Dear Students, Colleagues, Trustees, and Friends of the College,
If you follow me on social media (@thomascollegepres), you know that last week I had the honor of meeting with Maine’s legislators on Capitol Hill. For someone who is interested in politics and current events, going to Washington, D.C. is always exciting. My daughter used to joke that in our family, federal elections were our Superbowl. This time, not only did I get to meet our delegation to sing the praises of Thomas and tout how important our Terriers are to Maine’s economy, while I was there, the House of Representatives approved legislation that included $1.1 million in funding for Thomas College’s third science lab, new lab equipment, and initiatives that will put Thomas graduates directly into skilled STEM careers. While obtaining Congressional funding is in actuality a rigorous and lengthy process involving many stakeholders, for me last week, it felt like I came home from D.C. with $1.1 million for the College. That was a pretty fabulous feeling.
I had another feeling while I was in D.C., a feeling of pride in our state. Sitting in Representative Pingree’s office, I noticed on the wall a large photograph of the Maine delegation: Senators Collins and King and Representatives Golden and Pingree standing together on the Capitol steps, smiling and talking. The photo may have been staged, but Representative Pingree hung it in a place of honor in her conference room. That day I had the opportunity to speak directly with Senators Collins and King. I was struck by how similar our conversations were and how much both Senators cared about what I had to say and also about Maine’s educational institutions. After the House approved Thomas’ funding, both Senators wrote us letters of congratulations. Both had supported our plans to expand Maine’s STEM workforce, and both were celebrating our success with us.
I write this not to downplay the substantive disagreements between our political parties but to highlight that there is also clear agreement about what Maine needs to be successful as a state, with higher education a critical part of the plan. In my visit to the Hill, party took a backseat to a discussion of how Maine could grow and thrive as a state and the role of higher education in ensuring that it would.
My experience in D.C. was prefaced by something I experienced in Waterville in October. After a gubernatorial breakfast hosted by the Mid-Maine Chamber, Democratic candidate Angus King III visited Thomas. We stopped by the office of Jim Libby, a Republican candidate, who happens to be a faculty member at the College. These candidates disagree on important issues, but they both value higher education and Thomas College, and as a result, we had a fun, bi-partisan photo op in Jim’s office. Last week and throughout the year, higher education has been a unifying force for me and for our state, and I am proud to live in a place where people are finding common ground for the common good. Thomas College—and higher education in Maine—will be stronger for it.
Sending my best,
