who is gary friedmann?

Gary Friedmann served as Director of Operations for Maine Coast Heritage Trust and as Director of Development for College of the Atlantic before starting a fundraising consulting business in 1992 to serve Maine’s nonprofit sector. This business employed twelve people and served more than one hundred nonprofits throughout the state -- in 15 Maine counties, from Sanford to Houlton and Rumford to Lubec, operating from offices in Bangor and Bar Harbor.

On MDI, Gary Friedmann & Associates helped more than twenty organizations achieve their goals. Local libraries, schools, museums, community service organizations, municipalities, and arts and youth agencies all benefited from Gary’s strategic, organizational, communication, and leadership skills. With Gary’s help, these organizations raised millions of dollars to strengthen the fabric of our community.

Gary served on the Bar Harbor Conservation Commission for ten years, including six years as Chair, and served on two Comprehensive Planning Committees. Gary served as Treasurer of Kid’s Corner Community Day Care Center, on the board of the MDI Community Health Plan, and has been an active volunteer for numerous school and community organizations. An active outdoorsman, Gary enjoys hiking and bicycling the trails of Acadia, as well as camping and canoeing with his family on the lakes and rivers of Maine.

Gary Friedmann graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Earth Science and currently teaches Introductory Geology at College of the Atlantic. He is an active member of the Maine People’s Alliance, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, the Appalachian Mountain Club, and the Natural Resources Council of Maine.

In 1983 Gary and Glenon Friedmann built their own solar home on Pine Street in Bar Harbor. Daughters Hanni and Shelley graduated from MDI High School in 2000 and 2005. Glenon, a graduate of College of the Atlantic, has served on the Bar Harbor, High School, and Union 98 School Committees, and currently works as the Hancock County Coordinator for the state-wide organization Women, Work and Community.