Laurie Gagnon Lachance ’83 was installed as the fifth president of Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, during an inauguration ceremony attended by President Barry Mills and several Bowdoin alumni, and featuring a performance by Bowdoin a cappella group BOKA. Lachance was formerly the head of the Maine Development Foundation, a nonprofit supporting economic growth in the state. She was previously the state economist under three administrations.
- (First row, l. to r.) Mike Talbot ’71, Julia Binswanger ’16, Laurie Gagnon Lachance ’83, Barry Mills, Michael Lachance ’13. (Second row, l. to r.) Simon Bordwin ’13, Jun Choi ’15, Sarah Chalfie ’14, Hallie Schaeffer ’16, Kailana Durnan ’13, Emily Cormier ’16, Duke Albanese ’71, Steve Cote ’89, Mary Lanphear House ’93 (Third row, l. to r.) Chris Genco ’15, Nick Walker ’16, Trustee H. Allen Ryan ’64, P’88, Harry Lanphear III ’83, Jac Arbour ’07, Maine Rep. Terry Hayes ’80.
“This is a tale of two college presidents,” Lachance tells the Bowdoin Daily Sun. “Neither applied for the job originally. Both were on the search committee. Both had their names put in nomination. Both got selected. One (Barry) has done a great job. One (Laurie) hopes she does as well as Barry!”
