AUGUSTA – The Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine are pleased to announce that James Cote, of Farmington, has been selected as the trade association’s next president and CEO.
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Cote, who is currently director of communications and government relations at the Maine Forest Products Council, assumes the post immediately and replaces former president, Kathleen Newman, who is moving on as the deputy chief of staff and legislative director in the LePage Administration.
“We are delighted that James has accepted our invitation to lead the organization during this exciting time for Maine’s construction industry,” said Chairman of the Board Gary LaPierre of the Rowley Agency. “He brings a range of talents and an enormous amount of enthusiasm to our cause that will compliment our efforts in Augusta and nationally.”
Associated Builders and Contractors of Maine is the construction industry leader committed to developing a safe workplace and a high-performance workforce through quality education and training, and advocacy on behalf of their 160 (170) Maine members.
“It is a pleasure for me to join ABC Maine. I look forward to working closely with members to grow the organization and provide the maximum amount of value to them,” said Cote. “Maine’s construction industry is a cornerstone of our economy, and our builders and contractors are great stewards of our local communities. Together with Maine’s business community, we will create a healthier business environment.”
Cote has a wide range of experience in Augusta. Prior to his position with ABC Maine, he worked as director of communications and government relations at the Maine Forest Products Council and a political consultant for Eaton Peabody and Winning Strategies Consulting Group. He also managed Senator Peter Mills’ campaign for governor in 2006. He recently returned from a trip to Switzerland where he traveled with the American Swiss Foundation with 20 other political and business leaders from around the country to foster better economic and cultural relations between the U.S. and Swiss.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) is a national association with 77 chapters representing 25,000 merit shop construction and construction-related firms with 2 million employees. To find out more about ABC, visit www.abc.org or www.abcmaine.org.
