Mainebiz Giving Guide

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 11 G I V I N G G U I D E 2 0 2 1 – 2 0 2 2 GIVING GUIDE T he so-called Great Resignation — the trend of people moving on from their jobs during the pandemic — has affected Maine non- profits in a range of ways. In the past 18 months, we've seen a slew of CEOs, presidents and execu- tive directors retire or announce their pending retirement. It has affected public-private part- nerships like Brunswick Landing, Maine Venture Fund and the Finance Authority of Maine. It's affected big nonprofits, like the Maine Community Foundation and the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. Colleges and universities saw some changes, including Central Maine Community College and the Land- ing School. It's affected small nonprofits like Maine Preservation. But the Great Resignation trend has also hit the rank and file positions across nonprofits. Changes at large nonprofits Two of Maine's more prominent non- profits had top leadership changes in the past year. At Maine Community Founda- tion, President and CEO Steve Rowe announced his retirement in January, ending a 6-year run. In June, the non- profit brought on an interim president and CEO Sterling Speirn, a seasoned foundation executive. Speirn led the W.K. Kellogg Foun- dation from 2005-13, and most recently has served as a senior fellow for the National Conference on Citizenship. Speirn, who has degrees from Stan- ford University and the University of Michigan Law School, has also led other foundations and even worked at Apple Computer Inc. in the late 1980s, according to his LinkedIn profile. A search for a new president and CEO is underway. Maine Community Foundation ranks No. 2 on the list of Maine's top 15 foundations, published elsewhere in the Giving Guide. It had annual giv- ing of $36 million for fiscal-year 2019, the most recent year available, and assets of $582.4 million. At the Island Institute, longtime President Rob Snyder resigned in March to take a position in the private sector, at ACME Smoked Fish Corp., which is based in Brooklyn, N.Y. In August, the Rockland-based nonprofit hired Tony Chatwin, who most recently led the science-and- evaluation team at the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, where he worked to scale the impact of the foundation's grant programs and projects and developed strategies for marine conservation and nature-based solutions for carbon reduction. He also established several public-private partnerships including the Fisheries Innovation Fund, which should come in handy at the Island Institute, whose mission is to foster economic stabil- ity on Maine's islands and coastal communities. e Island Institute was founded in 1983 by Philip Conkling and Peter Ralston. Chatwin is the organization's third president. Chatwin will oversee an institution that in FY 2020 invested $24.4 million in a range of programs that included edu- cational funds, a fund for Maine islands and its island fellows programs. "We are in a unique position to help Maine's coastal communities, just when they need it most," says Emily Lane, chair of the Island Institute board. "We are confident that Tony's experience and leadership will strengthen our ability to build resilience along the Maine coast." Maine Coast Heritage Trust announced that longtime director Tim Glidden plans to retire at the end of 2021. Glidden led the conservation nonprofit's successful $130 million fun- draising campaign. e money will be used for public land acquisition. Glid- den led the organization for 10 years. Board Chair Tom Armstrong said the board is embarking on a national search to identify Glidden's successor. Changes at Maine's public- private partnerships Maine's network of economic devel- opment and financing organizations had some significant leadership turn- over in the past year. The 'Great Resignation' has hit nonprofits hard Leadership positions are opening up, but rank-and-file jobs are also going unfilled B y P e t e r V a n A l l e n GIVING GUIDE C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F M A I N E C O M M U N I T Y F O U N DAT I O N P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F I S L A N D I N S T I T U T E Sterling Speirn took over as interim president and CEO of the Maine Community Foundation, succeeding Steve Rowe. Tony Chatwin is new president of the Island Institute, a Rockland community development nonprofit. He started Aug. 23. We are in a unique position to help Maine's coastal communities, just when they need it most. — Emily Lane Island Institute

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