By Stephen Betts | Mar 25, 2020
Rockland — Elizabeth “Beth” Fisher, who has led the Midcoast School of Technology for the past 12 years including overseeing the construction of a new state-of-the art career and technical center, will be retiring at the end of the school year.
Fisher made her announcement at the Region 8 Cooperative Board’s meeting on Wednesday night, March 25.
Fisher will stay on through June 30 but could remain longer if the Board has not filled the executive director post.
Fisher was hired in May 2008, succeeding Timothy Hathorne who had served as the top administrator at the school for 13 years.
Fisher came to the regional career and technical school from the Lewiston Regional Technical Center in Lewiston where she was a teacher. Before entering teaching, Fisher had worked in the shipping industry, working her way up to be an engineer on ships.
She helped to lobby for the new school during her time with the regional school and that was successful when voters approved the bond referendum in November 2016 with every community in the region supporting borrowing for the school.
Ground was broken in October 2017 and the $21.5 million, two-story, 90,000-square-foot school opened in September 2019, replacing an aging metal building that had been built in 1968 for a marine repair shop. Region 8 purchased the property in 1976.
The school serves 320 students daily and another 140 through satellite programs at the school districts that send students to the vocational center. There are 21 communities served by Region 8 from Islesboro to Newcastle.
The center has a partnership with Kennebec Valley Community College in which students can earn associate degrees.
