Mainebiz

V O L . X X I I I N O. V I M A R C H 2 0 , 2 0 1 7 28 Piggybacking that effort to open opportunities to students is an in-progress Center for Discovery, Global Impact and Achievement, for which Greene still is seeking a contributor who would like their name on the building. e idea is to give students experience in internships, one or more global expe- riences and the chance to do research, so they are engaged in their coursework and the world. Greene respects the cost of an education and the sac- rifices students make to come to a school like Colby, and says he wants to increase the life chances of its students. "I tell them, 'Congratulations on getting here. You did extraordinary things. Now forget all that. All the hoops you jumped through to get here are no longer relevant in your life,'" he says. "I tell them to stop having an external rewards drive and focus on doing things for themselves, to think entirely differently and push themselves in new ways." Big ideas What worries Serengeti's Biddle at times is that Greene may become too tired. He is seen regularly about campus at student arts and athletic events, donned in the school's blue and grey colors, in addi- tion to meeting with all the constituents of the downtown Waterville revitalization and the campus expansion. But talking at an end-of-day meeting recently, he looks energetic and attentive to the con- versation at hand, at the same time relaxed and creat- ing a comfortable environment for those around him. "David is very present on campus. ere may be two to three different David Greene's. He's ubiquitous," says Alexander "Sandy" Buck, a Colby grad and head of the Horizon Foundation, who also made a multimil- lion-dollar donation last December to fund the Buck Environment and Climate Change Lab, which will give students research and internship opportunities. One of Greene's pet projects is the $200 mil- lion Colby College Athletic Center, which is in the design phase now and which could almost triple the space for exercise, fitness and sports activities. at building also needs a major donor, Buck says. Buck says Greene's enthusiasm inspires him. "I never expected to give money to move the dial on environmental studies," he says. "Greene inspires people to be more than they [think] they can be." Adds Buck, "He said in his inaugural address, 'is is Colby's moment. is is Colby's time.' He hasn't taken his foot off the gas since." Unifying 'town' and 'gown' Buck adds that he is excited about what Greene has done to unify the "town and gown" divisions, mov- ing the downtown revitalization ahead. Eric Rosengren, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, is a Colby graduate and chairman of its board. He quickly saw the potential Greene had to boost Waterville. "e Boston Fed actively thinks of how to get communities that aren't accelerated to progress in ways others have," he says. "One of the things with David is he is clear about accelerating progress with Colby and Waterville." He points to winterizing of the softball and base- ball fields and pulling in investment in the art museum as examples of Greene's successes. e art museum attracts 50,000 visitors annually. "e synergies between the school and the city were strong and David saw that," says Rosengren. "He is extremely collaborative in working with busi- nesses and state and local government. You have to make sure everyone is on board." He adds, "Taking on the Waterville project isn't necessarily something a new university president does. But he had experience at the University of Chicago and he's brought in an extremely strong management team." He adds that Greene found a way to expand the pie of funding rather than just reallocating resources. Greene says he believes there is potential for the Waterville plan to be replicated in other parts of the state. He'll be speaking soon at a conference at law firm Goodwin Procter's Boston headquarters about how an anchor institution can play an economic development role. He and his brother Tom also are collaborating on an op-ed piece about the arts. When he finally slows down, Greene says he'd like to write some long-form journalism stories. And that would bring him full circle into the pro- fession of his first job, that of a paperboy. Lori Valigra, Mainebiz senior writer / content specialist, can be reached at lvaligra @ mainebiz.biz and @LValigra » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY David A. Greene Age: 53 Favorite place outside of work: In the kitchen. I make a mean risotto of all different kinds, most recently with artichokes. When you gather as a fam- ily that's when you have all the real conversations. Leadership icon: I have two. One is Maine U.S. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith. She's a pioneer, a woman of courage and she stood on extraordinary principle. She took on U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy. I hold U.S. Sen. George Mitchell in the same regard for his pragmatism. He was not afraid to listen, to compromise, to cut to the heart of the matter and get something done. He's from Waterville, has a pride of home and a sense of civic engagement. Maine's biggest challenges: If we can't solve the youth and diversity issues related to Maine, we can't solve the economic issues. Young people bring energy and entrepreneurship to the state and that helps keep people here. One example [of a solution] is the Alfond Leaders Program, which offers loan forgiveness if students come to Maine to work in STEM fields and stay in Maine. We are largely homogeneous in Maine, so we need more age, race and ethnic diversity. Maine's biggest opportunity: Leveraging our extraor- dinary assets in Maine and our workforce's ethics. We need to think about a new economy for the 21st century for Maine built on service and hospi- tality, but it needs something more robust at its core like technology for new forms of job growth. Best Business Advice: Do something you love. There's no separation between life and work for me. It feels like I live a coherent life. Colby College President David Greene, pictured here with Sara Verstynen, the presidential and leadership engagement officer, encourages Colby students 'to think differently and push themselves in new ways.'

• Cover