PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — David Flanagan, who was at the helm of Maine’s largest electric utility during the disastrous 1998 ice storm, served as president of the University of Southern Maine and returned to lead the utility out of a series of missteps, has died. He was 74.

The former leader of Central Maine Power had been battling cancer and died Thursday, a family spokesperson said.

One of Flanagan’s last acts with the company was to help find a new CEO, Joe Purington, who was appointed in August.

Flanagan, of Manchester, served as CMP’s president and CEO from 1994 through 2000, including during the severe ice storm in January 1998 that left half the state’s residents without electricity while trees and power lines littered ice-covered roads across most of the state.

The storm caused more than 415,000 power outages, and it took utility crews that converged on Maine from as far away as North Carolina 23 days to restore power.

As the state pulled together, “our company and our government and our whole state showed its best side,” he said.

CMP and Flanagan enjoyed high favorability ratings.

Later, Flanagan had a brief run for governor, served as president of the University of Southern Maine and earned a reputation as a turnaround specialist. He also served as chair of the University of Maine System trustees and the Maine chapter of the Nature Conservancy.