Dave Daigler

David Daigler is committed to building strong relationships with the state’s employers and leaders that result in transformational educational opportunities for all Mainers.

As  president of the Maine Community College System since 2019, Daigler has pursued initiatives that are dramatically expanding the scope of what the community colleges offer and creating new educational opportunities that are more effective, efficient, and accessible to Maine people.

The seven community colleges serve more than 33,000 people a year, through two-year associate degree and one-year certificate programs, short-term workforce training, early college programs, advanced certificates, and other learning opportunities.

Daigler previously served as chief financial officer from 2003 to 2019 and vice president from 2015 to 2019.

As president, Daigler has guided the colleges to record high enrollment, signed historic new transfer agreements with public and private colleges in Maine, and launched the Maine Free College Scholarship.

He also led an historic $150 million initiative to vastly expand short-term training programs using a unique model that has attracted over 2,000 business partners representing 60% of Maine’s workforce. This nationally recognized initiative is funded by the Harold Alfond Foundation with additional investments from local businesses and State of Maine grants. The program utilizes a three-tiered approach: pre-hire training to provide workers with the skills needed to qualify for employment, followed by professional development for incumbent workers to advance participants’ career opportunities, then culminating with scholarships for college courses supporting degree attainment. By 2030, this initiative will provide training and education to over 100,000 Maine workers.

Daigler is also committed to the colleges being highly responsive to the immediate workforce needs of the state. In partnership with Maine’s largest health care providers, he led a successful effort to use public and private funds to double the number of students enrolled in nursing programs and expanded nursing programs to all seven colleges.

In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges, Daigler co-chairs of the Maine Defense Industry Alliance (MDIA) and the Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force. He also serves on several boards including the New England Board of Higher Education, the Alfond Scholars Board, and Northeast Delta Dental. He is a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Community Development Advisory Council.

Daigler graduated from John Carroll University and Boston College and has a Master of Science in Finance.