Northeast Delta Dental becomes a founding sponsor of USM career hub
This article was originally published in Mainebiz.
With a $50,000 donation, Northeast Delta Dental has become the newest founding sponsor of space at the University of Southern Maine’s career and employment hub.
The career hub, in the recently opened McGoldrick Center on the Portland campus, is a dedicated place for students to connect with prospective employers, meet with career counselors, and improve career readiness through research and preparation.
Northeast Delta Dental is a nonprofit provider of dental care benefits in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
“As a community member, it is important for us to support the career development of our future leaders,” said Tom Raffio, president and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental. “In addition, as a business committed to addressing workforce shortages in our provider industry, we appreciate the opportunity to participate in a center dedicated to students’ success.”
Ainsley Wallace, president and CEO of the USM Foundation, said, “We are so pleased to be partnering with Northeast Delta Dental to support the McGoldrick Center. USM’s career-development programs are essential, not just for our students, but also for the workforce recruitment needs of Maine’s employers.
"We are deeply grateful to Northeast Delta Dental for their generous investment in our students’ future success.”
About the center
The McGoldrick Center is a three-story, 41,000-square-foot building that includes a large dining area, the Husky Brew Pub, the University Store, the Double L Fireside Lounge and other public spaces that are open for community use.
The $26.6 million center was funded through private philanthropy, corporate sponsorships, and $19 million in public funding from the voter-approved 2018 University of Maine System Workforce Development Bond. To date, more than 20 employers in Maine have provided financial support for he McGoldrick Center.
The University of Southern Maine is a public university with 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students who take courses online and at campuses in Portland, Gorham, and Lewiston-Auburn.
USM was ranked No. 3 among Maine's largest colleges and universities in the 2023 Mainebiz Book of Lists, based on full-time undergraduate enrollment in fall 2022.