The University of Southern Maine (USM) Foundation has announced Kennebunkport Resort Collection (KRC) as a new Founding Sponsor of the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success, located on the University’s Portland campus. The resort collection encompasses 10 of Kennebunkport’s dynamic accommodation properties and eight trailblazing restaurants and is committed to supporting the local community through its KRC Community Impact initiative. Established in 2022 to support and enrich the surrounding destination, the initiative has resulted in $200,000 donated through 2023.
The Kennebunkport Resort Collection gift will name the parenting room on the third floor of the McGoldrick Center, a floor dedicated to cultivating student leadership opportunities and connections, with additional spaces set aside for USM’s Diversity Center, student organizations, Promise Scholars, and the Student Government Business Office.
“As we reflect on the strides made in supporting our local organizations, it’s heartening to witness the positive transformations they’ve brought to Southern Maine. We chose to become a founding sponsor of the McGoldrick Center as we hope to continue uplifting the hospitality industry in Maine,” said Justin Grimes, KRC’s Regional Managing Director. “Numerous Kennebunkport Resort Collection family members are graduates of the University of Southern Maine’s Tourism and Hospitality program, and we are honored to give back to a group that has given so much to us.”
“We are thrilled to have a leader in Maine’s vital travel and tourism sector as a Founding Sponsor of the McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success,” said Ainsley Wallace, President and CEO of the USM Foundation. “Kennebunkport Resort Collection has long provided valuable jobs and career experience to USM graduates, with a number of alumni among their ranks. Many of our students juggle the demands of work and family while attending USM, so having a dedicated, centrally located space that meets the needs of parents is particularly meaningful. We are deeply grateful to Kennebunkport Resort Collection for their support.”
USM’s Tourism and Hospitality program offers undergraduates the opportunity to concentrate in Sustainable Tourism Innovation & Development or Hospitality Management as they prepare for careers in one of Maine’s largest industries. Through internships and other hands-on experiences with employer partners like Kennebunkport Resort Collection, students study all aspects of the tourism economy, which supported more than 150,000 jobs and contributed $5.6 billion in earnings to Maine households in 2022, according to the Maine Office of Tourism.
The McGoldrick Center Founding Sponsors program offers employer partners like Kennebunkport Resort Collection recognition and promotional opportunities in a central location at the heart of USM’s newly transformed Portland campus. Kennebunkport Resort Collection will be recognized with a plaque outside the Parenting Room door.
USM held its official ribbon-cutting celebration for the McGoldrick Center in September 2023. With its expansive dining area, Husky Brew Pub, University Store, Double L Fireside Lounge, and other public spaces on the first floor, the Center is available for community use and regularly draws hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and community members through its doors.
The McGoldrick Center’s second floor is home to USM’s Career and Employment Hub, where students can connect with prospective employers, like Kennebunkport Resort Collection, or meet with their career counselors. Large multi-purpose meeting spaces, or salons, are available to host career fairs, employer presentations, banquets, and other events.
The three-story building overlooks the new campus quad, named the “Bean Green,” and sits adjacent to Portland Commons, the first residence hall on USM’s Portland campus. The Center is among the most environmentally sustainable buildings on USM’s Portland campus. On track to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Gold certification, the Center takes advantage of passive solar heating through the large glass openings facing south in the wintertime. It has a 33.3 kW photovoltaic solar array on its roof and incorporates smart-energy strategies and sustainable building materials throughout.