SOUTH PORTLAND — The board of directors of the Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges recently announced the appointment of Jane Phillips to serve as the organization’s second president.

Phillips comes to the foundation from Yale University where she served as director of development for the Yale School of Art and Yale University Library. Prior to her appointment at Yale, she was director of development for New York University’s College of Arts and Science.

Phillips is a graduate of Colby College and holds a master’s degree from New York University.

“We are so fortunate to find in Jane Philips the right person to lead our foundation,” said John McKernan Jr., chairman of the foundation’s board of directors. “She is a proven fundraiser and has strong communication skills and a personal style that make her a perfect fit for the foundation.”

The foundation, which began in January of 2010, is charged with raising much needed funds for scholarships, instructional equipment and technology, and new facilities and capital repairs.

Phillips succeeds Elizabeth Shorr, who is retiring in December and has been the foundation’s president since its inception. During her tenure, the foundation has raised $26 million and funded new programs, scholarships, and equipment purchases across the seven colleges.

For more information on the foundation, visit http://www.maineccfoundation.org.