AUGUSTA – Gov. Paul R. LePage has nominated Brian Whitney of Augusta to serve as director of the Maine Technology Institute. Whitney has been serving as acting director of MTI since August 2014.

Since 2012, Whitney has served as the Director of Business Development and Innovation at the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. In that capacity, he manages the governor’s account executives — Maine’s team of knowledgeable and professional economic development liaisons whose primary responsibility is to work one-on-one with businesses to help them succeed and grow.

Whitney has also worked as the director of Outreach and Economic Development for U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, as a business development specialist at the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development, and as chief of staff to Maine’s Senate president during 2002. He serves on the boards of the Maine Venture Fund, Maine Economic Growth Council, Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board, State Workforce Investment Board and the Economic Development Council of Maine.

The Maine Technology Institute was established by the Maine Legislature in 1999 as a publicly funded, non-profit organization.

The Legislature’s Joint Standing Committee on Labor, Commerce, and Research and Economic Development will consider the nomination this session and, ultimately, the committee’s recommendation will be advanced to the Maine Senate for further consideration and confirmation. Following Senate confirmation, the MTI board will also vote to affirm the governor’s and Legislature’s choice and to name the nominee as president of MTI.