Joseph L. Cassidy, JD is the 15th President of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. He has been involved in education for more than 30 years, serving students as an elementary school teacher, high school teacher, college professor, and for 10 years as a college president in the Maine Community College System. Joe joined Saint Joseph’s in 2023 following five successful years as president of Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Maine’s largest community college with 6,500 students. He was previously president of Washington County Community College in Calais for five years, and once served a year simultaneously as interim president of Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor.
Joe’s work with the MCCS was highlighted by successfully building up and empowering the people that he worked with, including students, staff, and faculty members. A hallmark of his college leadership has been building and strengthening partnerships with other colleges, k-12 schools, local communities, and mission aligned organizations. In his first year at Saint Joseph’s College, Joe has enjoyed getting to know the students and employees who make SJC such a unique college community. He has been particularly happy to come to know the local Sisters of Mercy and to understand the history and importance of Saint Joseph’s College’s roots as a Mercy Institution.
Born and raised in downeast Maine, Joe has proudly volunteered for many local organizations and activities, including as a little league coach and boy scout leader, and he once served as Mayor of his hometown, Calais, Maine. A licensed attorney, he has served in the past as a member of the Board of Trustees for various organizations, including JMG, and as a member of the State of Maine Economic Recovery Committee. Joe lives here on campus at Saint Joseph’s College with his wife Vanessa and their son Max, who is a freshman at the Catholic University of America.