Giving Back
Alumnus
establishes a
$300,000
Scholarship
Fund
John “Jack” W. Lavery, who earned a master’s degree in economics from the University of Maine in 1970 before embarking on a successful career as a leading economist, has provided $300,000 over 10 years to establish a scholarship fund for students in UMaine’s College of Business, Public Policy and Health.
Chairman and CEO of Lavery Consulting Group, L.L.C., a New Jersey-based economic and public policy research firm specializing in client presentations, he created the Jack W. Lavery Scholarship Fund for outstanding undergraduate and graduate students majoring in economics at UMaine.
“I liked the economics program at the University of Maine,” he says.
“I learned a great deal. I had good teachers who not only took a pragmatic approach to the subject but also made it analytically rigorous. My education at UMaine made a real positive difference in my career.”
Dean John Mahon says the college is honored by Lavery’s gift. “It is yet another way in which Jack contributes to both the field of economics and to the college. His generosity to the college and to the next generation of students reflects his commitment to his profession and to the college.”
During his nearly 40 years as an economist, Lavery worked at corporations that included Provident National Bank, Aetna Life & Casualty, and Western Electric Co. He also had an extraordinary 20-year career with Merrill Lynch & Co.
In addition to gaining a strong foundation in economics from UMaine, he acquired something else: a love of teaching. Shortly after beginning his first semester in 1968, he was entrusted with teaching the large lecture hall session in Principles of Economics after Professor Samuel “Bud” Talley was injured in an accident. These new duties were in addition to his ongoing responsibilities for the recitation sections that were part of his teaching assistantship. In the five weeks or so that Talley was recuperating, Lavery handled the entire course.
“It worked out very well,” says Lavery, who discovered that he enjoyed producing clear, straightforward yet challenging and thought-provoking lectures, as well as synthesizing a large amount of material so students could focus on the most important aspects of the subject.
Lavery never lost the passion for teaching and scholarship that he developed at UMaine. He would intersperse his long and varied career as an economist with stints as an educator—sometimes full-time, sometimes as an adjunct professor.
“My desire to teach was always there,” said Lavery, who taught economics at the University of Hartford, Niagara University Seton Hall University, and LaSalle University. He also taught while he was a graduate student at the University of New Hampshire. In addition, he traveled the country giving presentations to corporations, financial institutions and money management entities.
Today, as head of the Lavery Consulting Group, he is researching and writing articles on the economy and the financial markets, domestic and global. He continues to travel the country, providing dynamic, insightful and understandable forums on the U.S. and global economies, financial markets, politics and public policy. He always takes questions from the audience and enjoys the lively exchange of conversation that inevitably follows.
“It’s an exciting time to be involved in economics and the demand for what I do is high,” he says. “Economics can be theoretical and mathematical, but I focus on delivering important, pragmatic real world economic and financial market implications.”
The University of Maine has remained a big part of Lavery’s life. For the past five years, he has chaired the Maine Business School advisory board, which meets several times a year to determine the overall direction for the MBS; provide input from the perspective of major employers; identify trends in business; and advocate for the college and the university.
He and his wife, Charlotte, who had their first two children at St. Joseph Hospital in Bangor while Lavery was a graduate student at UMaine, enjoy visiting the campus and often extend their trip so they can spend time in Bar Harbor. For her part, Charlotte Lavery is delighted about her husband’s allegiance to his alma mater and fully concurs with his gift.
Lavery plans to continue his commitment to UMaine. “I’m doing everything I can to help the university. My role may change, but I hope to always have an important connection.”
Advisory Board Spotlight:
Matthew R. McHatten ‘90, SVP – External Operations, Maine Mutual
Matt McHatten has served on the Maine Business School advisory board since 1999. Most recently, he and fellow alumni have helped establish the Dennis McConnell Professorship with personal donations and solicitations to other alumni, and to encourage participation.
“Matt is a significant contributor to the advisory board in that he consistently offers innovative ideas and approaches. His warm, engaging style encourages the contributions of others and serves as a catalyst for board thinking,” says Maine Business School Dean John Mahon.
McHatten serves as senior vice president of external operations for Maine Mutual. He holds a B.S. in business administration and finance from the University of Maine. In addition, he is a past board member and president of the Presque Isle Rotary Club; president of the Board of Directors of the Central Aroostook ARC; a board member of the University of Maine at Presque Isle Board of Visitors; a board member of the Nordic Heritage Center; and a member of the advisory board of Hartford Steam Boiler.
“It’s been exciting to watch the evolution of the College of Business over the past 10 years of my involvement with the advisory board,” says McHatten. “I appreciate the opportunity to provide input from the perspective of both northern Maine and the insurance industry. Above all, leadership listens and takes action, which ultimately continues to make the college more effective and an important resource for Maine’s business community.”
Registered professional engineer Gerry Chasse, a native of Winslow, Maine, graduated from the University of Maine with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1990.
He joined Bangor Hydro in 1990 as an electrical engineer in the substation engineering department.
In 1995, he became a superintendent in electrical operations, where he oversaw the Chester Static Var Compensator, Mepco’s 345 kV substation in Orrington. In 2002, he joined the company’s senior management team as the manager of engineering.
In 2004, he was given the added responsibility of managing the company’s T&D assets, including capital planning, power system maintenance programs, and NERC compliance. In 2007, he completed the engineering and construction of the Northeast Reliability Interconnect, a 150-mile international transmission project.
Presently, he is the vice president for transmission and distribution operations.
Chasse lives in Hampden, Maine, with his wife and two children.
