ROCKLAND — Business executive and community leader Lawrence J. “ Larry” Sterrs, the founding executive chair of the Star of Hope Foundation established in 2016 by the artist Robert Indiana, has retired  from the foundation board.

Appointed by Maine’s Attorney General in 2018 following the death of Indiana, Sterrs took the reins of the foundation at a time great turmoil, according to a news release.

“The Indiana estate was mired in costly and contentious litigation, and there was confusion about the content and value of its art collection and uncertainty about the future of the artist’s real estate holdings on Vinalhaven, including the former Star of Hope Lodge on Main Street, where Indiana lived and worked for four decades,” said the release.

“We have been able to bring order to the Indiana estate and have put the foundation on a solid footing to carry out its mission,” said Sterrs in a letter to foundation stakeholders, adding that “with a solid strategic plan in place, it is time for me to step aside.”

Under Sterrs’ leadership the foundation assembled a board of directors made up of Maine community leaders and major figures in the art world. Over the past five years, most of the litigation has been resolved, Indiana’s art collection has been accounted for and appraised, and plans have been made for archiving his personal papers and effects.

In addition, several million dollars have been invested in stabilizing and renovating the Star of Hope building. Two other buildings that were beyond saving have been razed, and plans are under way to turn one of the sites into a public greenspace on the Vinalhaven waterfront.

Sterrs, who now lives in Cape Elizabeth, spent nearly 50 years in telecommunications as a corporate leader and consultant. He was chair of the board of directors of UniTek, Inc. and its telecom subsidiary, UniTel, Inc. and served as the chief executive officer and of both companies. He is the chairman and CEO of the Unity Foundation, a public charity that invests in building the capacity of nonprofits that serve both local Maine communities and statewide needs, and serves as the board Chair of Camden National Bank and Camden National Corporation. 

He is succeeded by two of the foundation’s board members, who serve as co-chairs. Emily Lane is a Vinalhaven resident and president of Blue Lobster Consulting, LLC, and has an extensive background in all aspects of the Maine seafood industry, and Paul Bird is a Maine native, longtime summer resident of Vinalhaven, and senior partner at the New York law firm of Debevoise & Plimpton.

“Larry assumed the leadership of the foundation at a very difficult time,” said Lane and Bird. “We are deeply indebted to him for bringing the Star of Hope Foundation to a place where we can now begin to focus on our mission to support the visual arts in Maine and beyond, as Mr. Indiana desired when he established the foundation and bequeathed his estate to it.”

Carole Martin, who was appointed the foundation’s managing director in 2023, has assumed responsibility for the day-to-day operational and administrative responsibilities of the foundation, including working with attorneys, consultants, and contractors, and managing community and public relations.