MMA may lose Curtis

CASTINE — In the wake of last week’s controversial trustee appointment, Kenneth M. Curtis hinted Saturday that he may resign his post as president of Maine Maritime Academy within eight months.

The former Democratic Maine governor said he had agreed to take the job for only two years when he signed on at MMA in 1986.

After the academy held its 47th commencement exercises Saturday, Curtis told reporters that by the end of the year, he would know whether he was going to “move on or stay here the rest of my life.”

“I’m reaching the age where I can’t start too many more careers,” said the 59-year-old Curtis, who served as U.S. ambassador to Canada under former President Jimmy Carter.

Although he did not mention the Maine Senate’s confirmation on Friday of new MMA trustee Robert Moore, Curtis was described by friends as being “hurt personally” by the manner in which Gov. John R. McKernan handled the appointment.

Moore did not attend a Saturday meeting of the MMA trustees.

The Portland lawyer was confirmed as a replacement for Barbara Trafton on the board after Curtis had described the former Democratic state senator from Auburn as “an excellent trustee.”

The MMA president was particularly upset by the fact McKernan had not consulted him before nominating Moore and made his feelings known to Augusta lawmakers last week.

Some MMA sources have speculated that McKernan was pressured by his wife, Rep. Olympia J. Snowe, to seek Trafton’s replacement after she succeeded Snowe for two terms in the state Senate. McKernan has denied those allegations, saying his decision to appoint his former law school classmate to the five-year trustee seat had nothing to do with past political rivalries between Trafton and his wife.

McKernan defended his decision by proclaiming MMA trusteeships are “not lifetime appointments” and that he was not obligated to consult Curtis during the nominating procedure.

Reached at his Old Town home Sunday, Joseph Sewall, chairman of the MMA board of trustees, said Curtis’ announcement on his future at MMA did not come as a surprise.

“When Ken agreed to take the job four years ago, he made it clear that it wasn’t forever and that he had other things that he wanted to do with his life,” Sewall said. “He’s done a heck of a job for us.”

Sewall said he also was not surprised that Moore was not at Saturday’s trustees’ meeting and commencement exercises.

“I don’t know why he didn’t attend, but I assume that it was because of that unpleasantness (over the confirmation),” Sewall said. “He probably sort of felt a little awkward about it and wanted to let things cool down. I guess I would have done the same thing myself.”