Barbara Finklestein, president of York County Community College since 2014, is retiring June 30.

David Daigler, president of the Maine Community College System, said the search for a permanent replacement for Finklestein will begin in the fall.

Finklestein oversaw a $2.9 million fundraising campaign to pay for new construction and additional course offerings for the community college, which is located in Wells.

She also instituted new polices to give its 1,600 students more flexibility in scheduling and focused on deepening the connections between the college and communities and businesses in southern Maine. Among the new courses and degree programs added this year were a certificate program in small business management, an associate’s degree in animal care management and a course in additive manufacturing (3D printing), offered at the college’s new site in Sanford.

Prior to joining York County Community College, Finkelstein held a variety of leadership roles for more than 30 years at Massasoit Community College, in Massachusetts.

In the community, she has served on the board of directors of the Kennebunk-Kennebunkport-Arundel Chamber of Commerce and was president of the Wells Rotary Club.  She is also a member of the Sanford Legacy Board and the board of the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk.

“Barbara Finkelstein has made major contributions to York County Community College and to the region it serves, expanding facilities and programs and working in close partnership with area employers to build a more highly skilled workforce,” Daigler said in a statement.

Scott Knapp, the president of Central Maine Community College, will serve as interim president and oversee both colleges.

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