ROCKLAND — AIO Food and Energy Assistance welcomes Ted Long to its Board of Directors.

Long is an active community member and brings a lot of experience to AIO’s Board, according to AIO, in a news release. He served as president of Elizabethtown College (Pennsylvania) from 1996-2011, and from 2004-2020, he served as a trustee of Capital University, where he chaired three separate committees led a task force on “sustainable excellence.”

Now a Senior Fellow at the Association of Governing Boards, he has broad experience in the governance of independent colleges, especially on issues related to effective presidential leadership, board-president relations, strategic planning, institutional transformation, board restructuring, and the board’s role in leading change.

“We are thrilled to have Ted join the AIO Board,” said Liz Jenkins, President of AIO’s Board of Directors. “AIO is on a critical path as we set our strategic plans in place in order to best respond to the growing needs of the community over the long-term. Ted’s experience on numerous Boards, expertise with organizational change and leadership will support AIO as we strengthen and invest in our future.”

Dr. Long earned degrees from Capital University (B.A.), Duke University (M.A.), the University of Virginia (Ph.D.), all in sociology, and has been awarded three honorary doctoral degrees. He also participated in the Harvard Institute for Educational Management and its Seminar for New Presidents. Prior to Elizabethtown, he held teaching and administrative posts at George Washington University, Hollins University, Washington and Jefferson College, and Merrimack College.

Since leaving Elizabethtown, Dr. Long has focused on building effective presidential and board leadership for transformative change in colleges and universities. He remains active in national initiatives to support engaged liberal education, to promote civic learning and global education, to strengthen whole-person education, and to rethink the higher education’s business model.

He and his wife, Betty, now reside on the coast of Maine in the city of Rockland, and he is an active member of Nativity Lutheran Church, where he currently serves as congregation president.

“I am excited to join the team at AIO, which does such impressive work to combat food and energy insecurity in the Midcoast,” said Long. “In this challenging time, the organization’s mission is more important than ever, and I look forward to the work of strengthening its capacity to serve our community.”

AIO Food and Energy Assistance’s mission is to respectfully and compassionately support those in need in Knox County with food and energy assistance.

AIO’s Food Pantry is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, from 9:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.; and Wednesday evening, from 5 - 6:30 p.m., and is adhering to social distancing protocols as mandated by the state.

AIO is now offering Summer Lunch Kits for children available at the Food Pantry each Monday morning.

To learn more about AIO’s programs, modified operations and the new building project, please visit www.aiofoodpantry.org