WATERVILLE – Later this month, Thomas College will inaugurate a new president – an event that hasn’t happened at the school since newly retired president George Spann signed on in 1989.

Although the inauguration is still more than two weeks away, it’s clear that incoming president Laurie Lachance isn’t waiting for any formal occasion to dig into her new role. Lachance assumed the position July 1 and spent the summer pursuing several goals for her first 100 days.

The primary goal, she said, was to meet with every employee at the private liberal arts college. Now that the school year has begun, Lachance has expanded that goal to include every student.

Getting to know everyone is key to success in her new role, Lanchance said, because she doesn’t come from a background in academia. Instead, Lachance spent nearly three decades studying Maine’s economy.

For 11 years, she served as the state economist under three Maine governors. For the past eight years, Lachance was president and CEO of the Maine Development Foundation — an Augusta-based nonprofit group that seeks sustainable, long-term economic growth for the state.

Lachance, 51, said her background is a good fit for the school because the economic health of the state and Thomas College exist on convergent lines. She elaborated on that idea and others during a recent conversation.

Q: What role can Thomas College play in economic development in Maine?

A: I think it’s a huge role. Having studied economic development in Maine for 29 years, I can say there is nothing more important to our state’s economic development than the development of our human resources — our people. Even if we did everything else — if we passed every tax break under the sun and built more infrastructure — we still need the human capital. It’s educational attainment that determines our overall wealth as a state and the prosperity of our people.

At Thomas, we serve and create a portion of Maine’s work force. Between 75 and 80 percent of our students come from Maine, and about 70 percent are first-generation college students, which can really transform a person’s life.

In terms of economic development, about 85 percent of our graduates choose to stay in Maine, so we’re a net importer of people into the state. Granted, we’re small, so it’s not going to change the world overnight; but I think Thomas is definitely playing a role in attracting and retaining young people for Maine’s future.

Q: Is a liberal arts program practical for the needs of Maine employers, considering the amount of industry in the state?

A: Given the economic circumstances the state has been in — and the nation — there’s been enormous pressure surrounding investment in education. There’s been a lot of concern about whether we should have liberal arts education or technical education for our people. And a lot of firepower has been directed to this question: Is it even worth it to go to college, considering the debt levels people are incurring relative to the income Mainers are making?

But when you step back and look at every analysis that’s ever been done on this topic by reputable nationwide organizations, the data is clear. Your ability to prosper — even in a down economy — is directly related to your educational attainment. When you have a college education, you earn something like $1 million more in your lifetime than what you would have without a college education.

And the unemployment rate for people with a college education is much, much lower than for people without.

The discussion between technical and liberal arts education puts a stake where there doesn’t need to be. Some student will prosper in a more hands-on technical realm. That’s right for them, and that’s where they’re going to find their passion.

That being said, liberal arts is perfect for a lot of other students — students who can really focus on critical thinking, communication and the interactive conversations that are necessary to build business in a knowledge-based economy.

I think we do ourselves a disservice when we say either-or. Both are important to Maine’s economy.

Q: Over the years, your predecessor added several new programs to the college, like software development, elementary education, psychology and more. Are there any programs you’re hoping to add?

A: There are some things in the works right now for at least two or three new offerings. We’re figuring it out now and hope to make an announcement at the inauguration. I can’t give specifics, but I will say this: Yes, there are new areas that we’re looking into, and they will build on the things that we’re really good at — to build on the base of wonderful professors that we have right now.

Q: What are some of the needs of the Maine economy?

A: There are certainly needs in the area of technology, and small businesses in Maine tend to be where the growth is in our economy. So we’ll do what we can to better serve them. There are also several fairly large industries that send employees out of state for training programs, so there are opportunities to do some of that in-state.

Q: Does that mean you’re considering holding training programs at college that aren’t necessarily degree programs?

A: I think we’re going to explore a wide array of opportunities. We will expand the curriculum of the undergraduate and graduate classes we currently have in place, but I would imagine we’ll also round out our degree offerings with other types of certifications that will help adults — the incumbent work force — evolve and prosper. That’s a marketplace that we haven’t fully tapped.

Q: It sounds entrepreneurial on your part.

A: That’s one of the great advantages of being a small, private institution. We’re very nimble. We haven’t overbuilt. We don’t have to worry so much about big, overhanging fixed costs.

We have a very entreprenurial board. They’re very invested in the college, very engaged as a board and very attuned the heartbeat of the Maine economy. They’re very creative and have an incredible can-do attitude.

Q: Tuition at Thomas College is about $32,000 this year, which is the same as last year. Is that figure the sweet spot for Maine residents?

A: We have been committed to make college as affordable as possible. Given the current economic circumstances, we wanted to send a signal last year that we recognize that the economy is very weak, so we aren’t going to raise our tuition. Is that the sweet spot? I’m not entirely sure.

We’ve put in a lot of measures that enable people to have a bit more control over their costs. For example, we have actively sought relationships with area high schools to offer dual enrollment so high school students in the region have an opportunity to take college-level courses.

We also have an accelerated MBA program, which is in its second year, and allows students to get a degree in a much shorter period of time.

We are offering a program to adults who work at any of the Maine Employers Initiative employers that allows them to take their first class free, and 10 percent off every class after that. (Editor’s note: The Maine Employers Initiative is a program by the Maine Development Foundation that “provides Maine’s public and private employers with technical assistance, training and statewide recognition for taking steps to promote educational and career advancement opportunities for their employees,” according to its website.)

It’s the most aggressive offering in the state, because we want adults to come back to school. We want them to have an opportunity to go through the continuing education program, to get their bachelor’s or get their master’s.

The other piece, of course, is our guarantee at Thomas College. If you keep your grades up, participate in career services and participate in an internship, we’ll guarantee your (job) placement. If you don’t get placement in your field, we’ll pay your (college) loan payments for a year.

Q: Judging by your 100-day goal, to meet everyone at the school, it sounds like you’ve placed a premium on being accessible.

A: Absolutely. In fact, a lot of students told me during my initial visit in April that they didn’t know where the president’s office was. It was down a very narrow hall and you couldn’t really tell where it was. So we blew out an entire wall and replaced it with glass. You can see right into my office from the hallway when the door is open. It has completely changed the accessibility.

Q: And transparency, so to speak.

A: Absolutely. It’s the way I really hope to lead, and it’s exciting to be in a place where you can say, “Gee, I don’t want to be hidden,” and the next day construction begins to take out a wall, to make that possible. That’s just the kind of attitude people have here: “Let’s make this happen.”

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