APP hires Dorsey
Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet
NEW PRESIDENT and CEO of the Aroostook Partnership for Progress Bob Dorsey, center, receives a congratulatory handshake from APP Board of Directors Chairperson Kris Doody. Director of the Northern Maine Development Commission Bob Clark, at left, also congratulated Dorsey on being selected as APP’s new president.
By Natalie Bazinet
CARIBOU — An organization fostering economic development in northern Maine has a new leader.
Officials announced on Jan. 4 that Bob Dorsey has been named president and CEO of Aroostook Partnership for Progress.
Dorsey replaces former APP President Walt Elish, who left the position last fall to become president and CEO of Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation.
There were 68 candidates for the position, but none more qualified than the retired Air Force colonel who’s spent the last 10 years helping grow the successful international defense firm BAE Systems at their New Hampshire facilities.
“I’ve learned a great deal through my experience in multiple disciplines,” said the new president, who held a top secret security clearance during his career with the military. “The greatest lesson being that it takes a team to achieve success and the principal job of leadership is to guide, mentor, encourage and combine the best attributes of the team to get there.”
As APP’s new president, Dorsey will continue the organization’s mission to grow the county’s success by focusing on the region’s strengths with projects like Mobilize Northern Maine and other endeavors which aim to attract new investments and job opportunities to the region.
Dorsey is enthusiastic about addressing key issues in Aroostook County, like outward migration, but he does understand that bolstering economic development throughout the region is a journey that requires persistence, patience and focus.
“I care about the county, it’s good to be home and I’m excited to make a difference,” he said at the Jan. 4 press conference.
Chairperson of APP Board of Directors Kris Doody said that Dorsey’s energy and can-do attitude were just two of the many attributes that will help him effectively lead the organization.
While Dorsey’s contributions to BAE Systems extend well beyond a couple examples, as a director in business development Dorsey was a key member of a team that grew the New Hampshire facilities from $1.4 billion to more than $5 billion in over a 9-year period. From 2006 to 2010, he served as a capture lead where he was instrumental in developing the capture strategy for three major multi-million dollar strategic opportunities and in winning numerous programs that significantly contributed to the company exceeding its growth objectives.
Before his position at BAE Systems, Dorsey had a full career in the military from 1975 to 2001; former Colonel Dorsey served three tours at the Pentagon, held numerous leadership positions and was a mission director and combat aviator in Operation Desert Storm, among other notable achievements. He also has a BS degree from the U.S.A.F. Academy and a master’s degree in business information systems from Golden Gate University — and he speaks German, too.
“We were all very impressed with Bob’s resume and his depth of experience,” said Doody, who’s also the CEO of Cary Medial Center in Caribou and a registered nurse. “He has served in some very dynamic positions of leadership and has a true sense of what it takes to get the job done. He understands the importance of a team approach and his values project a County perspective.”
Through his leadership experience, Dorsey hopes to help northern Maine business organizations grow and expand job opportunities in these challenging economic times.
While his current efforts to strengthen economic development in the greater Aroostook region only add to an already impressive resume, Dorsey has never lost sight of the fact that he was once just a kid growing up in northern Maine; Dorsey and his wife, Ellen, are both natives of Fort Fairfield.
