Matthew C. Jacobson (born February 4, 1961) is an American politician and business executive, currently serving as the President and CEO of Maine & Company, a private, non-profit corporation which aims to attract and grow Maine businesses. On May 7, 2009, Jacobson, a Republican, announced that he will be seeking the 2010 Republican nomination for Governor of Maine.

Jacobson attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating in 1984. He later continued his education, earning an MBA from Chapman University in 1992.^[1]

Following his graduation from the Naval Academy, Jacobson served as a pilot in the United States Air Force, where he logged over 3,000 hours of flight time in various aircraft, the bulk of which was with the C-130 Hercules. He also served as a flight instructor and evaluator pilot. He was given an honorable discharge from active duty in April of 1991, after which he continued to serve in the Air Force active reserve until March of 2000.^[2]

In 1996, Jacobson was hired as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad, headquartered in Auburn, Maine. He spent four years in the position, presiding over a massive expansion of revenue for the railroad and the addition of 23 new businesses to its line. During his tenure, the railroad was named North America's best Shortline Railroad by Railway Age Magazine.^[3]

Following his time at St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad, Jacobson moved to Chicago, where he served as Assistant Vice President for Sales and Marketing for Canadian National Railways. In his time with CNR, he was primarily responsible for International and North America Intermodal sales and marketing.^[4]

In 2006, Jacobson returned to Maine to become President and CEO of Maine & Company, a non-profit corporation whose staff provides free and confidential services to companies locating to or growing in Maine, taking over for Joe Wischerath, who'd served as CEO since Maine & Co. was founded in November of 1995.^[5]

As the organization's chief executive, Jacobson is responsible for developing and executing business attraction and expansion strategies. To that end, he engages with corporate executives, state and local authorities, as well as other stakeholders. Jacobson changed the organization's focus from a passive go between helping businesses already interested in coming to Maine, to one which actively courted specific companies to attract them to the state.^[6]

In his tenure, several major companies have relocated to the state. Among these were NotifyMD^[7], athenahealth^[8] and Boston Financial Data Services^[9], which have contributed more than 1,500 new jobs to the state. Jacobson himself has been credited with facilitating these moves, with Mainebiz specifically citing him as the reason athenahealth chose to move to Belfast, ME rather than Burlington, VT.^[10]

Speculation surrounding potential candidates for Maine's 2010 gubernatorial election began to swirl in mid to late 2008, well before the year's presidential election. Jacobson's name was widely discussed for a potential bid for the Republican nomination as early as September, 2008^[11], but he made no formal announcement regarding his interest until much later.

On February 26, 2009, Jacobson announced that he was forming an exploratory committee to examine the prospects of running for Governor of Maine. In a statement, he said that he had been considering running for the Blaine House for roughly a year, saying that he felt he could not stand by and watch while the current generation left America worse than they had found it.^[12] He began focusing on a platform that highlighted "jobs, family and community" as the major issues of concern for the race. To accomplish this, he advocates lowering taxes and targeting areas where Maine has a competitive advantage, such as tourism.^[13]

On May 7th, 2009, Jacobson made his candidacy official, announcing his run at the Ocean Gateway terminal in Portland.^[14]

Jacobson lives in Cumberland, Maine with his wife and two children - Hank and Maggie, both of whom are adopted. He married Dr. Kemedy Kathryn McQuillen at Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Boothbay Harbor on May 30, 1998. Jacobson is a practicing Roman Catholic.

• Jacobson For Governor - Official Gubernatorial Campaign Site
• Maine & Company - Maine and Company Home Page
• Maine & Company (Staff) - Biography Page from Maine & Company
• Pine Tree Politics - Article about Jacobson's Announced Run for Governor