Leighton Named Operations Manager at the Mitchell Institute

Jared Cash, President and CEO of the Mitchell Institute, announced today that Erica Leighton (above) has joined Maine’s premier scholarship organization as Operations Manager. Among her responsibilities, Leighton optimizes team-wide operations and works closely with the organization’s Scholarship Director to help ensure the execution of the scholarship selection process and scholarship programs. Leighton’s primary areas of responsibility include managing office logistics, Scholar selection operations, Scholar onboarding and enrollment verification, and overseeing the integrity of the Mitchell Institute’s databases.

“We are delighted to welcome Erica and fortunate that she has chosen to bring her logistics, data management, and student-facing experience to the organization in service to Mitchell Scholars,” Cash said.

Leighton brings more than 10 years of higher education experience to the Mitchell Institute. Prior to joining the team in late March, Leighton was Director of Residence Life at Southern Maine Community College, where she oversaw housing operations for more than 400 students, a team of three resident directors, and a budget of nearly $350,000.

She also held various roles at the University of Southern Maine, including Assistant Director of Residential Life, Assistant Coordinator of Housing Operations, and Resident Director. As an Assistant Director of Residential Life at the University’s Gorham Campus, Leighton designed and managed first-year experiential learning courses, oversaw curriculum development, and managed the University’s Living Learning Communities.

Throughout her roles at SMCC and USM, Leighton supported students, faculty, and staff through participation on several teams. At both schools, she was an integral member of the Assistance and Care Teams, helping to coordinate support for students coping with obstacles and challenges. At USM, she was part of the LGBTQAI+ faculty and staff group. She also participated in the Safe Zone training program to create awareness and foster allyship for the LGBTQ+ community and in the Green Zone military cultural awareness program to orient the University community to the issues and concerns faced by student veterans.

Outside of higher education, Leighton continues to work as a High School Equivalency Test (HiSET) ELA teacher at Merrymeeting Adult Education in Bath.

“We are so excited to have Erica join our team,” said Scholarship Director Casey Near, with whom Leighton will work closely. “She combines a deep awareness of higher education in Maine with interpersonal care and attention, a real Swiss army knife of a combination. Our Scholars, Alumni, and staff are going to benefit immensely from her expertise, compassion, and joyful can-do spirit.”

Leighton said the Mitchell Institute’s mission — to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education — closely aligns with her values.

“Having worked in public higher education in Maine for over 10 years, I have been lucky to watch the incredible growth and development of so many students, especially those who weren’t always confident in their ability to succeed in college,” she said. “I have witnessed firsthand the importance of initiatives to increase student access to higher education, especially Maine Free College. I am so excited to be joining a team that has worked so diligently to create not just pathways for Maine students to access higher education, but also to build out support, resources, and networks that extend throughout and beyond their time in college.”

Leighton earned a bachelor’s in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Humanities and a master’s in Leadership Studies at the University of Southern Maine.