Thomas G. Peaco ’88 will join the UMaine Alumni Association as president and CEO in early July. He will succeed John N. Diamond ’77, ’89G, who is retiring at the end of June after leading the 110,000-member association for the past seven years.
A longtime Rockland resident and community leader, Peaco previously served as president and CEO of the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce, which serves over 750 businesses and organizations in the Camden-Rockland region.
“Tom brings a wealth of experience to the position,” said Julia Munsey ’02, alumni association board president, who chaired the search committee. “He is extremely well connected in Maine, having served as a business and industry advocate and civic and community leader.”
Peaco is a New Gloucester native and graduated from UMaine with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. He has more than three decades of leadership experience in not-for-profit organizations, including nearly 20 years leading Make-A-Wish Maine, and the past seven years with the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber.
His extensive volunteer leadership experience includes work with the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International’s Camden and West Bay clubs, as a Cub Scout leader, and coach and board member of Oceanside Little League.
“Tom’s leadership skills and not-for-profit experience are a perfect fit for the Alumni Association,” said Rob Frank ’88, the alumni association’s former board chair.
Peaco is part of a Black Bear family: His wife Michelle is a UMaine graduate of the class of 1992, and their eldest son Zach graduated in May 2019. Their middle son, Josh, is entering his senior year, and their youngest, Andrew, will enter UMaine in the fall as a first-year student.
“I am honored to become the next leader of the UMaine Alumni Association,” said Peaco. “I am eager to work with the association’s tremendous staff and board to build on the great work that John Diamond did for the past seven years.”