AUGUSTA – The former president of the Maine AFL-CIO won the state Senate’s confirmation Monday to serve on the University of Maine System’s board of trustees.

Charles O’Leary’s nomination was shelved in 2003 by Gov. John Baldacci as he sought to maintain a numerical status quo between men and women on the board. O’Leary of Orono this year won unanimous committee backing for a seat on the seven-campus system’s board.