Dr. Laura Freid Ed.D is the President of Maine College of Art & Design (MECA&D) and an experienced leader in higher education and the arts. Currently in her ninth year as President, Dr. Freid has over two decades of executive experience across higher education, publishing, and arts nonprofits. Her career has centered on art, design, and creative education.
Under Dr. Freid’s stewardship, the College has undergone significant growth, including fundraising efforts that have secured more than $20 million and a tripling of the endowment’s market value. Interest in the College has also rapidly climbed, with an 82% increase in BFA applications between 2016 and 2023, along with an 88% increase in MFA enrollments. In 2025, Freid oversaw the launch of three online programs, including an online Master of Arts in Education graduate degree and two graduate certificate programs. This success has been guided by her strategic plan, Envisioning Our Future 2027, which outlines MECA&D’s path to create a new learning center and broaden its reach while building a sustainable financial plan for the coming decades.
Previously, Dr. Freid served as CEO and Executive Director of Silkroad, the organization that presents performances by Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, initiating affiliations with Harvard University and the Rhode Island School of Design and positioning Silkroad as a major international arts organization. She was executive director of the acclaimed Emmy-nominated documentary, The Music of Strangers. Their signature album “Sing Me Home” won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album. Under her leadership, Silkroad organized a yearlong celebration of the arts in Chicago and brought together artists and business leaders to influence cultural entrepreneurship. Her earlier experience in higher education includes eight years as executive vice president of Brown University and seven years as publisher of Harvard Magazine and Executive Director of the Ivy League Magazine Network. She started her publishing career as a writer, editor and then publisher of Bostonia Magazine.
Dr. Freid graduated with an AB in philosophy from Washington University in St. Louis and holds an M.B.A. from Boston University and an Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2018, she received an honorary Doctor of Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University.