AI Task Force

The Maine Artificial Intelligence Task Force was created by Executive Order of Governor Janet Mills on December 20, 2024. It is charged with investigating the implications of recent and anticipated advances in the field of AI for the State of Maine.

The Task Force will engage with communities, industries, and organizations to understand AI’s policy implications for Maine’s economy and workforce, regulatory and legislative actions required to protect Mainers from the risks AI presents, and opportunities to harness these powerful new technologies to improve public-sector service delivery. 

The Task Force is comprised of 21 individuals, including representatives from State and Quasi-State Agencies; the State Legislature; Municipal Government; Advocacy Groups; and Employers. A full list of commission members is below. In addition, the Governor has convened a Technical Advisory Committee to inform the Task Force’s recommendations. This Committee is comprised of subject matter experts in technology, legal issues, energy policy, workforce policy, and financial markets.

The Task Force will be supported by staff from the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future.


Per the Governor’s executive order, the Task Force will deliver its recommendations by October 2025.
 

Artificial Intelligence Task Force

Co-chairs

David Daigler

David Daigler became president of the Maine Community College System in January 2019. Daigler previously served as chief financial officer from 2003 to 2019 and vice president from 2015 to 2019. Daigler serves on several boards, including as co-chair and founding member of the Maine Defense Industry Alliance, the New England Board of Higher Education, the Alfond Scholars Board, New England Delta Dental, and the Finance Authority of Maine where he is the immediate past chair. He is also an advisor to the Boston Federal Reserve Maine Working Communities Challenge, the Maine Economic 10-Year Plan Steering Committee, the Maine Health Education Network, and the Career and Technical Education Region 10 Advisory Board. Daigler graduated from John Carroll University and Boston College and has a Master of Science in finance. He and his wife reside in Portland and have two grown children.

Mary Dickinson, Ph.D.

Mary Dickinson, Ph.D. is the executive vice president and chief scientific officer at The Jackson Laboratory (JAX). She leads JAX’s research enterprise, overseeing scientific strategy and operations to build on JAX’s unique strengths in genetics and genomics. She is responsible for recruiting and retaining faculty, overseeing and seeding new initiatives and collaborations, and planning and executing the research capital budget. Prior to JAX, Dickinson served as the senior vice president and dean of research at Baylor College of Medicine. Dickinson earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University, doctorate from Columbia University and carried out her post-doctoral fellowship at California Institute of Technology. She has authored more than 150 manuscripts, holds several patents and disclosures for new microscope technologies, and has received numerous awards. Dickinson was elected a fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering. In 2023, she was elected to the Society for Developmental Biology Academy and received the Orbus Pictus award from the International Society for Transgenic Technology. Most recently, Dickinson was recognized with the lifetime honor of being elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Members
  • The Commissioner of the Department of Labor or their designee;
    • Laura Fortman, Commissioner, Maine Department of Labor
  • The Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development or their designee;
    • Heather Johnson, Commissioner, Maine Department of Economic and Community Development
  • The Commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services designee;
    • Kirsten Figueroa, Commissioner, Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services
  • The Commissioner of the Department of Education or their designee;
    • Pender Makin, Commissioner, Maine Department of Education
  • The Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services or their designee; 
    • Sara Gagné-Holmes, Commissioner, Maine Department of Health and Human Services
  • The Chancellor of the University of Maine System or their designee;
    • Ryan Low, Vice Chancellor for Finance & Administration, University of Maine System
  • The Director of the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future or their designee;
    • Hannah Pingree, Director, Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future
  • The President of the Maine Community College System or their designee
    • David Daigler, President, Maine Community College System
  • The President of the Maine Technology Institute or their designee;  
    • Brian Whitney, President, Maine Technology Institute
  • Two members of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate, including one member from each of the two parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature; 
    • Nicole Grohoski, Senator, State Senate
    • James Libby, Senator, State Senate
  • Two members of the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, including one member from each of the two parties holding the largest number of seats in the Legislature;  
    • Dan Sayre, Representative, State House
    • Nathan Carlow, Representative, State House
  • A municipal leader; 
    • Jay Brenchick, Director of Economic Development, City of Auburn
  • A representative of Maine workers; 
    • Sam Boss, Apprenticeship, Workforce, and Equity Director, Maine AFL-CIO
  • A representative from a civil rights advocacy organization;
    • Molly Curren Rowles, Executive Director, ACLU of Maine
  • A representative from a consumer protection organization; 
    • John Brautigam, Public Policy Advocate, Legal Services for Maine's Elders
  • A representative from a large employer or industry group;  
    • JJ Rouhana, Chief Information Officer, LL Bean
  • A representative from a small or medium business; 
    • Michael Odokara-Okigbo, Chief Executive Officer, ESM Global/NKENNE
  • A representative from Maine’s entrepreneurship community; 
    • Chris Mallett, Chief Administrative Officer, Roux Institute at Northeastern University
  • A leader from a Maine health care organization.
    • Mary Dickinson, Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, The Jackson Laboratory

 

Technical Advisory Committee

  • The Director of the Governor’s Energy Office or their designee
    • Dan Burgess, Director, Governor's Energy Office
  • The President of the Maine Connectivity Authority or their designee
    • Andrew Butcher, President, Maine Connectivity Authority
  • The Maine Attorney General or their designee
    • Sarah Forster, Assistant Attorney General, Attorney General's Office
  • The Maine Chief Information Officer
    • Nick Marquis, Chief Information Officer, Maine Office of Information Technology
  • Two subject matter experts in AI technologies
    • Sachin Dhawan, Chief Technology Officer, Wex
    • Sylvain Jaume, Director, School of Computer Science and Data Analytics, University of New England
  • A subject matter expert in legal issues presented by AI
    • Justin Cary, Attorney, Drummond Woodsum
  • A subject matter expert in Maine workforce data
    • Mark McInerney, Director, Center for Workforce Research and Information, Maine Department of Labor
  • A subject matter expert in financial markets
    • Warren Valdmanis, Managing Partner, Future of Work Partners
  • A subject matter expert in STEM education
    • Ruth Kermish-Allen, Executive Director, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance
  • A subject matter expert in health care innovation
    • Dan Nigrin, Chief Information Officer, MaineHealth