From staff and wire reports

AUGUSTA – Gov. John Baldacci, moving in an area that has been marked with controversy, on Thursday nominated four members for the board of trustees of the University of Maine System.

The nominees are P. James Dowe, Jr. of Bangor, the president of Bangor Savings Bank who is up for reappointment; Chad Marquis of Fort Kent, a former Marine and truck driver currently attending the University of Maine at Fort Kent; Marj Medd of Norway, who has served as chairman of the State Board of Education and of the Maine Children’s Alliance; and Charles O’Leary of Orono, former president of the Maine AFL-CIO.

“These capable individuals come from a variety of backgrounds and bring an amazing level of skills, intellect and experience to the board,” Baldacci said in a statement.

“They will use their talents to promote the University of Maine System and highlight why Maine is a great place for students to learn and to make a career. These appointees will further enhance the critical links between the University and economic development throughout the state,” Baldacci said.

“I’m really excited because I think it’s been a really long time since someone from Western Maine has been on the University of Maine trustees,” Medd said Thursday night. “We have the Western Maine University and College Center here in South Paris,” and “our focus is on education.

“I feel really honored,” she said.

“This is my third appointment by three different governors,” a Republican, Democrat and Independent, Medd said. Those positions gave her experience with working with the Legislature, and will be a valuable asset now.

“What I bring to the trustees is a long history of involvement with the Legislature,” she said. “I think one of my strengths in working across the aisle and making things work.”

She said she is committed to providing access to a quality education system.

“I think that I’ve always enjoyed the ability to speak frankly about what I’m doing so I think in terms of what would be good for the system, what would be good for citizens, what we can afford and what would be appropriate. I don’t see it in terms of politics. I see it in terms of making the system work,” Medd said.

Recently, two trustees resigned after language was inserted in the state budget to prevent the board from changing the names or locations of the state’s seven universities.

The resignations were the latest development in a multisided dispute that dates to March 2004, when the board of trustees released a plan to reorganize the university system.

Earlier in his term Baldacci shelved the nominations of two men, including O’Leary, and sent the Legislature a list of names that would maintain the numerical status quo between men and women on the board.

As supervisors of the University of Maine System, trustees may approve academic programs, grant tenure for faculty and set tuition rates and establish budgets.

The Legislature’s Education Committee has taken up proposals that could moderate the authority of university system leaders to implement a restructuring.

Staff writer Mary Delamater contributed to this report.

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