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The ɫ����Ƶis pleased to welcome three new members to its Board of Trustees: Mary Herman, Gary Locarno and Gloria Pinza. They began their terms on Friday, March 20, 2015. 

Mary Herman, founder and principal of Mary J. Herman Consulting LLC, has worked as a public policy consultant, lobbyist and volunteer in the healthcare, social services, non-profit, education and governmental sectors throughout her career. She has extensive experience as a board member for a variety of non-profit organizations including the Augusta Family Violence Project, the Development Committee of the Maine Women’s Fund and the Maine Children’s Alliance. 

Herman’s demonstrations of exceptional civil and social leadership earned her a from ɫ����Ƶ in 1999, the Liz Crandall Spirit Award from the Maine Women’s Lobby in 2014, and last year she received the Merle Nelson Women Making a Difference Award from the Maine Centers for Women, Work, and Community (WWC). She holds a nursing degree from the University of Maine Augusta, and is married to Maine Senator and former Maine Governor Angus S. King, Jr. 

“I have a great respect for the ɫ����Ƶfrom both a personal and academic perspective,” says Herman. “As the parent of a student who graduated from ɫ����Ƶ, I know first-hand that the educational environment is forward-thinking, innovative and open-minded. I am deeply honored to serve on the ɫ����Ƶ board of trustees. I applaud President Danielle Ripich’s leadership in educating the next round of health care professionals in Maine.”

George Locarno is the owner of GML Associates, a financial trust and estate wealth advisory firm located in Boston. Prior to establishing his own business, he was employed as a CPA at Deloitte & Touche, where he led and supervised the company’s entire New England tax practice.

Locarno graduated from ɫ����Ƶ precursor St. Francis College and went out to pursue his J.D. from New England Law. His wife, Jayne Enos, is a vice president at IDG Investment Corporation in Framingham, Massachusetts. 

“ɫ����Ƶ provided me with an opportunity to enjoy long-lasting friendships, memorable experiences and an education that matriculated to other studies and my career,” said Locarno. “I believe everyone has an obligation to give back to those institutions and folks who have been instrumental in a positive way to them. Accordingly, when I was asked to serve on the board, I was honored and obligated to do so. I hope my involvement will assist the University’s administration and president in continuing their successful stewardship and leadership.”

Gloria Pinza is a business and intellectual property attorney and the managing partner of Pierce Atwood LLP. Prior to joining Pierce Atwood, Pinza spend six years as a partner at Weissman Wolff, a California entertainment firm she co-founded in 1987. She is a former adjunct professor at the University of Maine Law School, and has served as a panelist and speaker at seminars regarding intellectual property and entertainment law, entrepreneurship and multimedia projects.

Pinza commented, “Under the leadership of President Ripich, the ɫ����Ƶhas flourished and is now turning heads nationally with some of its programs and approaches. In my work with business all around the state and the region, I know that higher education is an extremely important issue for Maine and all of New England. ɫ����Ƶ is a great example of providing access and opportunity to its students, and I am very excited to have a chance to work with President Ripich and the other board members to help ɫ����Ƶ continue its mission to provide students with the best possible learning experience.”

Pinza is a current board member of Maine & Company, and has been listed in The Best Lawyers of America for Intellectual Property Law from 2007-2015. She received a B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. 

“These highly accomplished individuals have generously agreed to share their expertise and time with ɫ����Ƶ at a critical time in the University’s growth and development,” says ɫ����Ƶ President Danielle Ripich. “I value their guidance and look forward to working with them as we move forward.”

For more information about the ɫ����ƵBoard of Trustees, please contact John Tumiel, M.A., OTR/L, senior advisor to the President, at jtumiel@une.edu, or call (207) 221-4628.