PORTLAND – Christine J. Vincent, a Ford Foundation official in New York, has been elected the 15th president of the Maine College of Art, the school announced Wednesday.

Vincent will begin her new duties July 1, succeeding Roger Gilmore, who will

retire after 12 years as president.

In her current job, Vincent is responsible for the Ford Foundation’s philanthropy in the arts and culture in the United States.

Founded in 1882, the Maine College of Art has more than 400 students enrolled in degree programs.