President Laurie LaChance
In July 2012, Laurie Lachance was named as Thomas College's 5th President. She is the first female and the first alumna to lead this small, dynamic business and liberal arts college in its 118 year history.
From 2004-2012, Laurie served as President and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation, a highly-regarded, non-profit, membership organization established in 1978. The Foundation's flagship programs include Leadership Maine, Policy Leaders Academy, the Maine Downtown Center, the Maine Employers' Initiative, and the Maine Economic Growth Council.
Prior to MDF, Laurie served as the Maine State Economist for eleven years for three governors. In that capacity, she chaired the Maine State Revenue Forecasting Commission, and served as lead or co-lead on utility restructuring, telecommunications, the retirement industry, and tax reform. Prior to joining state government, Laurie served as the Corporate Economist at Central Maine Power Company.
A frequent author and speaker on the economic status of Maine, Laurie holds an undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, an MBA from Thomas College, and was recently awarded the Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. She has been the recipient of several awards including: the Governor Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award, the Dr. Mary Chandler Lowell Award, the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center Distinguished Maine Policy Fellow, the Thomas College Distinguished Alumnus, the Deborah Morton Award, the Maine State Chamber of Commerce's President's Award, and the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce's Community Service Award.
Laurie serves on a number of boards including Educate Maine, is the chair of Educare Central Maine, and is on the Maine Economic Growth Council.
