Tom Meuser, Ph.D., director of the Center for Excellence in Aging and Health (CEAH), has been appointed by Governor Janet Mills to serve on the Maine Commission for Community Service.
The commission was started in 1994, when then Governor John McKernan appointed 25 citizens to serve as inaugural members.
The commissioners are a diverse, bipartisan group of citizens actively engaged in community service and represent every region of the state.
The seats on the board are designated in statute so that each person represents at least one facet of the community volunteer service sector.
The seat Meuser will fill calls for experience in the promoting of adults aged 55 and over in national service and volunteerism.
The commission builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer sector by funding service programs, developing volunteer managers and service-learning practitioners, raising awareness of the scope and the impact of the volunteer sector, and encouraging an ethic of service. In 2019, the Maine Commission for Community Service adopted the public identity “Volunteer Maine.”
Meuser was nominated for the position by Noel Bonam, state director for AARP in Maine.
“It was such a nice surprise when Noel called,” said Meuser. “It is an honor to serve my neighbors in this way. Older adults bring so much wisdom and experience to voluntary service. I look forward to growing their engagement in the coming months and years.”
Commissioners are appointed for three-year terms, with an option for re-appointment.