Matt Bernstein is a 9th grade humanities social studies teacher at Casco Bay High School in Portland, Maine. He is the 2022 Cumberland County Teacher of the Year and the 2023 Maine Teacher of the Year. Bernstein has a Bachelor of Arts in History with a European History concentration from Bowdoin College where he was also a Bowdoin Teacher Scholar. Bernstein’s pedagogy is centered around student voices and student activism. He believes that the purpose of education is to help students find their way of contributing to a more equitable world. Bernstein is also passionate about creating opportunities for students to experience joy and belonging at school on a daily basis and, to that end, he believes in cultivating meaningful relationships with students, often through his work as a 9th grade crew advisor, that are grounded in deep listening and holistic support. READ MORE
Paul Bolin is the Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer with Northern Light Health. Most of Paul’s primary and secondary education was attained in Maine Public schools. Paul earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Maine, and has spent most of his career working in Maine. Having completed the Leadership Maine program in 2006, and serving as a board member of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, he is also a member in the Maine Bar Association’s Fee Arbitration Commission, and chair of the City of Bangor Planning Board, Paul is deeply rooted in Maine and its communities.
Paul has 24 years of leadership and HR experience, and holds the designation of Senior Professional in Human Resources and SHRM Senior Certified Professional. Paul annually instructs courses at Eastern Maine Community College for Maine HR leaders to assist them in attaining their national certifications.
Amy is the Superintendent of Ellsworth Schools. She began this role at HCTC in 2009 after serving as assistant principal of Ellsworth High School for five years. A former social studies teacher at Massabesic High School, Amy has been working in Maine schools for more than 20 years. She has a bachelor's degree from Colby College as well as a master's degree and a Certificate of Advanced Study from the University of Maine. Amy is a current board member for the Ellsworth Area Chamber of Commerce. She is passionate about career and technical education in Maine and serves on the CTE Committee of the Maine State Board of Education and is active within the Maine Administrators of Career and Technical Education (MACTE). In addition, Amy serves on the local YMCA Youth Sports Soccer Board and is a volunteer youth travel soccer and basketball coach. Amy resides in Hancock with her husband Michael and their two children, Hunter and Elizabeth.
Michael Cato is a Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Bowdoin College.
Michael leads Information Technology (IT) strategy and operations at Bowdoin College, widely regarded as one of the nation’s foremost liberal arts institutions. He joined the college in early 2018 with 17 years of experience in Higher Education IT having served in IT roles at Vassar College, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Finding the right opportunities to integrate technologies into a highly successful curriculum is one of the great opportunities of leading IT at Bowdoin.
At Vassar College, Michael led the Computing and Information Services (CIS) division to adopt new approaches to better serve the college community. These efforts included developing Project Management methodologies, initiating IT Service Management principles, and implementing an intentional organizational culture program. Notably, in 2014 Michael led CIS to successfully receive two Campus Cyberinfrastructure: Infrastructure, Innovation Engineering (CC*IIE) grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Michael actively engages in the Higher Education IT community, seeking opportunities to learn from and share with colleagues across the industry. He considers himself a student of leadership, and is increasingly participating in efforts to address issues of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He loves to learn, read, travel, eat, occasionally cook, and with his wife, Heather, raising a totally awesome four-year-old son. READ MORE
Mark Brooks currently serves as the Director of the Cianbro Institute at the Cianbro Corporation headquartered in Pittsfield, Maine. He also coordinates for leadership development across the Cianbro Companies.
Mark is a retired Colonel with the United States Army Reserves, serving for over 34 years and retiring in 2020. He has led soldiers at the Team, Squad, Platoon, Company, Battalion and Brigade level. He is a decorated Combat Veteran with service in Iraq. COL Brooks has been awarded the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Bronze Star for commanding U.S. and Iraqi soldiers in Tal Afar, Iraq. He was also awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Award for service at the Pentagon supporting contingency operations in Afghanistan. COL Brooks is a graduate of the United States Army War College earning a Master’s of Science degree in Strategic Studies. COL Brooks has served as a Leadership Instructor at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Mark is also a retired Troop Commander (Lieutenant) with the Maine State Police. He has served as a rural Maine State Patrol Trooper, Homicide Detective, Child-abuse Detective, Training Sergeant at the Maine State Police Academy, Patrol Sergeant and Troop Commander in both Troop F in Aroostook County and Troop C in Skowhegan serving Central Maine. He has served as Commander of the Maine State Police Crisis Negotiation Unit and also Commander of the Incident Management Assistance Team. Mark served in the Maine State Police for 25 years and retired in the fall of 2019.
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Colleen Clark (“CC”) serves as the Senior Director of the Global Operations Program Management Office (PMO) at IDEXX. In her role, she oversees a team of program/project managers and data analysts dedicated to driving the successful execution of IDEXX's strategic initiatives within Global Operations. These initiatives encompass expanding manufacturing and global distribution capacity, strengthening supply chain resilience, developing the frontline workforce, and advancing IDEXX's digital transformation roadmap.
Before joining IDEXX, CC gained substantial experience in program and product management, notably during her tenure of over four years at Comcast. At Comcast, she held the position of Executive Director, Program Delivery, where she was responsible for the successful delivery of critical HR, growth, sales, and marketing programs. She has also held an executive leadership role at Nuix, an Australian-based technology organization.
CC's professional journey began as a teacher, and she holds a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst. Additionally, she holds a Master of Jurisprudence in Corporate and Business Law from Widener Law School in Delaware.
In 2021, after spending a decade in Philadelphia, CC made her permanent move to Portland, Maine. She is enthusiastic about the local food scene and enjoys exploring the city's newest restaurants. During her free time, she loves hiking with her wife, Merry, and their two rescue pups, Tom Brady and Emme.
Steve DeCastro joined Gorham Savings Bank in July, 2016 as executive vice president of the Commercial Banking division. Promoted to President and CEO in April 2018, Steve oversees the bank’s Commercial, Business Banking and Cash Management, Retail Banking, and Marketing divisions.
Prior to joining Gorham Savings, Steve was in charge of Key Bank’s Wealth Management group for New England, with $1.3 billion under management. He has over 22 years of banking experience in the greater Portland market. READ MORE
Grier is a Partner at the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company where she serves financial services companies. Grier started her career in education and philanthropy and most recently was a consultant at The Bridgespan Group. She serves on the New England Local Advisory Board of Jumpstart, a national non-profit focused on advancing equitable learning outcomes for young children. Grier earned an MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School and an AB Phi Beta Kappa from Harvard College. She lives outside of Portland with her husband and two children.
Tony is the Vice President of Manufacturing Operations at IDEXX. He has worked in the human and animal healthcare industry for 30 years, including the last 19 at IDEXX. In addition to his current role in Manufacturing, he has held leadership positions in Research and Development, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, and Quality Assurance.
In his current role, Tony is actively engaged in Academic Partnerships that support Workforce Development and advancement of initiatives committed to social criteria. He is co-founder of the HEART! Program at IDEXX, which pairs hourly labor employees with internal mentors to provide apprenticeships and network access for career development.
Tony lives in the Greater Portland area with his wife Reed Kelly, along with several children, dogs, chickens, bees, and other assorted wildlife.
Barry joined WEX as Vice President of Enterprise IT Services where he headed up the global IT team and work. He currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer at WEX. Prior to WEX, Barry worked with Fairchild for 10 years in a number of positions and served as their Vice President of Global IT. Barry is a graduate of the University of Maine where he earned degrees in electrical and computer engineering.
Brian is the President of Bank of America Maine. Prior to his current role, Brian was a product management executive in the Consumer and Small Business product division and was responsible for the Advantage Banking Checking Account product and portfolio. He has been with Bank of America for 25 years and has 28 years of banking experience.
In addition to his product management role, Brian acted as the site executive for the Belfast, Maine operations site; responsible for the daily operations and site wide integration of ~600 employees. Brian joined Bank of America in June of 1997 and has held leadership positions in a variety of areas including credit underwriting, client satisfaction, retention, and marketing. Brian also serves as the executive sponsor for the Military Support and Assistance and the Disability Advocacy employee networks for the B of A Maine market. READ MORE
Jim is the Chief Executive Officer of Community Concepts, Inc, a community action agency for western Maine. Prior to assuming his role at CCI, Jim served as the Chief Program Officer at Sweetser and served as the Director of the Office of Child and Family Services at the Maine DHHS, where he was responsible for ensuring the safety, permanency, and well-being of children and families through the administration of child welfare services, children’s behavioral health services and a broad spectrum of early intervention and prevention services.
Jim is a licensed clinical social worker by training and received his Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of New England and his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern Maine. Jim is a well-versed social services leader with executive leadership experience in non-profit and state government sectors. Jim has a broad professional background providing clinical services to children and families, as well as working closely with state and local policymakers to advance best programmatic practices. Jim is a collaborative leader and has dedicated his career to helping others.
Gary has worked for Hussey Seating Company for over 25 years and was elected CEO in June 2016. Prior to that role Gary served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Gary graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and received his MBA from Babson College. He earned his CPA while working for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC in Portland, ME. In addition to his responsibilities at Hussey Seating, Gary serves on the Board of Directors for Tilson Technology and the American Red Cross of Southern Maine.
David Pease is Senior Vice President and Director of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion at Bangor Savings Bank. His HR career spans 35+ years in business, nonprofit, healthcare, academia, and corporate America. He has a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Lesley University and a BS in Political Science and Communication from the University of Southern Maine. David has earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the Senior Certified Professional (SCP-SHRM) national designations. He has been on the faculty of the Maine HR Convention and served as an adjunct faculty member in Thomas College’s graduate school. David is the former State Director of Maine SHRM and received the distinguished Maine HR Leader of the Year award. READ MORE
Rosa Redonnett is the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Credential Attainment for the University of Maine System. The Associate Vice Chancellor is responsible for advising the Chancellor, Chancellor’s Staff and the Board of Trustees on all matters affecting student life on the universities of the University of Maine System (UMS), and most specifically on those matters impacting the persistence, graduation and success of all students within the UMS. In collaboration with the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, the Associate Vice Chancellor provides System-wide leadership to enhance and promote student success through collaborative efforts within the University of Maine System, with other higher education institutions, and within the preK-20 education community. This position provides system-wide leadership and support in furthering campus efforts specific to adult credential and degree attainment and the development and implementation of a System-wide approach to micro-credentials READ MORE
Lisa Sawin is an architect, principal and partner at Harriman Architects and Engineers, a 150 year-old firm based in Auburn, Maine. She serves as an educational planner and practice leader in Harriman’s PK-12 Education Studio. Lisa is responsible for leading the PK-12 studio, research-based design and advancing the design of educational facilities that support future ready learners. Her experience as a teacher, builder, and architect, coupled with her passion for developing inspiring learning environments, allow her to facilitate a collaborative process between all stakeholders resulting in meaningful design solutions. Her design philosophy is rooted in a belief that the most successful schools are those designed in collaboration with the community and that sustainable design is synonymous with good design. Lisa has been involved in numerous LEED Silver, Gold and Platinum educational buildings as well as net zero facilities. READ MORE
Lindsay is the CEO of Gifford's Ice Cream. Lindsay is still young by most measures, but her role today has grown to that of mom, wife, and CEO at Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream. She is part of a small legion of women in Maine who are running mid-sized businesses. With a staff of 37 year-round employees and sales of 2 million gallons of ice cream a year, her role includes oversight of operations, staff, five seasonal ice-cream stands, and an ice cream factory in Skowhegan that produces 100 flavors and distributes to hundreds of retail locations from Maine to Virginia to Nevada.
Umberto Speranza is a government affairs leader with Fortune 250 experience in state and federal legislative and regulatory affairs, paid family and medical leave policy, disability inherited icome protection, employee benefits, ESG and financial services, and trade association representation.
He is currently Assistant Vice President, Government Affairs for Unum Group Portland. Before joining Unum, Umberto was a U.S. Fulbright Scholar to Italy and worked in the Ohio State Senate. He holds a Master of Arts International Affairs from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and bachelors degrees from the University of Dayton and the University of Miami.
Janet Sortor is the Vice President and Chief Academic Officer for the Maine Community College System. Prior to that, she served as the Vice President and Dean of Academics Affairs at Southern Maine Community College for 13 years and as the Dean of Academic Affairs for Bunker Hill Community College for 10 years. Janet actively represents the Maine Community College System on a number of strategic partnerships, including MaineSpark.
