ORONO — The University of Maine System (UMS) Board of Trustees has elected new leaders. 

Roger Katz, of Brunswick, will serve as chair of the governing board for the state’s largest educational and research enterprise for a one-year term, while Elise Baldacci, of North Yarmouth, will be vice chair. 

A proud graduate of Cony High School in Augusta, according to a UMS news release, Chair Katz earned an undergraduate degree from Harvard College and a J.D. from Boston University Law School. He has practiced for decades at the Augusta firm of Lipman, Katz and Boston and previously served as president of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association.

He was also mayor of the City of Augusta for six years and went on to four terms in the Maine State Senate, where he served on the Appropriations Committee and also chaired the Government Oversight Committee.

He was appointed to the UMS Board of Trustees in 2021 and most recently chaired the Finance, Facilities and Technology Committee, which has worked with System leaders to develop three consecutive balanced budgets and advance a record number of capital projects that improve student and employee success, research and innovation impact, and public benefit. He also served on the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee and the Executive Committee.

“It is an honor to serve with my Board colleagues and be part of a talented team of university leaders, faculty, staff and students working to help navigate the changing landscape of higher education,” said Chair Katz. “We believe that Maine’s success depends on the strength of our public universities. Our goals are clear: to deliver the most affordable high-quality public education in New England, to help drive Maine’s growth and competitiveness through world-class research and innovation, and to support the economic and cultural vitality of the communities where our campuses are located. We believe the University of Maine System is up to that challenge.” 

Vice Chair Baldacci is president of the Maine Credit Union League and previously served as deputy chief of staff in the Office of the Governor. She is a proud graduate of the University of Maine and the University of Maine School of Law. 

She was appointed to the Board in 2024, and has also served on the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, as well as the Investment Committee. She is additionally a member of the Board of Directors for Maine Center Ventures, a nonprofit that supports and promotes the System’s Maine Center.

"The Board of Trustees is the governing and planning body for the statewide system, which is Maine’s most powerful engine of educational attainment and upward mobility and also among its largest employers," said UMS.

Trish Riley, president emerita of the National Academy for State Health Policy and a graduate of UMaine, served as chair for the past four years before terming out of that leadership role last month, though she will continue to be a Trustee through May 2028. 

Lisa Eames, who recently retired as criminal division chief for the Office of the Maine Attorney General and is also a UMaine graduate, is the outgoing vice chair and completed her second term on the Board in May. 

More information about the University of Maine System Board of Trustees is available at www.maine.edu/board-of-trustees/.