John Lisnik

John Lisnik is a former Maine politician and current University of Maine administrator. A Democrat, Lisnik ran in 1980 for the Maine House of Representatives; he replaced retiring Republican Bruce Roope. He was born in Presque Isle, Maine and graduated from area schools in 1965 before enlisting in the United States Army during the Vietnam War. He was a paratrooper and was honorably discharged in 1968 after serving in the 101st Airborne Division. He graduated from the University of Maine at Presque Isle in 1972 and taught social studies in Falmouth, Maine for a year. He then received a fellowship to study at the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a M.A. in government and international affairs. He returned to Aroostook County thereafter and taught at Caribou High School. At the time of his announcement to run for the House of Representatives, Lisnik was vice chairman of the Presque Isle city democratic committee.

He is the Assistant to the Chancellor for Governmental Relations for the University of Maine system, where he represents the system in the Maine Legislature.