fellow students, this was my first leap outside of my childhood home. Laurie was there from the start, offering a comforting voice. She beautifully found ways to encourage us
WEX celebrates exceptional leaders like Laurie Lachance, the first woman president of Thomas College, who inspires us with their vision and dedication.
WEX is proud to champion the accomplishments of pioneering women who pave the way for future generations. Lead the way. wexinc.com/careers
CONGRATULATIONS, LAURIE!
outside of our comfort zone. Over the course of my college career she became a core part of my experience.”
Tyler said that he hit “a major road bump in my career path” while attending Thomas.
“Laurie went out of her way to sit with me and offer wisdom and support that I will carry with me forever,” he said. “Later down the road, I took a role with United Way of Kennebec Valley, where I had the pleasure to reconnect with Lau-
rie. Her work at Thomas overlaps with United Way’s mission to make Kennebec County a better place for all. The way she invests in her students is helping to build the pipeline of our community leaders.”
Tyler said Laurie inspires others to become leaders and lifelong learners, something he predicts won’t stop with retirement.
“Laurie has a remarkable ability to connect with people, but even more remarkable is her ability to make everyone
Thank you for your dedication, leadership and significant contributions to Maine.
feel special, seen and inspired,” he said. “I believe these characteristics were intentionally woven into the fabric of Thomas’ culture, as all of my professors and supporting staff made personal connections with me that greatly added to my experience as a student. I personally experienced these characteristics each time I interacted with Laurie. I never expected someone in her position to be able to connect with each individual student, remembering something about each one of them.”
for creating community at the college is part of her legacy.
“It didn’t matter what level of the school hierarchy you were part of, whether you were a prospective student touring, current student, faculty, staff, the lunch lady or head of student services. She spoke to you like you were a person and like she is a person, and that
“LAURIE HAS A REMARKABLE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE...TO MAKE EVERYONE FEEL SPECIAL, SEEN AND INSPIRED. I BELIEVE THESE CHARACTERISTICS WERE INTENTIONALLY WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF THOMAS’ CULTURE , AS ALL OF MY PROFESSORS AND SUPPORTING STAFF MADE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS WITH ME.”
— TYLER LECLAIR
trickled into the whole school. She’s a real person who really cares.”
Owen Orlando accepted a position with DHHS Child Protective Services immediately after graduating from Thomas in May, 2024.
“I first met Laurie on a tour of Thomas in the spring of 2020,” he recalled. “She is the most personable and transparent president I can imagine at a college.”
After becoming a Thomas student, Owen worked in the admissions office, giving tours to prospective students. As tour groups approached Laurie’s office for an introduction, “We would always say — her office has a glass wall — that when Laurie first arrived at Thomas, she knocked down the brick wall and put up the glass one. And behind that glass wall was a candy bowl. If anybody was having a rough day, they could go in, grab a snack and chat.”
Owen believes that Laurie’s talent
Lisa Halle, former attorney turned executive coach, met Laurie while working with the Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation.
“Bill was on the board of Educare Central Maine and Laurie had joined the board,” Lisa recalled.
The two women, both from humble roots and with the shared conviction that education is the way to a better life, became friends as well as colleagues.
“Friendship with Laurie is inevitable,” Hallee said, laughing. “She is such an incredible, inviting, welcoming human being, so open and authentic. She’s real.
“I love what Laurie has created at Thomas College,” Hallee said. “She created a community and an inviting, welcoming, open-door policy. She welcomes everyone from students to staff to faculty, just coming in saying ‘Hey, my test went well,’ or sharing some piece of news from their life. She knows who they are; she remembers these details. She stops what she’s doing and pays attention to
people who come knocking at her door. She takes the time out to be with them. There’s not even a hint of ‘I’m the president; don’t waste my time.’ Laurie is just as authentic and real with a student as she is with a big donor.”
INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP ATTRACTS FUNDERS, BOARD MEMBERS
Wick Johnson, Chair of the Board of Kennebec Technologies, had previously served as Chair of the Board of Trustees, University of Maine System.
“When he got off that, he was so intrigued by what we were doing at Thomas that he’s the only guy who ever came to me and said, ‘I really want to be on your
A few years ago, during the final presentation of the President’s Innovation Challenge, (a program Laurie championed), a participating student group presented Laurie with a plaque they were awarded for their work with the Department of Corrections through this project.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
board.’ He had all this knowledge and he saw that Thomas is very, very nimble and innovative and he was fascinated on how we were beating the odds,” Laurie said.
“The important work of Thomas College is educating first-generation Maine students, getting them into college,” said Wick, who has been on the Thomas board for eight years. “Thomas College has been on an accelerated path of fulfilling this mission. What Laurie has done, and what this board worked with her to do, is to raise awareness of Thomas College and what it does, and at the same time lay the groundwork for continued strength of programs and growth.”
College presidents play internal and
external roles, Wick said, including fundraising and profile building.
“That’s been very successful at Thomas. With Laurie’s leadership, the institution has been extraordinarily successful,” he said. “We are lucky to be in Waterville and have the Alfonds, but the Alfonds are very particular about who they give money to, why they give it and what their expectations are. They are very professional, as they should be.”
Under Laurie’s leadership, “Thomas College has interacted extremely well with a number of large donors. She gives them confidence. At the same time, she’s overseen a huge diversification in fundraising in general,” Wick said. In 2016,
“the college started a fundraising and development campaign with a goal of $12 to $15 million. We ended up raising over $30 million. Laurie has done very good job cultivating donors and also raising the profile of the institution.
“The proof in the pudding is delivering on everything you tell people you’re going to do and Thomas College has delivered,” Wick said. “The class standing of incoming students has significantly increased. The retention is stellar compared to similar institutions. We’ve started successfully recruiting international students. What I’ve experienced is that when I’m in groups of people, they almost always talk about how impressed
they are with Thomas. The level of awareness in the community is much greater than it was when Laurie started.”
The Thomas College board was doing strategic planning when Laurie became president.
“Virtually everything in that 10-year plan has been accomplished,” he said. “There are very few gaps right now in terms of what we would like for the physical plant. It’s not sexy, but it makes a huge difference. This is part of her legacy, that the college is in a very strong position financially, with no deferred maintenance.”
The challenge for Thomas College and similar institutions is that there are fewer students graduating from high school, Wick said.
“Thomas has its challenges but what it’s shown so far is that it’s nimble and weathers the challenges,” said Wick. “Laurie has not hesitated, and really encouraged engagement and transparency,
so the board knows exactly where things stand. There are very few surprises.”
Part of Laurie’s success, he said, is that she “gets it.”
“She went to Bowdoin, but she grew up in Dover-Foxcroft, and more than getting it, she understands Thomas students. This is not an intellectual exercise for Laurie.”
As a board member, Wick said he’s excited to see where Thomas College will be in 10 years, “because there are huge opportunities. The incoming president will have the usual challenges, but the bottom line is that they’re taking over an institution that’s very solid and ready to move to the next stage, and that’s what Laurie is leaving. That’s her legacy.”
The Lunder Foundation has long been a supporter of Thomas College.
“Because our family foundation has continued to support Thomas College during Laurie’s presidency, we have been in continuous contact with Laurie about
the status and progress of the college and its programs, and have gotten to know Laurie very well personally over the years,” said Peter Lunder.
“Laurie has done a great job at Thomas College to provide educational and therefore economic opportunities to countless young people in Maine, many of whom are first-generation college students,” he said. “This has had an enormous impact on the lives of these young people and of their families, and has also had a positive impact on the economy in Maine, and particularly central Maine.
“Laurie is passionate about improving the lives of young people in Maine through education, and cares deeply about the state of Maine,” Peter said. “She is an executive who gives her all as a leader, oftentimes without concern for her own well-being, putting the institution first before herself. These are traits of which my mentor, Harold Alfond,
PHOTO: COURTESY OF THOMAS COLLEGE
Laurie with Rita and Doug Sukeforth, supporters of Thomas College, during the 125th Celebration of Thomas College in 2018.
would be proud.”
Bill Alfond said that upon meeting Laurie in 2010, “I was struck by her warmth and genuineness.”
The two got better acquainted on the board of Educare Central Maine, part of a national network of comprehensive early childhood education centers.
“Educare provides data-informed, high-quality education for children from birth to age 5, many of whom come from families that are facing significant economic challenges,” Bill said.
“Laurie and I have had some of our best conversations while walking,” he said. “We took a walk in Augusta one day to discuss Educare. She told me that she would become involved with Educare on one condition. We would need to take Educare ‘beyond the walls’ to increase access to quality early childhood education in Maine. This sentiment exemplifies Laurie’s longtime commitment towards doing what is best for the state.”
That “beyond-the-walls” effort is well underway, “thanks in part to Laurie’s leadership while she was on the board,” said Bill. “For instance, hundreds of early childhood education students from places like Thomas College, Kennebec Valley Community College, and UMaine Farmington have come to Educare to gain hands-on experience and mentorship from Educare’s exceptional teachers.
“Throughout my involvement with Laurie, I have found her to be optimistic and receptive to new ideas,” Bill said.
As President of Thomas College, Laurie faced the challenge of trying to increase student enrollment and retention numbers. “She knew that collegiate sports could help to both attract and retain students but can also be costly to operate. In 2018, we started talking about bringing Esports to Thomas. At that time most colleges and universities had not yet adopted Esports as a varsity-level program. In her typical cheery fashion, Laurie was open to the idea and Thomas became the first college in Maine to have a varsity Esports program.
We’re honored to celebrate President Lachance’s groundbreaking career and recognize her commitment to advancing student success.
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This program has since doubled in size.
“Laurie has worked tirelessly throughout her career to address Maine’s workforce needs, whether it be through analysis as the Maine State Economist or as President of Thomas College,” Bill said. “Our state is a better place thanks to this wonderful woman from Dover-Foxcroft. Laurie comes from one of the poorest counties in Maine. Her intellect earned her an acceptance to Bowdoin College. She has talked about how the transition from her small town came with challenges. I’m certain this made an impression on Laurie and helped her to become the thoughtful and empathic leader she is today, like the kind of president who meets every student at Thomas College.”
Anthony Buxton, a partner at law firm PretiFlaherty, has known Laurie since her CMP and Maine State Economist days.
“At that time, both positions mattered because both entities paid serious attention to sectors of the economy, using sophisticated studies of manufacturing, for example. By no coincidence, Maine then had far more manufacturing” he said.
“Laurie was a valuable resource and economic advocate. She provided useful information in unbiased manners,” said Anthony. “She then transitioned to a leader, in fact one of the first female leaders in the economic development sector. Her credibility with government mattered. Her intelligence and positive attitude moved obstacles away.”
At a time when “it is obvious that small colleges are endangered nationwide, Thomas has prospered,” said Anthony. “Her leadership and Maine credibility made a difference for Thomas. In essence, Laurie is a highly intelligent and good person who has done her home state a great deal of good.”
Former Jackson Laboratory EVP/ COO Chuck Hewitt currently serves on the boards of the Roux Family Foundation and Initiative for Digital Engineering and Life Sciences.
“I’ve known Laurie since the early
1990s and our paths have intertwined most of the time since,” he said. “Laurie defines competency. She brilliantly analyzes, caringly leads, and shrewdly sets strategy. But, those strengths mask Laurie’s true persona. Compassionate, direct, gentle, firm, honest to a fault, outgoing and courageous, Laurie defines the best of humanity.
“Laurie has successfully steered three critical Maine endeavors—most recently Thomas College, which she navigated well through COVID and declining undergrad enrollments nationwide. She built Thomas into an opportunity engine for first-generation college students, providing opportunities for them that they would not have had without her leadership,” said Chuck.
“She successfully led the Maine Development Foundation—providing education for legislators and up and coming Maine leaders. And, she was a fount of practical, factual knowledge and keen, insightful analyses as Maine’s State Economist.
“All of us who follow what happens in Maine applaud Laurie for her outstanding career contributions,” Chuck said. “Maine is so much better for them.”
Meredith Jones, retired President and CEO of the Maine Community Foundation, has been on the Thomas College board for eight years, currently as Chair of the Advancement Committee.
During the most recent capital campaign, Meredith and Laurie often visited funders together.
“That’s where I learned how amazing she is,” said Meredith. “This humble woman who just knows how to tell stories that are so filled with warm feelings about her passion for this college and the students. I don’t know that anybody would ever say no to Laurie.”
Caring about Maine is part of Laurie’s DNA, she said.
“Caring so deeply about the state and understanding that the key to Maine’s long-term success is having a strong economy, and a strong economy happens when you get people who are well-educated and able to lead who want to live in our communities and raise their families.”
Under Laurie’s leadership, Meredith said, more first-generation, rural kids are earning degrees and landing great jobs. “More and more, and no kid gets left behind.”
Laurie and her family at her presidential inauguration at Thomas College
— Laurie Lachance
Thank you, Laurie, for empowering Maine’s workforce through the transformative power of education.
