Lee Umphrey

With decades of experience connecting communities with government programs at all levels, Lee Umphrey has been President and CEO of Eastern Maine Development Corporation (EMDC) since 2018, where he has led efforts in financial stability and program growth. He also holds roles on the boards of the Loring Development Authority and the Maine Wild Blueberry Heritage Center, chairs the Consumer of Affordable Healthcare, and is a Steering Committee Member of the Maine Independent News Collaborative. During the pandemic, he was appointed to the Governor’s Economic Recovery Committee.

His career began at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where he worked at the Congressional Research Service, gaining valuable insights into the role of research and information dissemination, followed by a tenure as a staffer for U.S. Senator Claiborne Pell. Throughout his career, Lee has focused on education, healthcare, and economic development, and promoting sustainable initiatives through legislative action and access to state and federal programs. As Vice President and Interim Executive Director of Math for America, he directed a congressional process guiding legislation in establishing a national math and science corps that became public law.

Lee’s expertise also extends to public relations and communication strategies, having served as Director of Communications for Maine Governor John Baldacci and as a Community Liaison during the Northern Ireland peace negotiations. In concert with the start of the Peace Talks in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Lee organized an education and workforce conference with participants from East and West Belfast, Republic of Ireland, and the United States. The conference created a forum for discussion and paved the way for several partnerships and new programs.

Throughout his career, Lee has managed youth workforce development programs, established and oversaw Job Corps Centers, launched education programs in Ghana, Africa, secured federal funds for economic development in Bangor, and led a financial turnaround at Harrington Family Health Center in Downeast Maine. Residing in Bangor, Lee is joined by his children, Hunter and Ellen, who returned to Maine after completing college and law school. They have seven children combined.