Senator Collins graduated Phi Beta Kappa from St. Lawrence University in 1975 and began working for Maine Representative Bill Cohen. She remained a member of his staff when he was elected to the Senate three years later, where she was promoted to staff director of the Oversight of Government Management Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs.
In 1987, she was appointed by Maine Governor John McKernan as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Professional and Financial Regulation. In 1992, she was appointed as Director of the Small Business Administration’s Regional Office by President George H.W. Bush. She continued her work to champion small businesses when she was named the founding Executive Director of the Center for Family Business at Husson College (now Husson University) in 1994.
From tourism and recreation to working forests, fishing, and agriculture, there is no doubt that Maine’s economy is inextricably linked to the environment. Maine’s greatest treasure is its natural beauty, and I remain committed to advancing reasonable and effective policies to protect the environment.
Throughout my time in the U.S. Senate, I have worked to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and spur the creation of clean energy jobs – while retaining important American manufacturing jobs. High costs of energy are burdensome to Maine families, truck drivers, farmers, fishermen, schools, small businesses, mills, and factories. Approximately 60 percent of Maine households rely on fuel oil as their primary source of home heating, leaving Maine families extremely vulnerable to high crude oil prices.