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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 23 O C T O B E R 5 , 2 0 1 5 impressed on her the vital importance of education to creating a competitive economy. "We could get everything else right and still not get to prosperity unless every Maine person is working to their full potential," she says. Lachance studied economics, and worked for Central Maine Power for a decade, then at the State Planning Offi ce for 11 years as state economist, serving under three governors — John McKernan, Angus King and John Baldacci. In 2004, she moved to the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) and headed a diverse range of programs, including the Maine Downtown Center, Leadership Maine, and biennial legislative tours of Maine businesses. Again, she found education was the most important link. Lachance served on boards at the Muskie School of Public Service at USM, the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine, and the UM Board of Visitors — and fi nally joined the board at omas College. During the presidential search in 2012, Lachance's name came up dur- ing a reference check for one of the fi nalists. e question was why she wasn't applying herself. When the board asked her to consider it, she did. e board, she says, is largely com- posed of self-made business people. "When they make a decision, they don't waste any time implementing it." She came on board at a critical time. e board had planned "meticu- lously" for a campus expansion, but a $12 million capital campaign was fl ag- ging. She decided " omas was one of the best-kept secrets in Maine, and that wasn't a good thing." Raising its visibility required getting people on campus — and lots of them. She began inviting government lead- ers, business people, nonprofi t direc- tors, and 400 came to visit. e almost universal reaction, she says, was "Wow, I didn't know all this existed." Within a year, things turned around. A $5 million challenge grant from the Alfond Foundation was put to use. "A long-time friend of the col- lege pledged $700,000, and that turned into $1 million," she says. A new "friend of the college" decided omas' mis- sion was closely aligned with its own, producing another $1 million gift. "Suddenly we were really close. We were rolling," she says. e capital campaign concluded a year early, and the results have included a large new residence hall and a major academic building that nearly doubled the cam- pus footprint. Lachance also credits another "risky" decision made by trustees before she arrived — to build a new, lighted turf fi eld for fi eld hockey and soccer and off er it, free, to all the schools in the area. It was risky because "there are always costs involved," but the new fi eld policy showcases the college facilities and cre- ates good will in the community. e growth at omas has involved expanding the traditional business curriculum to include what Lachance calls the "practical liberal arts," skills that may not at fi rst seem job-related but, in fact, are necessary to successful, long-term employment. And that has taken her to the next project, coordinating with other four-year schools in the area to create a "Central Maine hub" for higher edu- cation. While the mission of Colby College, Waterville's other campus, might seem very diff erent, nearly 15% of its students come from Maine, and many more consider staying here after graduation, she says. omas has a formal coordina- tion agreement with Unity College, which emphasizes environmental and conservation learning, and she speaks frequently with Rich Hopper, the new president at Kennebec Valley Community College in Fairfi eld, about coordination. She wants to cre- ate a "destination" ambience for higher education in the region. " e truth is that we are much more collaborators than we are competitors," she said. Despite "incredible demographic challenges" facing all colleges and universities, Lachance believes omas can continue to grow because it off ers an attractive array of assets. "We're very personal, yet aff ordable, relevant to today's economy, with a guarantee," she says. Students are promised they'll fi nd a suitable job within six months of graduation, or omas will make fed- eral student loan payments for up to a year, according to the college website. D o U G l a S R o o K S , a w r i t e r b a s e d i n We s t G a r d i n e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t e d i t o r i a l @ m a i n e b i z . b i z Thomas College 180 West River Road, Waterville President: Laurie Lachance Founded: 1894 Enrollment: 1,000 undergraduate and graduate students Contact: 859-1111 www.thomas.edu HARRIMAN.COM AUBURN PORTLAND MANCHESTER Find us on ARCHITECTURE ENGINEERING SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PLANNING INTERIOR DESIGN Cary Medical Center, Women's Imaging Center © Blind Dog Photography

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