Tara has taught in public school and private programs with children from birth to third grade, beginning in the DC Public Schools and most recently at the Bowdoin College Children’s Center. Tara was a Research Analyst at the National Council on Teacher Quality, has coached and mentored teachers and presented workshops at regional and national … Read more
Janet is the Western Regional Manager and Workforce Development Specialist for New Ventures Maine. She provides training in New Venture Maine’s workforce, asset, and leadership development program areas and supervises staff and programming in Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford Counties. In addition, she developed and coordinates New Venture’s Rainy Day Savings program statewide and is the … Read more
As the Economic Development Manager for the City of Lewiston, Misty plays a lead role in attracting development to the City, with a focus on the redevelopment and revitalization of downtown Lewiston and the riverfront. Before becoming Manager, Misty was Lewiston’s Economic Development Specialist for almost four years and was responsible for researching, planning, implementing … Read more
Karen has served 25 years in many different capacities at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC). At the time of the Fellowship, she was Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment, serving as an integral part of the President’s executive team and tasked with making student success the central priority in every college effort, budget, and … Read more
Liz is the president of her consulting service, Neptune Advantage,Inc., which provides technical assistance to Native American tribes and nonprofit organizations across the country. For more than 13 years, until 2005, Liz served as Director of Health and Human Services for the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. In that role, she managed the development of … Read more
Kim works for the Mitchell Institute, an organization founded by Senator George J. Mitchell that is dedicated to strengthening Maine communities by providing Maine students a path to success in college and beyond. She oversees the Mitchell Scholarship application and selection process, and she collaborates with colleagues to support Mitchell Scholars and Alumni wherever they … Read more
As the Executive Director of Portland ConnectEd, Matt works to bring together organizational leaders who are committed to creating an infrastructure and culture that supports Portland’s youth, Portland’s families, and the community at large. Starting Strong is also part of ConnectEd and is focused on the early-age component of ConnectEd’s mission. Matt is a former … Read more
David has spent most of his life fixing things. As a kid, he worked in his father’s shop repairing small engines. When he joined the Air Force, he trained to work in an Electronics Lab troubleshooting and repairing electronic test equipment and then automated process control equipment in a paper mill after he left the … Read more
Gail works for Portland Public Schools as Director of Intervention, where she ensures children in the district receive the necessary services to prevent them from falling through the cracks. She started her career teaching high school math where she felt a profound realization that students are a product of two things: their home life and … Read more
Along with leading the only agency in Maine focused on serving runaway and homeless youth, New Beginnings, Chris is also a founding member and the current chair of the Maine Homeless Youth Provider Group at the State level. He came to New Beginnings in 2016 from The Opportunity Alliance in Portland, where he served as … Read more
