Aaron Chadbourne, a senior policy advisor to Gov. Paul LePage, once launched a failed effort to create an award at Harvard University — and name it after himself.

According to his website, Chadbourne is a Gorham native who recently joined the administration to advise on policy matters, including the governor’s budget, which this year contains a sweeping tax overhaul. According to Chadbourne’s LinkedIn page, he was hired by the administration in February. He’s been brought on to assist with the governor’s tax reform initiative.

Chadbourne is also a Harvard graduate. In 2008, two years after he graduated, he invited widespread criticism for attempting to create the Aaron D. Chadbourne Award for Student Advocacy. In other words, he named an award after himself. The effort drew widespread criticism following a story in the Harvard Crimson, which reported that a university administrator called Chadbourne to say that naming an award after himself would “would jeopardize his position as a proctor.”

“Had I been fully aware of this policy, I wouldn’t have even gone down this road,” Chadbourne told the Crimson.

According to Chadbourne’s old website, The Aaron D. Chadbourne Award for Student Advocacy, would “recognize a student who has made a positive and lasting impact on Harvard, for the benefit of the student body, by forging and leveraging relationships with Harvard administrators and faculty members.”

The Crimson reported that students originally thought Chadbourne was playing an April Fool’s Day joke. When it was revealed to be serious endeavor, he defended claims that it was an attempt at self-promotion.

Prior to working for the governor, Chadbourne worked as a consultant for McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. Chadbourne also lists Bain & Company, Mitt Romney’s old firm, as a former employer. He makes no mention of the award dust-up on his website, but a post that references him in the third person heavily promotes his work and education experience.

“After receiving a one-year deferral, Aaron worked for the VIP Forum of the Corporate Executive Board in Washington, DC. ‘The group shares best practices among high-level wealth managers. It exposed me to the kinds of problems senior level executives frequently encounter.  Within a week, I was on the phone with executives eager to talk to me because I could connect them with resources they needed.’ “

He describes his work for the LePage administration as advising “the Governor and the executive branch of the State of Maine government on various issues including education, taxation, veterans, emergency management, defense, and government operations – leveraging many best practices from Aaron’s work in the private sector. Aaron works closely with legislators and constituents to advance the interests of Maine people and promote efficient, effective and accountable state government.”

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