Jane Phillips named President of The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges

October 15, 2014

Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges — NEWS RELEASEJane Phillips

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Helen Pelletier
Wednesday, October 16, 2014 207-767-0116, ext. 3

SOUTH PORTLAND, ME—The Board of Directors of The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges has announced the appointment of Jane B. Phillips to serve as the organization’s second president.

Phillips comes to The Foundation from Yale University where she served as director of development for the Yale School of Art and Yale University Library. Prior to her appointment at Yale, she was director of development for New York University’s College of Arts and Science. Phillips is a graduate of Colby College and holds a master’s degree from New York University.

“We are so fortunate to find in Jane Philips the right person to lead our Foundation,” said John R. McKernan, Jr., chair of The Foundation’s Board of Directors. “She is a proven fundraiser and has strong communication skills and a personal style that make her a perfect fit for The Foundation.”

The Foundation, which began its work in January of 2010, is charged with raising much needed funds for scholarships, instructional equipment and technology, and new facilities and capital repairs.

Phillips succeeds Elizabeth Shorr who is retiring in December and has been The Foundation’s president since its inception. During her tenure, The Foundation has raised $26 million and funded new programs, scholarships, and equipment purchases across the seven colleges.

“The Foundation has been extremely fortunate to have Beth Shorr at the helm for the past five years,” noted Lisa Gorman, the vice chair of the board who led the search for Shorr’s replacement. “We are confident that Jane will help us continue to raise much needed funds in support of the MCCS mission of providing educational opportunity to Maine people and a skilled workforce for the Maine economy.”

Maine’s seven community colleges enroll over 18,000 students each year and offer nearly 300 program options leading to careers in trade and technical occupations and to transfer to four-year programs of study. Typically, over 90 percent of students are Maine residents who remain in Maine after completing their degree. More information about MCCS: www.mccs.me.edu.

For more information on The Foundation, visit www.maineccfoundation.org.
###