MEXICO – David Driscoll appreciates the enthusiasm of vocational students so much that he came out of retirement to lead the Region 9 School of Applied Technology.

Driscoll, a Calais native who headed up the newly established St. Croix Regional Technology Center in Calais from 1993-2000, began his work at Region 9 on Monday.

He’s still getting his feet wet, trying to learn the names of students and staff members, and coming up to speed on issues facing the school.

“I love vocational education and being around vocational education students. I thought I still had something to offer the vocational ed field,” he said Thursday.

Between the time he retired from St. Croix and his hiring at Region 9, Driscoll earned a superintendent’s certification. He is also certified as a vocational director and had taught high school and served as a guidance counselor before entering the vocational leadership field. He’s a graduate of Calais High School, the University of Maine, and the University of Southern Maine.

He’s also a Navy veteran, having served from 1962-1966 with a stint on an aircraft carrier off the shores of Vietnam.

He’s also a musician.

He taught music on the high school level, played in several jazz bands, and was a member of the Portland Symphony Orchestra for several years, playing trombone. Now, he’s learning to play the piano.

His decision to go into vocational education grew out of his guidance counselor experience. He learned how excited and enthusiastic vocational students were, how much they enjoyed working with their hands.

Driscoll also enjoys being around vocational teachers, a group he called very dedicated. Region 9’s staff is one of the most dedicated he has met, he added.

He hopes his tenure will take Region 9 to its next level. With the school getting together under one roof a few years ago, now, Driscoll said, it’s time for the next step.

“The big move forward is to improve the facility. The board is very dedicated and they’ve come a long way in getting this far,” he said.

Tentative plans are for two projects: one to upgrade and make repairs to the existing facility, and the second to build a six-room expansion. Voters will decide both questions in March.

Meanwhile, Driscoll is getting settled into a home on Howard Pond in Hanover, organizing his office, and meeting community leaders.

“The goal is to provide students with the best vocational training we can give them so they can be competitive,” he said.

He and his wife, Jeanette, a retired speech therapist, are the parents of three children and the grandparents of seven.