University of New England

Governor John McKernan

Former Maine Governor John McKernan serves as Executive Chairman of Education Management Corporation (www.edmc.edu) and as Chairman of its Board of Directors. He joined the company in June 1999 as Vice Chairman and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. In March 2003, he became President of EDMC; in September 2003, he became Vice Chairman and CEO and in June 2006, Chairman and CEO.  He served in that position until February 20, 2007 when he became Executive Chairman.

He served his native state of Maine for two terms in the United States Congress from 1983 – 1987 and then as Governor for two four-year terms from 1987 to 1995. 

During his two terms, Governor McKernan won national recognition for leadership and innovation in education and human resources.  The National Alliance of Business honored him in 1993 with the first annual School-to-Work transition award and in 1989 by naming Maine State of the Year.  He was also recognized as Outstanding Governor in 1992 by the American Society for Training and Development. 

In 1991-1992 he served as member of the Secretary of Labor’s National Advisory Commission on Work-Based Learning.  He also chaired Jobs for America’s Graduates, a nationwide school-to-work transition organization.  In 1993 Governor McKernan replaced President Clinton as the Governors’ Representative to the Scholastic, Inc. Advisory Board and in 1994, he chaired the National Education Goals Panel.

He has served as Chairman of the Education Commission of the States, Coalition of Northeastern Governors, New England Governors Conference, and Republican Governors’ Association, as well as the National Governors’ Association’s lead governor on telecommunications.  He is also the author of Making the Grade, a book on youth apprenticeship.

Continuing his interest in education reform since leaving office, McKernan also served as Chairman of the National School-to-Work Advisory Council in Washington, D.C. and of the International Advisory Board of the Center for Career Development in South Portland, Maine.  From 1995 until joining EDMC in 1999, Governor McKernan served as Chairman and CEO of consulting and investment firms McKernan Enterprises, Inc. and Nottingham Equity, Inc. in Portland, Maine. 

Governor McKernan is a graduate of Dartmouth College and the University of Maine School of Law. 

He and his wife, U. S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) reside in Falmouth, Maine and Washington, D.C.

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