WELLS – Trustees of the Maine Community College System elected Dennis King of Freeport on Monday to serve as chairman of the system board.

King is the chief executive officer of Spring Harbor Hospital in Westbrook and former CEO of Acadia Hospital in Bangor.

Retired Maine Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Daniel Wathen of Augusta was elected vice chairman. Wathen is currently of counsel at the Pierce Atwood law firm.

Meanwhile, York County Community College is getting a new president.

The choice, Charles Lyons of Scarborough, has held leadership positions in higher education in Maine for nearly 25 years.

The Maine Community College System board of trustees endorsed the nomination put forth by system President John Fitzsimmons at a meeting at the Wells school.

Lyons previously served as president of the University of Maine at Fort Kent and of the University of Maine at Augusta. For three years he was vice chancellor of the University of Maine System.

He succeeds Patricia Ryan who died in April after an extended illness.