Page 4 - The BellTower - Spring 2016

Interim President John Murphy
While faculty, staff, and students are anticipating the arrival of the new president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent, someone else on cam- pus has been quietly bridging the gap of time and leadership with his keen intelligence and local experience.
Before the search for the next president of UMFK went into high gear, University
of Maine System Chancellor James H.
Page appointed UMFK Vice President of Administration John Murphy as interim president of UMFK. The Chancellor
and the Board of Trustees (BOT) agreed that Murphy understood the need for changes at the system level and had a
clear understanding of the BOT’s concerns and directives.
At the same time, the campus wanted to keep the positive momentum going with their own changes, including the implementation of the new five year strategic plan. After holding campus meet- ings to gather input on what was needed as an interim president, it became clear
to Chancellor Page that Murphy had the knowledge and experience to bridge both objectives.
Murphy, an alumnus of the University, began his duties in early September after the retirement of former UMFK President
Wilson G. Hess. Interim President Murphy is performing the former president’s duties until Dr. John Short takes his place in the president’s office at the close of the spring semester.
As interim president, Murphy will work closely with the Chancellor and Board of Trustees to ensure there is effective com- munication between the President and the Chancellor and between the President and all of the constituencies at the cam-
pus level. In addition to administering all aspects of campus life, President Murphy will continue with his financial manage- ment responsibilities which include all fis- cal and accounting records for the campus, oversight of formulating campus budget and budget policies, and ensuring campus compliance with system-wide fiscal and accounting procedures.
During the past years, Murphy has served as Dean of Students, Dean of Enrollment Management, Director of Financial Aid, and Athletic Director. Murphy has served as an administrator at UMFK
for more than 20 years. Murphy’s strong leadership skills and past experience will be key in continuing the positive momentum UMFK has established.
Murphy attended UMFK from 1972
to 1975, earning an associate’s degree.
He is a former UMFK student-athlete that played for the Bengals soccer team for three years. He went on to earn a Bachelor of University Studies degree in December of 1980 from UMFK. In 2006, Murphy received the selection as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Athletic Director of the Year for the Sunrise Athletic Conference. In 2015, he was inducted in the UMFK Athletic Hall of Fame.
2 | The Bell Tower
Scholarship Recipient – The Maine Higher Education Assistance Foundation (MeHEAF) awarded a scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Michelle Kelly, from St. John Plantation, at
a luncheon ceremony held on the University campus with UMFK administration, faculty members, and family in attendance. Kelly is a senior enrolled in the business management program. She is a 2012 graduate of Community High School in Fort Kent. Kelly currently works at Norstate Federal Credit Union in Fort Kent and at the Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha. She will graduate in May of 2016. Shown in photo: Chris W. Pinkham, president of the Maine Bankers Association, Michelle Kelly and Dr. Robert Dixon, former UMFK vice president of academic affairs.