Meredith H. Jones has been selected as the next president and chief executive officer of the Maine Community Foundation (MaineCF), succeeding Henry L. P. Schmelzer, who is retiring at the end of the year.
Jones is currently MaineCF's vice president for program development and grantmaking services. A member of the senior management team, Jones has been instrumental in the development of several initiatives, including the Maine Compact for Higher Education and the Environmental Funders Network.
In making the announcement, MaineCF Board Chair Kenneth S. Spirer noted, "Few people know Maine better than Meredith Jones, and her statewide contacts in the philanthropic sector are unparalleled."
On behalf of the Maine Community Foundation, Meredith Jones (right) accepts the 2008 Pillar of the Community Award from Deborah Stanford, vice chair of the United Way of Eastern Maine's Board of Directors, at UWEM's annual meeting in Bangor on November 13. Photo courtesy United Way of Eastern Maine
MaineCF Board Vice Chair Anne Jackson, who chaired the search committee, added, "Jones brings her considerable energy and broad perspective to our work, and her talents have been recognized throughout the state of Maine."
Jones holds a B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Maine at Augusta. Prior to joining the Maine Community Foundation in 1999, she was director of education and communication at the Maine Health Care Association (MHCA), where she designed and managed professional development programs, serving 10,000 managers and direct-care providers. Her time with MHCA was preceded by a lengthy tenure with the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) where she designed and led three major initiatives: the Economic Symposium, Leadership Maine, and the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education.
Jones currently is chair of the board of trustees of the Maine Philanthropy Center and serves as a trustee of the Maine Campus Compact and as a member of the advisory committee of the Maine Policy Review. Her past affiliations include service on the boards of the Maine Women's Fund, United Way of Kennebec Valley, Winthrop School, and Women's Business Development Corporation.
The selection was finalized late last week, the culmination of an eight-month national search. Jones will assume her new position in January.