Campaign Leaders Have Eye on USM's Future

President Richard L. Pattenaude has been making the point on and off campus that USM is moving ahead, providing the foundation of the economic and cultural life of southern Maine. We educate the citizens of the state, the scientists, business leaders, and professionals; we train actors, artists and musicians and make available to the public the resources of our campus libraries and faculty expertise through lectures, theatre and musical performances.

Now, to keep our momentum moving forward, USM needs to find support in the private sector. Though we are a state university, "only 22 percent of USM's budget comes from public sources," Vice President for University Advancement Vincent Pellegrino recently observed. Legislative funding needs to be supplemented through grants and donations.

The 21st Century Campaign for Excellence, the most ambitious and significant campaign in USM's history, will create the financial resources to enable the university to continue our leadership role in the community. "Because outside support for USM has improved so dramatically," Pattenaude said earlier this year, "the time is ripeto move forward with USM's first capital campaign."

The campaign leadership is now in place, Pellegrino recently announced. Leon Bien, president of the financial consulting business LJB and Associates and former senior vice president of Key Bank, will chair the steering committee of off-campus campaign volunteers. The honorary chairs are longtime supporters of USM, Dr. Harold L. and Peggy L. Osher.

Other steering committee members are Robert S. Blackwood, Jr., senior vice president of Coastal Bank, representing the USM Alumni Association; Lucien B. Gosselin of the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, representing the USM Foundation; David B. Hawkes of Cloudhawk, representing the USM Foundation; Anne O. Jackson, representing the USM Foundation; Daniel R. Lakeman of Lakeman Consulting; Kenneth M. Nelson, president of Nelson & Small, president of the USM Foundation; Michael H. Payson, representing the USM Foundation; Pamela Plumb of Pamela Plumb & Associates; Lewis E. Snow, general manager of Boise Cascade; Trustee and community leader Margaret A. Weston; community leaders Peter L. Haynes and Harry W. Konkel; and Jean E. Gutmann, professor of accounting, representing the USM Faculty/Staff Campaign.

"The campaign is not just raising funds,"Pellegrino said. "It also will develop a greater sense of public stewardship for the university that underpins the health of this region."

The goal of the campaign is to raise $21 million: $5 million for further development of the campus libraries, especially completion of the Glickman Family Library on the Portland campus; $1 million to support undergraduate liberal education; $1 million for instructional technology; $2 million for scholarships; $1 million for recreation and athletics; $7 million to renovate 46 Bedford St. to house the Muskie School of Public Service; and $4 million for other university projects.

The campaign has already received some major donations, matching grants and appropriations.

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