President's Message: Celebrating Maine’s Bicentennial…

By the time you read this, the celebration of Maine’s Bicentennial at our October 30 Annual Dinner will likely be underway. Its complete coverage will appear in subsequent editions of Impact. However, for those of you attending, this year is a unique period of time to celebrate Maine’s rich history, reflect on the journey that got us here, and to acknowledge the leadership that brought us here. It is also a pivotal moment in time, as we look to building a bright future for the next generations.

As part of the celebration, I was fortunate enough to sit down with each of our seven living governors and interview them about their time in office and the role their administrations played in our history. During the course of these interviews, I was reminded of the commitment it took for each to serve in such a public capacity. While their styles, politics, and priorities certainly differed, it is clear that in those 50 years, Maine was fortunate. They were steadfast in their service, up to the challenges, mindful of the economy, and committed to the people of our great state. They each possess the necessary blend of grit, intelligence, wisdom, and compassion. All of these traits are clearly on display in the video. Following our Annual Dinner, the video will be posted on our website. We have offered it to educators to share with their students as well.
             
Regardless of your politics, I believe we can all appreciate the historical perspective, and from it, foster an understanding for what was done, why it was done, the successes that arose from the challenges, and that relationships prevailed over politics. We feel very privileged to be able to offer this Bicentennial Celebration and bestow our Dirigo Awards upon some of Maine’s most notable leaders. Their collective contributions to our great state span five decades. We are pleased to be able to acknowledge them for the contribution they have had on our state and our citizens, as well as thank them for always remembering the importance of roots no matter how far their wings have taken them.