Former Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy has a new job. The University of Maine System appointed him chancellor.
Malloy promises Maine that as chancellor of their university system, he will lead the state’s response to a workforce shortage. He expects to bring up to 158,000 skilled positions to the state.
“If we see that mission completed, Maine will be stronger, Maine will be better for our citizens. Our economy itself will be stronger. Let us not be afraid to make the changes necessary to allow us to accomplish that goal.”
The University of Maine System Board of Trustees want to tap Malloy for his achievements in higher education as Connecticut governor. They include the creation of a board of regents for higher education and investing more than $2.3 billion in the University of Connecticut.
UConn political scientist Ron Schurin says Malloy’s experience as a two-term governor probably played a bigger role.
“Being head of a system, being president of a university or chancellor of a system, is in essence a political job. And somebody who knows how government works is often well positioned to play that job.”
Malloy’s first day in Maine is July 1.
