Southern Maine Office Staff
JOYCE KENNEDY
Senior Director of Southern ME Operations
SARAH FLAHERTY
Office Operations & Marketing Coordinator
JEFF MILLS
President & CEO
Dr. Jeffery N. Mills has served as President/CEO of the University of Maine Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) organization since July 1, 2012. A native of Bryant Pond in western Maine, Jeff was pleased to return to Maine and his alma mater. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Maine, his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Arizona State University, and his certificate in nonprofit leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School. He is an Adjunct Faculty Member of the Maine Business School. Mills served as the Vice President of Advancement at the University of Maine, Director of Constituent Relations at Arizona State University, President/CEO of the University of Maine Alumni Association, and Vice President of Advancement at Monmouth University in New Jersey. The University of Maine Foundation has been responsible for completing the $200 million Vision for Tomorrow campaign, the largest fundraising campaign in the University of Maine System’s history. He has twice been recognized nationally by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Most recently, he received the 2022 CASE Commonfund College and University Foundation Award. This prestigious award recognizes professionals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement, quality, and effectiveness of their foundations and the sector. Previously, he and his team at Monmouth University in New Jersey received the CASE award for most improved educational fundraising. For five terms, Jeff served in the Maine State Senate and House of Representatives.
207.581.5100
JOYCE KENNEDY
Senior Director of Southern Maine Operations
Joyce Swearingen Kennedy ’80, a Bath, ME, native, joined the Foundation in January 2020 as the first Senior Director of Southern Maine operations. In this role, Joyce is responsible for building and expanding the Foundation presence in greater Portland, as well as Portsmouth, Boston and New York. A journalism major with an extensive background in corporate and executive communications, she led public relations for Unionmutual/UNUM during its IPO, and, later, relocated to New York where she held senior roles at Reliance Group Holdings and ABB, Inc. In 1993, she founded Kennedy & Company, a boutique communications consulting firm whose clients included several Fortune 500 companies. After years of successful consulting, Joyce pivoted to nonprofit work, raising significant funds for local charities. In 2012, she transitioned into higher education as Director of Corporate Relations at Concordia College. There, she expanded her role through various development responsibilities, ultimately becoming Director of Community Relations.
207.245.3652
DEE GARDNER
Director of Southern Maine Operations
Dee Gardner ’89 joined the staff as a planned giving officer after years of experience in higher education – specifically at UMaine as senior associate director of admission and coordinator of the Portland office. Prior to joining UMaine, she was director of admission at the University of Southern Maine. While at UMaine, Dee was chosen to be a member of the All Maine Women Honor Society, and got her start in an internship in Enrollment Management during her senior year at UMaine, which introduced her to a career in higher education.
207.245.3651
TERRI BEYER
Philanthropy Officer
Terri joined the University of Maine Development Office in 2011 as a Philanthropy Officer with primary responsibility for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). She worked closely with Dean Jeff Hecker and Dean Emily Haddad promoting CLAS initiatives to alumni and friends of the University. In 2016, the University closed the Development Office and Terri joined the staff of the UMaine Foundation. In 2018 her position transitioned into a broader focus throughout New England. Terri currently represents all UMaine entities and works from home in New Hampshire where she is well positioned to travel throughout Southern Maine, New England and Upstate NY. Prior to joining UMaine, Terri worked as District Manager for a NH Member of Congress and prior to that as VP for Marketing for Ocean National Bank/Chittenden Bank (in NH).
207.253.5172
RYAN DALY
Philanthropy Officer
Ryan is a Philanthropy Officer with the University of Maine Foundation; he received his bachelor’s degree in Communications at the University of Southern Maine and his master’s in Conflict Resolution at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. As a Philanthropy Officer, he focuses primarily on the Graduate and Undergraduate Schools of Business. He is a first-generation college student and extremely thankful for the opportunities that higher education has given him. Before coming to the University of Maine, he worked at the University of New England as the associate director of annual giving, a position he held for eight years. In addition, Ryan also serves on the Board of Veterans Count, a division of Easterseals.
207.245.3653
SARAH FLAHERTY
Office Operations & Marketing Coordinator
Sarah joined the Foundation in 2024 as the Office Operations and Marketing Coordinator for the Southern Maine team. In her role, she supports the Southern Maine office as well as provides operational and marketing support for events. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with minors in Anthropology and Global Studies. Prior to joining the UMaine Foundation, Sarah served as an Office Coordinator in the University of Vermont’s Student Life Department and most recently worked in Operations and Sales for a startup company in New York City.