Barbara W. Woodlee, the former president of Kennebec Valley Community College and the first female director of the state technical college system, will be inducted Saturday into the Maine Women’s Hall of Fame.

The 26th annual Maine Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Silver Tea is set for 1 p.m. in Jewett Hall at the University of Maine at Augusta.

Woodlee, 68, served as president of KVCC in Fairfield for 28 years and is the chief academic officer for the Maine Community College System.

She was nominated for the award by John Fitzsimmons, former longtime president of the community college system. She holds the distinction of being the first woman president at one of the state community colleges.

“It was unexpected and most humbling,” Woodlee said. “I can’t tell you how surprised and just delighted I am to receive this, but it was very unexpected.”

In his nomination, Fitzsimmons wrote that for more than three decades, Woodlee has worked to remove barriers to higher education for Maine people.

“The majority of her students were women, many of them low income, many of them single mothers, who Barbara believed in and on whose behalf she worked tirelessly,” he said. “By taking on these challenges, while raising four children, she has opened the door to other women to assume leadership positions.”

Woodlee will be inducted into the Hall of Fame along with Ellen F. Golden of Woolwich, senior vice president at Coastal Enterprises.

The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame was established in 1990 by the Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women to honor women who have made an outstanding contribution to improving the lives for all Maine women.

Doug Harlow can be contacted at 612-2367 or at:

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter: Doug_Harlow

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