ORONO — The University of Maine and the University of Maine Foundation hosted the Stillwater Society dinner and awards event. The event celebrates members of the Stillwater Society, a UMaine giving society that recognizes donors whose lifetime contributions reach $25,000 or more, honors donors who have reached new levels of giving since the previous gathering and highlights the collective impact of philanthropy on the university.
Three couples were awarded the 2026 Stillwater Society Award, one of the institution’s highest honors for philanthropic leadership and service. This year’s recipients are J. Daniel Lafayette III and Carla Joy Lafayette; Raymond A. Jean ’65 and Louise C. Jean; and Bion A. Foster ’68, ’70G and Dorain A. Foster.
“It is not a coincidence that we host this celebration of philanthropy just after commencement,” University of Maine Foundation President/CEO Jeff Mills said. “UMaine graduates benefit from scholarships, travel opportunities, new facilities and enhanced opportunities as a result of the generosity of these loyal donors, and it is important to recognize and thank them.”
“Gatherings like this offer an important opportunity to reflect on the shared commitment that sustains the University of Maine,” University of Maine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy said. “The generosity of our Stillwater Society members continues to expand access, strengthen our programs and advance the impact of this institution across Maine and beyond.”
Bion A. Foster ’68, ’70G and Dorain A. Foster
For more than four decades, Bion and Dorain Foster have been influential leaders in Maine’s business, civic and academic communities, combining entrepreneurial vision with a deep and sustained commitment to the University of Maine.
Bion Foster’s career reflects a remarkable record of entrepreneurship, spanning the startup, acquisition or ownership of more than 40 companies across Maine and South Carolina. His work has impacted industries ranging from manufacturing and real estate development to hospitality, including stewardship of the historic Lucerne Inn. He also served as director of economic development for the Town of Hampden, where his leadership helped establish a modern business park that contributed to the town’s growth. His achievements have been recognized with honors, including the Entrepreneur of the State of Maine Award and the Hampden Business Award.
Dorain Foster built a distinguished 25-year career with the Bangor Daily News before bringing her expertise to the University of Maine, where she served in both the Development Office and the President’s Office. Known for her precision and professionalism, she played a key role in advancing special projects and events that supported the university’s mission.
Together, the Fosters have left a lasting imprint on campus through transformative philanthropy, including the Foster Center for Innovation, the Foster Boardroom at the Buchanan Alumni House, and dedicated space within the New Balance Student Recreation Center. Bion’s leadership has also included service as chair of the University of Maine Alumni Association board, involvement with the Buchanan Alumni House Endowment, and membership on the UMaine Board of Visitors.
Raymond A. Jean ’65 and Louise C. Jean
Raymond and Louise Jean exemplify lifelong partnership, professional achievement, and a steadfast commitment to community and education. Raised in Lewiston, their shared values of service and determination have guided both their personal and professional lives.
Ray Jean earned a degree in engineering physics from the University of Maine, where he balanced academics with varsity tennis and campus involvement. His career evolved from engineering into executive leadership roles at major corporations, including Evans Products, Gulf and Western and IC Industries. He later served as president, CEO and chairm of Quanex Corporation and as CEO of Varlen Corp., while also contributing as a board member to several Chicago-based companies. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago during his career ascent.
Louise Jean’s early interests in writing and communications shaped her contributions both professionally and within her family and community. As the couple raised their three children, she played a central role in supporting their education and activities while remaining actively engaged in volunteer service.
Despite careers that took them across the country, the Jeans maintained a strong connection to the University of Maine. Ray served on the Board of Visitors and participated in campaign leadership efforts, while the couple established the Raymond & Louise Jean Scholarship to support business students. They also honored Louise’s mother with a memorial scholarship at St. Dominic Academy.
Now residing in both Florida and Maine, the Jeans continue their philanthropic engagement, including leadership roles with the American Cancer Society, while remaining dedicated supporters of UMaine.
J. Daniel Lafayette III and Carla Joy Lafayette
For over four decades, Danny and Carla Lafayette have been cornerstones of Maine’s hospitality industry and beacons of transformational philanthropic spirit in our state. Their journey has been shaped by deep family connectivity, bold entrepreneurial leaps and an unwavering commitment to the community they call home.
Both proud alumni of Hampden Academy, Danny would go on to graduate from the United States Military Academy and Carla from Cornell University. After college, Danny served five years in the Army as Carla began her career in research chemistry for solar energy storage with what is now Texas A&M University—Central Texas.
In 1982, taking a leap of faith into an industry new to them both, they bought the Best Western White House Inn in Hampden, sold to them by previous owner Henry Page, who donated to help start the Page Farm and Home Museum at the University of Maine. Though the couple was new to the hospitality industry, Page saw potential in the bright young owners. Page’s faith would turn out to be more than justified. Since that first purchase nearly 45 years ago, Danny, Carla, and their children have amassed an impressive and successful portfolio of 30-plus properties comprising over 2,500 rooms, condos, cottages and homes in Maine and New Hampshire, including, in the 1990s, building the Best Western Black Bear Inn and Conference Center with another Stillwater Award Winner, Ralph Leonard and the Sargent Family. This hotel hosted many events to raise money for UMaine athletics.
As their knowledge and success grew, so did the Lafayettes’ footprint in the industry at large. Danny has served as the president of the Maine Innkeeper Association and served six years on the Best Western Board of Directors and as chair of the BWH Hotel Group, a leading global hospitality network comprised of WorldHotels, Best Western Hotels and SureStay Hotels.
From Carla’s impactful board leadership at the Maine 4-H Foundation and the family’s naming support of the Lafayette and Rawcliffe 4-H Science and Engineering Learning Center at UMaine, to Danny’s work with the Hampden Recreation Committee, Kiwanis and the Greater Bangor Area Chamber of Commerce, the Lafayettes prove that it is possible to serve your community in equal proportion to your personal success. Part of their enduring legacy will be the Lafayette Family Cancer Institute at Northern Light Health in Brewer, for which the family provided a critical lead gift. The Lafayettes have spent decades perfecting ‘home away from home’ for their guests, but it’s clear that the family has never lost sight of where their own roots — and hearts — truly lie.
Passionate fans of UMaine athletics, Danny and Carla carry on a legacy passed down from Carla’s mother, Morna Kimball Rawcliffe ’48, who was All-Maine in basketball and field hockey. Danny and Carla gather as often as possible in their UMaine hockey and football boxes to watch games with their loved ones. Today, UMaine student-athletes and athletics staff proudly walk alongside the family at Champion the Cure events, uniting the campus and the community in a shared mission of hope and service.
The Stillwater Society Dinner also celebrates members of the Stillwater Society, UMaine’s giving society, which recognizes donors whose lifetime contributions reach $25,000 or more. The biennial event also celebrates donors who have reached new levels of giving since the previous gathering, and highlights the collective impact of philanthropy on the university.
