After
a
national
search,
the
Board
of
Directors
for
the
Maine
State
Employees
Association,
Local
1989
of
the
Service
Employees
International
Union,
has
hired
Aroostook
County
native
Chris
Quint
as
the
union's
new
executive
director.
Quint
will
direct
a
union
representing
over
15,0000
publicly
and
privately
funded
workers
in
Maine.
He
succeeds
Tim
Belcher,
who
resigned
last
fall
and
is
now
advocating
on
behalf
of
workers
as
a
senior
associate
for
the
Boston
Law
firm
Lichten
&
Liss-Riordan.
Quint,
33,
of
Biddeford,
currently
is
senior
public
affairs
director
for
Planned
Parenthood
of
Northern
New
England,
a
position
he
has
held
since
June
2004.
Prior
to
that,
Quint
was
director
of
public
policy
for
the
Colorado
Tobacco
Education
and
Prevention
Alliance
in
Denver
from
August
2002
to
May
2004.
"We're
thrilled
that
the
person
chosen
to
direct
our
union
is
a
fifth-generation
Mainer
from
Hodgdon
in
Aroostook
County,"
said
Bruce
Hodsdon,
president
of
the
Maine
State
Employees
Association.
"Chris
Quint
has
seen
from
his
upbringing
in
Maine
that
public
services
strengthen
Maine
communities
and
improve
the
lives
of
all
Maine
people.
Chris
will
direct
our
union
in
ensuring
quality
services
for
everyone
in
Maine,
and
in
building
and
strengthening
the
coalitions
to
make
it
happen."
Hodsdon
announced
Quint's
hiring
on
April
5
at
MSEA-SEIU
headquarters,
65
State
St.,
Augusta,
and
introduced
Quint
to
the
union's
staff
and
to
a
chapter
of
union
retiree
members
from
greater
Augusta
at
the
union
hall.
"It's
just
an
incredible
honor
to
direct
the
same
union
that
my
dad
belonged
to
for
38
years
as
he
plowed
the
roads
in
Aroostook
County,"
Quint
said.
"Both
my
dad
and
my
mom,
who
works
for
the
special
education
department
at
Mill
Pond
School
in
Hodgdon,
instilled
in
me
the
value
of
public
service.
Through
hard
work,
they
put
my
sister
and
me
through
college.
While
there
are
many
challenges
facing
all
workers
in
this
difficult
economy,
we
know
that
now
more
than
ever,
people
count
on
public
services
in
so
many
aspects
of
their
daily
lives,
from
strengthening
their
employment
skills
at
the
local
CareerCenters
to
keeping
their
drinking
water
safe.
I
look
forward
to
working
with
all
MSEA-SEIU
members
as
we
advocate
for
the
important
services
they
provide."
Quint
earned
a
bachelor
of
arts
degree
in
history,
political
science
and
sociology
from
Colby-Sawyer
College
in
1998.
He
is
married
to
Kimberly
Smith
Quint
and
they
have
two
children.
He
will
start
working
as
the
union's
executive
director
in
the
coming
weeks.
