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Maine House Speaker Gets New Job at Good Will-Hinckley, Despite Gov's Opposition

Mal Leary
/
MPBN
Maine House Speaker Mark Eves at work during the legislative session.

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine House Speaker Mark Eves will become the new president of Good Will-Hinckley, in Fairfield, the 125-year-old campus that is home to the state's first charter school. Eves, a family therapist, was chosen for the job over the objections of Maine Gov. Paul LePage, who says the appointment smacks of political patronage.
 
After a nine-month national search, Good Will-Hinckley's board of directors has tapped Eves to oversee several institutions on the Fairfield campus, including The Maine Academy of Natural Science, the state's first charter school. Eves will succeed Glen Cummings, another former Democratic legislator, who left the school last September.

Eve's supporters say he has the hands-on experience, working with the kinds of young people that Good Will has long made it its mission to help. As a therapist, Eves has spent the past 15 years counseling at-risk children and families.

And Eves believes his experience in Augusta, as a state representative and speaker of the Maine House, will come in handy as he looks to advocate for Good Will-Hinckley's interests at the state Capitol. "Well, I'm extremely excited about this next chapter," he says.

Term limits will force Eves to leave the Maine House, when his term expires next year. "So it's very consistent with a next step for me," he says. "And I'm looking forward to working as president of Good Will-Hinckley and carrying on the tradition that they've had for 125 years, and that is providing a chance for struggling families and at-risk youth."

Gov. Paul LePage, though, says Good Will-Hinckely is choosing the wrong guy. In a letter to the board, LePage took issue with Eves's past votes and statements against bills to create and support charter schools in Maine. Republican Ken Fredette, the House minority leader, says LePage's concerns are legitimate.

"The speaker has made some very public comments about charter schools and now is sort of engaged in one," Fredette says. "And so there is some inconsistency there that I think people simply have to take recognition of."

There's plenty of bad blood between Eves and LePage. The two have clashed repeatedly over budget and policy priorities in Augusta. In his letter to Good Will-Hinckley's board, the governor raises questions about the fact that Bill Brown, the chair of Maine Academy's board, used to work for Eves as a special assistant for budget and policy at the State House. The governor says Brown's involvement on the campus makes Eves hiring an example of "unabashed political patronage."

"Although he is employed as a family therapist," the governor goes on to write, "I have seen first hand that his skills in conflict resolution, leadership, negotiation and reconciliation are sadly lacking." In an interview with MPBN, Eves declined to comment on the governor's letter.

"What I do know is that the governor and myself both agree that Good Will-Hinckley is one of the greatest institutions in our state for helping at-risk youth. That's my focus," Eves says. "And I look forward to working with him, moving forward, to make sure that we're giving at-risk youth a better chance."

In a statement, the chair of Good Will-Hinckley's board praised Eves qualifications and did not address the governor's letter. Eves, who will finish out his term in the Maine House, begins his new job in July.