News Releases

USM Foundation Names New Directors

February 2, 2006

James E. Geary of Southwest Harbor, Philip K. Ryan of London, England and Richard J. Vail of South Portland have recently been appointed to the University of Southern Maine Foundation Board of Directors.

Geary, vice president of finance and CFO of the Maine Community Foundation, received his B.S. in accounting from USM in 1982 and earned his M.B.A. from the University of Maine in 1996. He has served as a trust and investment officer with the First National Bank of Bar Harbor, the controller for Woodard and Curran and a senior staff auditor for Arthur Young in Portland. His community activities include serving as vice chair of Mount Desert Island YMCA Board of Directors and treasurer of the Southwest Harbor Conservation Commission.

Ryan is the chairman of the Financial Institutions Group at Credit Suisse in London. A graduate of the University of Illinois, he received his M.B.A. from the University of Indiana and began his investment career at Dean Witter Reynolds. He later served as CFO of Credit Suisse Asset Management in London and CFO of Credit Suisse in Zurich. His community involvement includes serving as chair of the board of Zurich International School and leading its fund-raising campaign to build a new school.

Vail, a 1977 USM graduate, is the president and CEO of Mechanics Savings Bank in Auburn. His career in the financial industry spans more than 28 years and includes extensive work in commercial lending with institutions such as AG Edwards, Peoples Heritage Bank and Gorham Savings Bank. His community involvement includes work with PCA Great Performances, United Way of Greater Portland, National Kidney Foundation and the Board of Youth Alternatives.

The USM Foundation, a private, nonprofit organization established to receive and manage gifts to the University, has assets totaling over $25 million.

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