Gov. Paul LePage nominates cabinet-level positions
Gov. Paul LePage announced Tuesday several cabinet-level nominations, including commissioners for the departments of Education and Environmental Protection and adjutant general.
Paul Mercer is the governor’s nominee for commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. He has worked at Maine Maritime Academy since 2006 and has held positions as associate professor and department chairman within the engineering department. At the academy, he has also served as a member of the senior leadership team as the assistant to the president for sustainability, where he led the recent strategic planning process, among other efforts, to promote innovation and environmental initiatives at the academy.
Mercer has worked with renewable energy development, solid fuels and biomass energy systems throughout the United States and Canada, including acting as the lead developer of an energy project resulting in a 50% reduction of emissions at the Bucksport paper mill.
He was president of Northeast Engineering in Bucksport from 1983 until 2008, a company that provided a full range of consulting services to the power generation field, as well as project development of waste wood, biofuels, de-inking and wood products facilities. He also served as president of Bay Engineering from 1978 until 1982.
William Beardsley is the nominee to be commissioner of the Department of Education, pending the 10-member Maine Board of Education’s evaluation. He is now serving as acting commissioner and previously served as commissioner for the Maine Department of Conservation.
While most gubernatorial commissioner appointments go directly to the legislative committee of jurisdiction, Maine statute requires the State Board of Education, which Dr. Beardsley served on until October 2015, have an opportunity to meet and interview the Governor’s nomination for Education Commissioner.
Beardsley served as president and CEO of Husson University for 22 years and also served on and has chaired numerous boards, including the Maine Development Foundation, Finance Authority of Maine, Maine Higher Education Council, Maine Independent College Association and Maine Development Foundation. Most recently, he served on the Maine State Board of Education and on the Maine Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Council.
Brig. Gen. Gerard F. Bolduc is the nominee to serve as Maine’s next adjutant general, the top military officer of the state that concurrently serves as commissioner of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management.
Bolduc has served as the acting adjutant general for Maine since March 2015. Previously, he served as the commander of the Maine Air National Guard.
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