A former spokesman for Gov. John Baldacci has been named the head of a local economic development organization.
Lee Umphrey will succeed Michael Aube as CEO for the Eastern Maine Development Corporation on Oct. 1.
Umphrey has been CEO of Harrington Family Health Center in Harrington for the last five years. He was formerly director of communications and spokesman for Gov. John Baldacci, vice president of Math for America, and community and intergovernmental affairs coordinator for Bangor from 1999 to 2002, where he helped secure funding that led to early revitalization efforts on the city’s waterfront. Umphrey also worked as a consultant to Sen. George Mitchell during the Northern Ireland peace talks.
Bangor-based EMDC, a regional nonprofit economic development organization, began its search for a new CEO in April, after Aube announced he would be leaving his post in September. Aube has lead the organization twice and consecutively since 2009, for a total of 21 years.
EMDC, which serves Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock and Waldo counties, coordinates with mostly rural cities and towns to find areas with economic growth potential, including connecting prospective employees with jobs and educational opportunities.
“I’m delighted to join EMDC’s dedicated and talented team working to boost and support economically vibrant communities, businesses, and individuals,” Umphrey said.
Follow the Bangor Daily News on Facebook for the latest Maine news.