Board Membership
First Wind, LLC
129 Middle Street
Portland, ME 04101
Mr. Kurt Adams, as the Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officerof First Wind LLC, oversees the development of all First Wind’s projects nationwide.
Prior to joining First Wind, Mr. Adams was Chairman of the Maine Public Utilities Commission from 2005 to 2008, where he served as Maine’s primary energy regulator. As chairman, he served as a member of the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissions, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissions (NARUC), the NARUC Electricity Committee, the NARUC Competitive Procurement Committee. He was also Maine’s representative on the New England State Committee on Electricity. Prior to his position with the Maine PUC, Mr. Adams was Governor John Baldacci’s chief legal counsel from 2003 to 2005.
Before joining the Governor’s staff, Mr. Adams was a partner in the law firm of Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer & Nelson in Portland, Maine. At Bernstein, Shur, Mr. Adams was the Vice Chairman of the firm’s energy practice. Mr. Adams represented independent power producers in all facets of project development. Mr. Adams represented national and international private and public sector clients on energy projects. He also represented lenders on energy project financings.
Mr. Adams received his Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law, M.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University and B.A. from Skidmore College.
Appointment effective: 8/25/10 Appointment expires: 5/26/15
Baker Newman & Noyes
PO Box 507, 280 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04112
Ms. Eleanor (Ellie) Baker is a Tax Principal and one of the founders of Baker Newman Noyes, having previously been with KPMG since 1977. She specializes in taxation and personal financial consulting for high wealth individuals and families. Ellie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maine, a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law, and an LL.M. in Taxation from Boston University School of Law. She also holds the Personal Financial Specialist designation. Ellie is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Maine Society of Certified Public Accountants, and the Maine Consensus Economic Forecasting Commission (appointed by Governor). She is a member of the Board of Visitors for the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine School of Law as well as a Board member of the Maine Chapter of the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the University of Maine Foundation. She is a Trustee for the Portland Symphony Orchestra and Past Campaign Co-Chair for the United Way of Greater Portland. Ellie has received several awards including the Public Service Award from the Maine Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Distinguished Service Award from the University of Maine School of Law Alumni Association, the Women of Distinction Honoree from the Kennebec Council of Girl Scouts, the Maine Business Hall of Fame from the Junior Achievement, and the Tribute to Women in Industry Honoree from the YWCA. Ellie loves tennis and golf. She enjoys spending time with her family and is married with one daughter and one step-daughter.
Appointment effective: 4/7/09 Appointment expires: 5/26/13
Commissioner of Education
State House Station #23
Augusta, ME 04333
Biography coming soon.
Appointment effective: 03/4/11
Appointment expires: ex officio
Vice Chair
5 Heritage Road
Caribou, ME 04736
Sam Collins has led the S.W. Collins Company as President for the past two decades. As President, he has expanded the company from one location to three building material hardware stores, a kitchen and bath design center and a millwork shop. He is also a partner in two real estate development companies.
Collins has taken an active leadership role in education, his community and the lumber and building materials industry. He served as chair of the Caribou School Board in the late 90’s and most recently as a co-chair of the Regional School Committee for school consolidation, which resulted in a successful union of three school units. He has volunteered as chair of the United Way of Aroostook Campaign, as President of Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development, and as President of the Caribou Rotary Club. Collins has also coached in the Aroostook Youth Basketball League and the Caribou Recreation soccer.
Collins has served as chair of the Retail Lumber Dealers Association of Maine and as the chair of the Northeast Retail Lumber Dealers Association. He is currently chairman of ENAP, a building material cooperative buying group serving dealers primarily in the Eastern half of the U. S. Collins has been recognized in his industry as the Maine Lumber Dealer of the Year in 1992 and has been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International through an award by the Caribou Rotary Club.
A resident of Caribou and a graduate of Caribou High School, Collins earned a B.A. degree in economics and minored in government at St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY. He and his wife Lise have four daughters: Tess, Catherine, Laura and Clara.
Appointment effective: 3/24/10 Appointment expires: 5/26/14
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2002 Aroostook Road
Wallagrass, ME 04781
Mr. Norman L. Fournier, a life-long resident of Wallagrass, Maine, is a graduate of the University of Maine at Fort Kent with a B.S. in Education. He completed forty-five hours of a Doctoral Program in US history at the University of Maine in Orono before being drafted into the army. He is a Vietnam Veteran.
Mr. Fournier is currently Executive Director of Fish River Rural Health (FRRH), a non-profit health care corporation with a $2 million budget and two federally qualified health centers in Eagle Lake and Fort Kent. Prior to joining FRRH in 1999, he was Associate Administrator of Northern Maine Medical Center, the local hospital located in Fort Kent. His career in the health field was preceded by 14 years as Executive Director of the Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), a $9 million, multiservice non-profit corporation operating twenty-two different anti-poverty and community development programs. Previous to that he was Director of Children’s services and Director of the Head Start Program in Aroostook County. Norman has held an elected position as an Aroostook County Commissioner since 1988. Throughout his career he has been on many boards, councils, and committees spanning local, county and state. He has served on the Maine Human Rights Commission, Aroostook County Manpower Planning Board, State Manpower Planning Council, Maine Human Service Council, Private Industry Council of Maine, Maine Commission on Higher Education Governance, SAD#27 School Board and the United Way of Aroostook Board of Directors. He has been involved with the University of Maine at Fort Kent by being a member of its Strategic Planning Committee, Board of Visitors, Foundation Board, and Alumni Association. Currently, he serves on the Executive Committee for Northern Maine Development Commission, Local Workforce Investment Board, Maine Primary Care Association, Wallagrass Board of Appeals, Ambulance Services and St. John Vianney Pastoral Council. He is also a trustee for both Northern Maine Medical Center and Northern Maine General.
Norman has been a recipient of several awards including an Honorary PHD from the University of Maine System, Community Action Partner Award from ACAP, Community Recognition Award from Aroostook Mental Health, Outstanding Alumni from University of Maine at Fort Kent, and the Community Service Award from the University of Maine at Fort Kent.
Norman and his wife, Anne, have two children, Randy and Lynn, and two grandchildren.
Appointment effective: 9/20/07 Appointment expires: 5/26/12
PO Box 115
Kennebunk, ME 04043
Mr. Benjamin Goodman, of Kennebunk, is a student at the University of Maine majoring in political science. Mr. Goodman previously served as co-chair of the Maine Legislative Youth Advisory Council, where he worked extensively with education policy. He is an active member of the University of Maine campus, serving as a member of the UM Student Government and host of the campus morning news/talk radio program, Drive Time Bangor on WMEB 91.9 FM.
Mr. Goodman is very active in politics and government, currently serving his second term as President of the Maine College Democrats. In Summer 2007, Mr. Goodman served as a United States House of Representatives Page, and in Summer 2008, was an elected Barack Obama delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Appointment effective: 3/24/10
Appointment expires: 3/23/12
40 Lisbon Street
Lewiston, ME 04240
Ms. Tamera Grieshaber grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, graduating from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with a BS in Business Administration and University of Southern Maine with an MA in Public Policy and Management. Her primary interest has been education policy. She has worked for the Maine Department of Education, Maine Development Foundation and the Auburn School Department. The focus of most of her energy has been as a community activist for education. She served on the Auburn School Committee, St. Dominic Regional High School Board of Directors, Auburn Public Library Board of Trustees, Head Start Board of Directors and United Way Board of Directors.
Ms. Grieshaber is currently the Curator of L/A Arts Gallery 5 in Lewiston. The gallery features contemporary Maine artists and presents educational programming for the visual arts. She and her husband, Robert, have made Maine their home for 35 years. They have two grown children who currently work and reside in the Boston area. Her hope is that Maine will continue to invest in research and the arts to attract the strong creative economic base that will provide the jobs to lure her children back to Maine.
Appointment effective: 9/20/07
Appointment expires: 5/26/12
60 Shore Road
Harpswell, ME 04079
ADM Gregory “Grog” Johnson, is a native of Westmanland, Maine. He was a 1964 graduate of Caribou High School, 1968 graduate of the University of Maine with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, commissioned in 1969 following Aviation Officer Candidate School, and designated a Naval Aviator in 1970.
Initial sea duty assignments from 1970 to 1986 were in carrier based squadrons flying the A-7E Corsair lI deploying in USS Independence, USS Nimitz, and USS Forrestal. He served as Executive Officer and Commanding Officer of VA-105 deployed with Marine Air Group TWELVE and later embarked in USS Forrestal. In 1988-90 he served as Deputy Commander, Carrier Air Wing SIX (USS Forrestal); and 1994-95 Commander, Carrier Air Wing THREE (USS Dwight D. Eisenhower). Shore duty assignments included: Command and Staff Course, Naval War College (graduating with highest distinction); Systems Analysis Division (OP-96) of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations; F/A-18/A-7 Readiness Officer on the staff Commander Naval Air Force, U. S. Atlantic Fleet; Joint Chiefs of Staff as Head of the European Command/Central Command Branch of the Joint Operations Division (JOD), Operations Directorate (J-3); and Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as the Executive Assistant to the Chairman, General Colin L. Powell.
ADM Johnson was selected for flag rank in February 1995. His initial flag assignment was as the Director of Operations, Plans, and Policy (N3/N5) on the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet staff. In February 1996, he reported as Commander, Carrier Group EIGHT/USS Theodore Roosevelt Battle Group where he served until August 1997. In September 1997 he reported as the Senior Military Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. John Hamre, and in May, 1999 was assigned as the Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, The Honorable William S. Cohen. ADM Johnson assumed command of the U.S. Sixth Fleet and Naval Striking and Support Forces Southern Europe in October 2000. A year later, he reported as Commander U.S. Naval Forces, Europe and Joint Force Command, Naples where he served from October 2001 through October 2004. He retired from active duty on December 1, 2004. Adm. Johnson's decorations and awards include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with three Bronze Oak Leafs), Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with two Gold Stars), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with two Gold Stars), NATO Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and various service and campaign awards. He is the recipient of awards from Bulgaria, France, Hungary, and Italy. In 2004 he was selected to receive the Naval War College's Distinguished Graduate Leadership Award. In May 2009, his Alma Mater, the University of Maine, awarded ADM (Ret.) Johnson an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree.
Upon retiring in Dec 2004, ADM Johnson founded Snow Ridge Associates, which provides strategic advice and counsel. In addition, he serves on several private sector boards and is active in public policy, civic, community, and educational boards and activities. ADM Johnson currently resides in Harpswell, Maine with his wife, Joy Jewett Johnson of Bucksport, Maine.
Appointment effective: 6/6/11
Appointment expires: 5/26/16
Chair
Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems
43 Whiting Hill Road
Brewer, ME 04412
Ms. Michelle Hood became President & CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in April 2006, coming to Maine from Billings, Montana where she was President & CEO of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health Systems, Montana Region, as well as the President & CEO of its flagship hospital, St. Vincent Healthcare.
Ms. Hood received her Bachelor of Science in 1978 at Purdue University and her Master of Health Care Administration at Georgia State University in 1981. Her early career included roles of Associate Hospital Director at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, and Chief Administrative Officer of Norton Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky.
With responsibility to more than 8,000 EMHS employees and a half of a million Maine citizens, Michelle’s primary function is to provide vision – vision that anticipates both advances and obstacles in the complicated and ever-changing landscape of healthcare. Her focus is on health care policy developments at the state and national levels, with a view to the very specific needs and challenges of a vast, rural, and sparsely populated state. With her eye on the horizon, she works to strengthen the economic climate of the state, build a strong and stable network of health care services for a vast geography and make EMHS a great place to work for the many dedicated professionals who make medicine work in rural Maine.
Ms. Hood is helping to strengthen Maine’s ability to provide the best possible health care to everyone in need by recognizing opportunities to capitalize on existing resources, finding ways to fill resource gaps, making connections, and building creative partnerships that work for Maine communities.
Ms. Hood and husband, Russell, have two grown children.
Appointment effective: 3/24/10
Appointment expires: 5/26/13
Unum Group
2211 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04122
Mr. Kevin P. McCarthy is President and CEO of Unum US. In this role, he is responsible for the overall management of the segment (formerly known as US Brokerage). Mr. McCarthy first joined Unum in 1976, working in field administration. He moved to the reinsurance division as an underwriting manager, became a product manager in 1980, and was subsequently promoted to second vice president, Life and Medical Products in 1982. From 1984 to 1987, he was chief operating officer for General Health, Inc. In 1987, Mr. McCarthy returned to Unum as vice president, Long Term Disability Products and Markets and was named vice president, Long Term Care Markets and Products in 1990. In 1993, Mr. McCarthy joined Unum’s Japan operations and was promoted to President of Unum Japan in 1996, Chairman in 1998, and Senior Vice President of International Operations in the same year. In 2001, McCarthy became Senior Vice President of Underwriting and in 2006 Executive Vice President of Risk Operations for the company
Mr. McCarthy is currently a director of the Davis Foundations, the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education, and AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans). Mr. McCarthy has previously been the chairman of the Insurance Subcommittee of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan, where he was significantly involved in U.S.-Japan bilateral negotiations regarding deregulation and market access. He has previously been a director of LIMRA International, the International Insurance Council, the Maine International Trade Center, the World Affairs Council, the Portland Museum of Art, the United Way of Greater Portland, the Maine Make-a-Wish Foundation, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Corporator of Maine Health, the state’s largest healthcare provider group, and Chairman of the Advisory Council for the University of Southern Maine School of Business.
Mr. McCarthy received his degree in business, graduating summa cum laude, from the University of Southern Maine in 1978.
Appointment effective: 4/7/09 Appointment expires: 5/26/13
PO Box 126
Norway, ME 04268
Ms. Marjorie Medd, a resident of Norway holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Tufts University and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University. She has been a committed community and state leader in education, children's issues and economic development. She has chaired the MSAD #17 Board of Directors (3 years), the Maine State Board of Education (3 years) and the Learning Results Task Force. Marge represented Maine on the New England Association for Schools and Colleges as well as the Regional Lab at Brown. She has served on the executive committees for Jobs for Maine Graduates and Maine Coalition for Education for many years. After graduating from Harvard in 1999, she chaired the Maine Children's Alliance. As chair of EnterpriseMaine (a regional economic development organization) she helped lead her community in its effort to secure the Western Maine University and Community College Center. Her roles in advocacy for education and economic development included trade missions to Japan, British Isles and Brazil and Argentina. Trustee Medd was chosen as one of 25 US educational leaders who joined with many international government, education leaders and students, to lead the 50th anniversary March of the Living walk from Auschwitz to Birkenau.
Appointment Effective: 5/25/05
Appointment Expires: 5/26/15
GHM Insurance Agency
51 Main Street
Waterville, ME 04901
A native of Waterville, Mr. Paul Mitchell is a graduate of the University of Maine with a B.S. degree and an M.A. from Columbia University. He is President and owner of the GHM Insurance Agency of Waterville, a full service insurance agency. Mr. Mitchell has long been active in municipal affairs having served as Chairman of the Waterville Board of Aldermen, as Executive Director of the Waterville Urban Renewal Authority undertaking and completing the largest redevelopment activities in the City’s history, as Chairman and member of the City’s Planning Board, the Waterville Sewerage District, the Waterville Housing Authority, and the Kennebec Sanitary Treatment District. He served as a member of the Foundation Board of the Kennebec Valley Vocational Technical Institute, now the Kennebec Valley Community College. He was a member of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment officials. He is presently a member of the Board of Directors of the Maine Independent Insurance Agents Association, having served as its President. He is a member of Rotary International. Mr. Mitchell served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 to 1946.
Appointment effective: 5/26/04
Appointment expires: 5/26/14
Pan Atlantic SMS Group
5 Milk Street, 1st Floor
Portland, ME 04101
Ms. Victoria Murphy has extensive experience in the arenas of public and private sectors working in government, education, politics, and business. She served in the administrations of President Lyndon B. Johnson and President Jimmy Carter. Ms. Murphy, and her husband Patrick, currently own the firm Pan Atlantic Consultants, the parent company for Strategic Marketing Services and Pan Atlantic International Training. The client base is diverse in the fields of international business and education, consumer research, business planning, and educational training in both the private and non-profit sectors. Ms. Murphy recently completed three terms as a member and Vice Chair of the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board at the Department of State in Washington, D.C. Ms. Murphy is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine. She is a mother of three children and a new grandmother.
Appointment effective: 5/26/04
Appointment expires: 5/26/14
950 Main Road
Eddington, ME 04428
Bonnie Newsom is a member of the Penobscot Nation and serves as their Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. In this capacity, she ensures tribal compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act, identifies and manages historic properties on tribal lands, consults with Federal and State agencies relative to historic site protection, participates in public education initiatives and serves as the tribal point of contact for all archaeological issues. Her former positions include a research archaeology position with Archaeological Research Consultants, of Ellsworth, Maine and Assistant Director of the Wabanaki Center at the University of Maine. Ms. Newsom has served on a variety of boards and committees at both the local and national levels. At present, she serves on the Repatriation Review Committee for the Smithsonian Institution and is a trustee for the University of Maine system. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology and an M.S. in Quaternary Studies from the University of Maine. Currently, she is a Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Her research interests include the archaeology of the Penobscot River Valley, aboriginal ceramic analysis, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, anthropology and public policy, and indigenous archaeologies. As a military veteran and a former leadership instructor with the Maine Army National Guard, Ms. Newsom taught courses in primary leadership, small and large group instructor training and non-commissioned officer training. Currently, she lives in Eddington with her husband, Les, and their four children.
Appointment effective: 6/14/11
Appointment expires: 5/26/16
16 Town Landing Road
Cumberland, ME 04110
Honorable Karl Turner earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine and continued his academic career there with graduate work in Pulp & Paper Technology. He began his professional career with IBM where he held a variety of management positions. In 1985 he joined Casco Northern Bank (a BankBoston Co.) where he served as Head of Banking Operations/Services; Information Technology; and was President of FirstPay. In 1991, he moved to BankBoston Headquarters where he headed Regulatory Assurance and later was Chief of Staff for the New England Banking Group. He was a principal in a corporate-wide redesign effort that focused on information technology to enhance revenue and root out impediments to organizational efficiencies. In 1999, Senator Turner became the principal of Knight Financial Advisors, an investment advisory. Turner’s community activities have included two terms on the Falmouth Town Council. He coached Little League baseball/softball for six years in Falmouth. He is a long time member of The Maine Audubon Society and was a Trustee for two terms. For many years, he was involved in allocations and campaign activities at United Way. He is currently a member of the Board of Advisors for Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center and a Board Member of: The Gulf of Maine Research Institute; Hospice of Southern Maine; American Cancer Society – New England Region; and HealthInfoNet. Senator Turner served four terms in the Maine Senate as a member of the 120th – 123rd Legislatures. He has a broad policy prospective having been a member of the Appropriations, Education and Cultural Affairs and HHS Committees. His interests include economic development, healthcare, taxation, energy, education, and organization efficiencies.
Appointment effective: 6/8/11
Appointment expires: 5/26/16
Wishcamper Companies, Inc.
Three Canal Plaza, Suite 501
Portland, Maine 04101
Mr. Lyndel J. Wishcamper, of Freeport, Maine is Manager and President of The Wishcamper Companies, Inc., and a number of affiliated real estate development and management companies based in Portland, Maine. A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, he has been engaged in real estate development for the past thirty-five years. He owns interests in about 7,400 assisted housing units located in thirteen southeastern, midwestern and northeastern states, and a number of commercial buildings in Maine. He is a director of Marical, Inc. a marine biotechnology company. He serves on the Board of Trustees of the University of Maine System, Board of Trustees of the Maine Medical Center, Board of Trustees of The Nature Conservancy (Maine Chapter), and Maine Public Broadcasting Network. He founded and served as the first President for the Maine Real Estate Development Association, and has served on the boards of the Susan Curtis Foundation, Portland Stage Company, Portland Concert Association, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Maine State Housing Authority Advisory Board, Freeport Economic Development Corporation, and Cumberland County Civic Center. He is a former Commissioner of the Loring Development Authority (formerly Loring AFB). He is a past Director of CMP Group, Inc., and Central Maine Power Company. In 2000, he became the 32nd member of the Junior Achievement Maine Business Hall of Fame, and in 2004 was honored, along with his wife, as the Spurwink Institute Humanitarians of the Year. He and his wife, Carol, have been married for 42 years and have two grown sons, Henry and Rick.
Appointment effective: 5/27/02 Appointment expires: 5/26/12