A Freeport family has donated $500,000 to expand the nursing program at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland.

The college said in a news release Friday that the gift from John and Candy Boyne would be used to establish an endowment fund to pay for a nursing instructor position that will be named the Boyne Family Endowed Nursing Faculty.

The gift comes amid a nursing shortage. The Maine Department of Labor has projected a shortage of 3,200 registered nurses in the state by 2025, the college said.

“The Nursing program is grateful for the continued support of the Boyne Family,” Dr. Michael Nozdrovicky, chair of the college’s nursing program, said in a written statement. “Their gift comes at a time when the demand for nurses has never been greater. As Maine faces a projected shortfall of thousands of nurses in the years ahead, it is imperative that we expand our training opportunities for people to become nurses. This gift allows us to do just that.”

The Boyne family has a long history of supporting healthcare education at SMCC and other educational institutions, the college said. The family has funded a scholarships at SMCC since 2010, including a $500,000 donation in 2016.

“SMCC and the entire Maine Community College System play a major role in Maine in training our young people to qualify for meaningful careers and to hopefully remain in our state,” John Boyne said in a written statement. “We hope that our gift will inspire others to consider contributing to the SMCC Foundation when planning their philanthropic donations.”


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