President’s Message: “Humbled by the generosity of giants…”

We hosted our Annual Meeting approximately a week ago. Now that I’ve had some time to reflect on it, I encourage you to experience it for yourself through the recap and recording on our website, mainechamber.org/am2021, as well as the two video tributes to our honorees – the late Harold Alfond, philanthropist and Dexter Shoe Company founder; and the late David Flanagan, who most recently served as executive chairman of the Board of Directors of Central Maine Power and Avangrid, Inc.

This year’s Annual Meeting was very special for us. We were very pleased to be able to celebrate the lives and legacies of two incredible Maine leaders Their leadership and vision have left their mark across Maine in countless way, both big and small, through countless demonstrations of generosity and philanthropy.

David Flanagan is a former board member of the Maine State Chamber, and a longtime friend of many in the business community. When he answered the call to lead in various capacities throughout his lifetimes, his manner was typically quiet and determined, and his contributions were meaningful and purposeful, and he skillfully transformed challenges into solutions.

I’d like to express our gratitude to Kaye Flanagan for being so gracious in welcoming us into their home to conduct our video tribute interview with her and David. We are so thankful for their generosity at a time when time was so very precious for them both.

We also released our newest edition of OneVoice Maine magazine last week. As you read the stories within this edition, you will quickly realize that Harold’s philanthropic spirit is as legendary as his business acumen. The Chamber is honored to tell his story – and the story of his vision, leadership, and generosity. The magazine is filled with many stories of appreciation from recipients of his generosity. We were so proud to be able to share these stories and memories with our members, demonstrating the many significant ways these generous giants worked to improve our state by investing time, talent, and treasure to enrich the lives of Mainers for generations to come.

There was a quote in Harold Alfond’s video that has stayed with me – “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” These two compassionate, thoughtful, and generous giants have indeed shaken our world in many positive ways – whether through personal interactions or as recipients of their transformative generosity. May our appreciation for their giving nature endure through time, and may we continue to honor their countless, selfless examples of service every day.