Dan Stevenson.

The embattled Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority has selected a new executive director, who will take over March 3, the authority’s Board of Directors announced Friday morning.  

Daniel Stevenson will replace Steve Levesque, who served as interim executive director after former director Kristine Logan resigned in October.

Before his MRRA assignment, Stevenson served as the Westbrook economic development director and the Biddeford economic development director for seven years in each position. His earlier career was spent with Maine’s Department of Economic and Community Development, and he has been long active with the Economic Development Council of Maine, the Maine Real Estate and Development Association (MEREDA) and the Maine Municipal Association Legislative Policy Committee. 

He takes the helm six months after a disastrous chemical spill at the former Brunswick Naval Air Station, which MRRA has been responsible for redeveloping.

Logan resigned one month after revelations of inspection deficiencies at Hangar 4, the site of an accidental discharge of 1,450 gallons of toxic aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) mixed with 50,000 gallons of water in August. The spill and communication that followed from MRRA officials sparked outrage among residents and public officials. 

Since October, Levesque has reckoned with the expensive task of cleaning up the Brunswick Executive Airport. Costs and ongoing monitoring of private drinking wells have amounted to over $781,000 so far, with the insurance payout received covering just $250,000. 

Requests for help from the state and Federal Aviation Administration are still pending. Uncertainty about how the cleanup could be funded has mounted with the Trump Administration’s funding freezes across federal agencies.

Plans to ease the transition

Levesque will assist Stevenson during the transition and remain a resource as long as necessary, according to the Board.

“We are delighted that he will join us,” said Levesque. “He brings a wealth of experience and is already well acquainted with Maine and leading major projects.” 

The state fire marshal recently approved MRRA’s interim plan to shut off its AFFF systems within 90 days. 

Next month, the agency aims to wrap up its root cause analysis — determining the cause of the August chemical spill — and, by May, update its current response plans to avoid a repeat incident. This requires removing infrared sensors from the foam actuation system to the fire alarm system and installing wheeled fire extinguishers with 300 pounds of extinguishing agent in hangars 5 and 6.

Once funding is secured, MRRA will remove AFFF concentrate from both hangars’ tanks and pipes.

“We also have a plan in place for periodic testing and monitoring of the oil-water separation systems to ensure they are properly maintained,” said Levesque. “Ultimately, our goal is to remove all PFAS/PFOS concentrate from the hangars.” 

Stevenson said he hopes to hit the ground running, leveraging his experience in economic and community development, land use, environmental management and real estate development.

“I am thrilled to join MRRA and build on its redevelopment success, strengthening our role as a key economic driver for the region and state,” Stevenson said in a news release. “I look forward to working alongside the team at MRRA and local community leaders to seize immediate opportunities and plan for long-term growth and resilience.” 

Herman “Nick” Nichols, chair of the MRRA Board of Trustees, emphasized his trust in Stevenson’s skills in working with the public, local communities and stakeholders. 

“We had a very competitive and impressive slate of candidates and believe that Dan has the requisite experience, compassion and enthusiasm to continue to move the redevelopment of the former Navy base forward,” Nichols said.