Northern Maine Community College President Tim Crowley to Retire in August

Tim Crowley, president of Northern Maine Community College (NMCC) since 2002, is retiring on August 1, 2024 after almost four decades with the college.

Crowley oversaw the Presque Isle college’s transition from a technical college into a full-fledged community college, expanding academic offerings to include associate degrees, launching new short-term workforce programs and online offerings, increasing enrollment, and adding or expanding multiple buildings and facilities on campus. Today NMCC offers more than 30 degree programs and has an off-campus center in Houlton.

“Tim’s commitment to excellence and advancement at Northern Maine Community College, combined with his unwavering focus on student success and regional partnerships, has been the key to the college’s outstanding reputation,” said David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System (MCCS). “His energy has been the driving force behind the college’s incredible growth and influence. We are very grateful for his strong leadership and deep understanding of the region and college.”

During Crowley’s tenure, NMCC developed new programming in precision manufacturing, nursing, early childhood education, and business administration. In recent years NMCC developed the state’s first wind power technology program; helped build the Northern Maine Growth Initiative for New Mainers; added simulation labs as part of expanded nursing and health care programs; and developed a new wastewater treatment program. As part of its commitment to student success, the college developed robust scholarship programs that resulted in up to 90% of NMCC students graduating without taking out student loans.

“Tim Crowley has grown Northern Maine Community College into a hub of excellence, innovation, and opportunity that serves and benefits the entire region,” said Peter DelGreco, the chairman of the MCCS Board of Trustees. “We’re grateful for his almost 40 years of leadership and look forward to ongoing excellence at NMCC thanks to the team and college he built.”

“I leave Northern Maine Community College with a great deal of pride and appreciation for having had the privilege of working with the outstanding faculty, staff, and students there. It has enriched my life beyond my wildest dreams,” Crowley said.

“We have worked to embrace becoming the community’s college,” he said, noting the current construction of a child care center on campus, and the college’s service to the community during the COVID crisis. “Together we have built a place where the community comes together to solve problems and set directions for future growth.”

NMCC Academic Dean Angela Buck will serve as interim president for the 2024-25 academic year. Buck joined NMCC in 2017 after a career in nursing, and has served as a faculty member, department chair of nursing and allied health, and was named academic dean in 2020.

A search for the next president of Northern Maine Community College will launch in the fall.

Crowley, of Caribou, joined the college in 1985 as dean of students of what was then called the Northern Maine Vocational Institute. In 1991, he was named vice president and academic dean, before being named president in 2002. He completed his baccalaureate and master’s degrees at the University of Southern Maine and the Harvard University Management Development Program in Higher Education.

By Maine Community College System | July 3, 2024