ORONO – A longtime Livermore Falls businessman and former legislator has been chosen to chair the board of the University of Maine Foundation.

Darryl Brown, owner of Main-Land Development Consultants, was unanimously elected to head the board for the foundation, a private nonprofit organization dedicated to securing and stewarding private gifts and grants to benefit the University of Maine and its students.

Brown, who grew up in Richmond and attended the University of Maine due to scholarships he received from the foundation, earned a bachelor of science in soil sciences degree in 1966 and a masters in agronomy degree in 1969 from the university.

This is his third consecutive year on the nine-person volunteer board.

In his new position, Brown will lead the board’s meetings and sit on all board committees, including the investment committee.

“As a seasoned board member, Darryl brings strong leadership and experience to the foundation along with the unique perspective that comes from being a Maine small business owner,” said Amos Orcutt, CEO of the foundation.

“Darryl knows first-hand the difference a scholarship can make to a student, especially during these difficult financial times, and his work as the chair of the board will be felt by students and faculty of the University of Maine for generations – it will brighten a lot of lives.”

Brown’s devotion to the university extends beyond his work on the board. At Main-Land Development Consultants, the Livermore Falls-based land planning firm he founded 35 years ago and now heads as president, six of the company’s employees in addition to Brown are graduates of the University of Maine, including Main-Land’s general manager, its two lead engineers and the chief of surveying.

Brown, who represented Maine House District 81 for four terms in the 1970s and 1980s, has also chaired the boards of the Franklin Community Health Network and Franklin Memorial Hospital and remains an active board member in both. He also been a long-standing member of the board of directors for the Maine Rural Water Association and the National Rural Water Association, of which he is former national president.

Brown and his wife, Penny, live in Livermore Falls. He has four grown children. His company can be found online at www.main-land development.com. For more information, call 897- 6752.

The foundation, which has offices in Orono and South Portland, can be found online at www.umainefoundation.org.