2024 SPEAKERS

I am Omolola Achuba, an Outreach Career Consultant with the MDOL Bureau of Employment Services at the Greater Portland Career Center. Over the past two years, I have dedicated my career to working with underserved populations in the community. Under the ARPA Funds, the target groups for this project are people who will be released from incarceration, women of color, and tribal communities. Also, with people who are work-ready in recovery centers or close to being work-ready, such as people living in shelters that are impacted adversely due to COVID-19, I specifically focus on New Mainers, including asylum seekers and refugees. My role involves providing support, training, career guidance, interview preparation, job search, and connecting individuals with resources available within the state. I am deeply committed to helping individuals navigate the job market and achieve their career goals, and I am dedicated to positively impacting the lives of those I work with.

Jennifer is the Foundation’s Vice President, Programs having previously held the position of Senior Program Associate. In her role, she works with staff to advance the Foundation’s mission with a focus on developing and implementing programmatic strategy, directing research and evaluation, and overseeing grantmaking for the organization. Jennifer has a Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire. Prior to joining the Foundation in 2016, Jennifer was an independent consultant specializing in evaluating programs and initiatives for nonprofit and philanthropic partners. Additionally, she was a full-time psychology professor at Austin Community College in Austin, Texas for more than 10 years where she provided leadership to student success initiatives and taught undergraduate courses.

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Gia Drew (she/her) is the Executive Director at EqualityMaine, whose mission is to protect and advance full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Mainers by creating an inclusive and intersectional movement through political action, community building, education, engagement and collaboration. Gia has been with EqualityMaine since starting as a volunteer in 2012. She serves on multiple committees and boards, including on the Maine Advisory Board to the US Commission on Civil Rights, MainCare Advisory Committee, a Trustee of Maine Health Access Foundation, and board chair of Equality Federation, a national LGBTQ+ organization. Born and raised in the Boston area, Gia was previously a high school teacher and coach for 20 years, and has called Maine home for nearly 25 years.

My name is Railey, and I am the State of Maine Accessibility Coordinator. I work to ensure that the State of Maine government is accessible to Mainers with disabilities. I graduated from the University of Alabama with a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling. I am a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and I hold ACTCP certification as an Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator. For the last fifteen years, I have worked with individuals with disabilities to assist them in achieving their goals of employment and access to independence in the home and community. My past roles have included Job Coach, Rehabilitation Counselor, Vocational Consultant, and Independent Living Case Manager. My goal is to help individuals with disabilities continue to address barriers in the workforce and community.

My name is Caleb Jones and I work with Alpha One. We help people with many areas of disabilities to be as functional, indepednet, and comfortable as we can. We help people with many things such as grants and loans to make their home accessible or get the piece of equipment they need. We care coordinator in home health programs that provide caregivers in their homes. We assist with accessible design, information and referrals about other services, and driver evaluations. If we don't have the resource for the person's need we either know of who might or will be willing to look into it for them to see if we can find that resource.

Michael McKernan is Director of Government and Community Relations, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine. For nearly 25 years he has focused on creating opportunities for Maine people to participate and work in biomedical research and development. He represents JAX at the local, state and national levels, advocates for public policy and investments to expand Maine’s biotechnology sector, and builds statewide partnerships between JAX and organizations large and small. Prior to his current role, Mike served as Director of STEM and Undergraduate Education, JAX.

Bruce Noddin: Executive Director of The Maine Re-Entry Network or MERN, a state-wide non-profit focused on providing peer support and coordinated community resources for hundreds of individuals returning to Maine communities from prison, jail, and treatment courts. Bruce was appointed to the Maine State Workforce Board by Governor Mills in April 2022 and appointed by Senate President Jackson to the Maine Recovery Council in August 2022. Bruce is a “6 Who Care”, “Rising Tide”, and Spirit of Goodwill Award winner, and the recipient of multiple awards for MERN’s community collaboration. Bruce and his wife Susan have 4 grown children between them and three grandchildren. Bruce is a person in long term recovery, a former small business owner, internet retailer, and political organizer. When Bruce isn't working, volunteering, or enjoying family time you can find him fly fishing, hiking, skiing, cycling, mountain-biking, or playing guitar and singing with his dad.

Monique Roy is a passionate educational professional with a background in leadership development, program improvement, and adult learning. With a master's degree in Leadership Studies and a certificate of advanced graduate study in Adult Learning/Human Resource Development, Monique works to empower individuals and teams through teaching and coaching. She is currently the Director of Learning and Development at Central Maine Healthcare as well as adjunct faculty at the University of New England and University of Southern Maine.

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Tarlan Ahmadov is Director Division of Programs at the Bureau of Employment Services, Maine Department of Labor. Previously, Tarlan was overseeing the Office of Maine Refugee Services as the State Refugee Coordinator. Prior to his immigration to the USA, Tarlan worked in the education field in Baku, Azerbaijan, and later joined the non-profit sector, combined with a consulting business to the Consulate of Azerbaijan in Tehran, Iran. Tarlan had the privilege to work in various capacities with local and international NGOs, such as IFES (providing training to the newly established municipalities in Azerbaijan), and Social Research Center (by screening refugees from Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq). He graduated from the Baku State University with a Masters in History and Social Sciences. He is the father of two children. Tarlan speaks several languages. Travel is one his passions: he has visited over 45 countries for business, training, and teaching purposes.

Rachel Has been with the Maine Department of Labor for 14 years. Two years with unemployment insurance benefits then promoting to the Bureau of Labor Standard, Wage & Hour Division. Starting out as an Administrative Associate with Wage and Hour, processing work permits and supporting the Labor & Safety Inspectors, then promoted to a Consumer Assistance Specialist/Child Labor Liaison continuing with the work permits process and adding the teaching of child labor classes. Now Rachel is a Labor and Safety Inspector with an emphasis on Child Labor and is considered a subject matter expert.

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Kelly Is the Executive Director for AGC Maine. AGC Maine is a legislative advocate for the construction industry and also provides safety education, management courses, technical training and apprenticeship opportunities through the Maine Construction Academy. Throughout her career, she has become a trusted advisor to many in business leadership, human resources workforce development and safety management. She is particularly passionate about teaching front line and newly promoted supervisors how personal leadership growth can improve team dynamics. Her focus is on supporting development of the individuals in order to enhance the team.

Margo Hanlon, Regional Coordinator for Associates for Training and Development serving Kennebec, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Franklin, Androscoggin, Oxford and York counties. I am a seasoned professional with a wealth of experience in management, training, service delivery, and data management. My career has been marked by a dedication to improving operations and delivering exceptional services to the community. This journey led me to A4TD where I can work with Maine seniors to empower their lives. Spending time exploring nature is one of my favorite past-times, next to off-road technical climbs and trail riding. My quieter side enjoys cooking, reading and watercolor painting.

Molly Louison-Semrow is the Associate Director of Pinetree Institute. Molly provides facilitation and leadership for the Greater Portsmouth Recovery Coalition, the developing York County Recovery Coalition, and Maine's Recovery Friendly Workplace Initiative. Molly has been leading multidisciplinary community coalitions for the last 8 years and has worked in Nonprofit social services for 11 years. Molly's career has centered on incorporating trauma-informed best practices into community response to pervasive social issues such as substance use disorder, family trauma, and adverse childhood experiences.

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Julie Oakley is an integral part of the Walgreens Field Disability Inclusion team, where she passionately advocates for disability inclusivity and accessibility in the workplace. Julie is deeply committed to creating an environment where every individual's abilities are recognized and valued. She brings dedication and expertise to her role and tirelessly implements policies and initiatives that foster a more inclusive workplace culture. Julie collaborates with colleagues across the United States to ensure that Walgreens' training, hiring, and retention programs help those with disabilities achieve their full potential. Julie firmly believes in the power of diversity and inclusion to drive innovation and success. Through her work, she strives to eliminate barriers and promote equal opportunities for all employees.

I joined Madeleine Point in May of 2023, initially as a pre-apprentice through Educate Maine’s Aquaculture Pioneers program, and now the apprentice through the Maine Aquaculture Apprenticeship Program. As a lifelong Mainer who grew up fishing around Saco Bay, I have run the gamut in the blue economy; from commercial lobstering, ground fishing, gill netting, and now cultivating oysters. I'm also student at the University of New England, majoring in Marine Affairs, who has a passion for aquaculture and its place in the working waterfront!

Jessi Wright, Director of Maine CITE, the state assistive technology program in Maine, has worked in the disability field for over 15 years in various capacities around the country. This includes residential programs, providing autism services, teaching in special education, university disability services, and working closely with vocational rehabilitation. Jessi enjoys problem solving and helping others achieve their goals and independence through the use of assistive tools. Through the years, she has worked with all ages and abilities to create safe, inclusive environments for people of all abilities. After working with state assistive technology programs for over 10 years, Jessi is now the director of the program in Maine, Maine CITE. The position provides an opportunity to educate others on accessibility concerns and increase the independence of Mainers with disabilities.

Ashley Batchelder is the first titled Child Care Affordability Program Specialist and has aided in the creation of this position within the Office of Child and Family Services. She comes with a BA in psychology and a minor in early childhood education working with non-profit programs prior to this role. Her career with the State of Maine, though brief, started within CCAP as an Eligibility specialist, but in a short time she has learned and absorbed the program. Ashley is passionate about advocating for changes to best benefit families and providers.

Samantha Brink, Vice President of ELO, leads JMG’s Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) Team with the goal of expanding access to Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) to all Maine high school students. Sam facilitates creation and management of an infrastructure accessible by schools and programs across our state to support credit-bearing career exploration. She is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine and prior to her role at JMG, Sam spent almost 10 years running the ELO program for Sanford High School & Regional Technical Center. In addition, she spent 3 years co-chairing Maine C3, a grassroots, professional development organization for community-based educators in Maine and 8 years as a Supervisory Committee member, including a multi-year role as Committee Chair, for Atlantic Federal Credit Union. Samantha lives in Sanford with her husband and three children.

Carolyn Delaney is the founder and publisher of Journey Enterprises - a media company on a mission to make recovery from addiction visible in places where people live, eat, work and shop. After spending 20 years leading IT departments, she saw an opportunity to elevate and promote inspiring personal recovery stories, recovery programs and resources in order to save lives by amplifying a message of hope and reducing addiction stigma. She envisions a world where all options for recovery are known and accessible. A world where people are celebrated for reclaiming their lives from addiction and positively impacting those around them. She does that now with a print magazine, community events and speaking.

A Maine native, Tony spent many years as an award-winning journalist, serving throughout the '90s and 2000s as an editor at New England's largest LGBT newspaper while also writing for magazines and newspapers around the world. He eventually entered corporate communications and, while at Hannaford, has brought his career full circle as the company's head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He continues to be a published travel writer, but enjoys spending most of his time with his dogs and husband in Lewiston and Southport.

Jen has been in the Human Resources industry for 18 years, the past five being the HR Director at The Holy Donut. As a non-traditional student, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Husson University and received a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Management from Colorado State University. Jen prides herself on being the Human Resources professional that builds meaningful relationships with all levels of the organization; she’s not HR that only shows up when something is wrong. By getting out of the office and listening, she’s able to coach daily interactions and guide strategic initiatives in a meaningful manner. Employees and leaders can chat freely about what’s on their mind: wins can be celebrated & shared; opportunities can be supported; pain points can be eliminated. Outside of work, Jen loves to be in nature. She’s an avid runner, hiker, biker, triathlete, and fitness enthusiast.

Lisa Madore, SHRM-CP, PHR, MBA has been in human resources management and leadership roles in a variety of industries for twenty years. Lisa offers a wealth of knowledge in multiple areas of human resources. Lisa is an active member of prominent human resources organizations on national, state, and local levels. A current and active member in the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), Lisa has also served on the Maine State SHRM council and is a past board member and past president for her local human resources association. Lisa also has served on the Board of Directors for multiple nonprofits in her community (please refer to the list below) and has been a guest lecturer at the local business college for graduate classes in human resources. Lisa also volunteers her time mentoring individuals new to human resources as well as women in business growing their careers.

My name is Kimberly Morrison, and I am an individual in recovery from Substance Use Disorder with a history of justice involvement. After pleading out to a total of 9 felonies in 2019, I entered the Penobscot County Adult Treatment Court. After the beginning stages of treatment court, I entered training for Substance Abuse Counseling and started working for Eastern Maine Development Corporation as a Peer Connector with their Opioid Grant. I was then promoted to a Workforce Development Specialist, completed the Treatment Court program, and graduated college. I am now the Chair of the Penobscot County Jail Board of Visitors, Chair of the Bangor Area Recovery Community Coalition, and a board member at the Bangor Area Recovery Network. I am passionate about individuals with a history of justice involvement and/or Substance Use Disorder gaining meaningful employment and work diligently to help individuals do so.

David Pease is SVP - Director of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion at Bangor Savings Bank. His HR career spans 38+ years in business, healthcare, academia and corporate America. He has a Master’s degree in HR Management from Lesley University and a BS in Political Science/Communication from the University of Southern Maine. David earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Senior Certified Professional (SCP-SHRM) Certified Diversity Profession (CDP) national designations. David is the former State Director of Maine SHRM and has received the Maine HR Leader of the Year, Kenneth Curtis Leadership Award from MFG for his state-wide leadership contributions and selected the Unsung Hero of the Year by PROPEL for creating a safe and inclusive work culture. David is on numerous boards to advance Workforce development, Education and Equity. He is a frequent speaker at state and national conferences. David serves as mentor and coach to numerous professionals in all stages of their careers.

12 years' experience working for MDOC-current role is Deputy Warden at the Maine State Prison. Previous- Director of Evidence Based Programs. Years experience in case management and system reform.

Joe stepped into his role as manager of the Center for Workforce Development for MaineHealth in spring of 2023. In this role he works to create and maintain programs, relationships and partnerships across the region, preparing the workforce for a variety of clinical and non-clinical careers within MaineHealth. Prior to this role, Joe worked with the Talent Acquisition Team where he was responsible for both recruitment as well as outreach to partners to grow the pipeline of talent into MaineHealth. Previously, Joe has held director positions at multiple non-profits, working to create programs that build leadership skills alongside other community development initiatives. Throughout his career, Joe has been a strong advocate for others, and continues to work to create opportunities for growth.

Melinda Corey is Help Me Grow Maine’s Outreach Specialist. She is responsible for making connections with community partners, building a network of resources, and general community education on the importance of promoting developmental surveillance, screening, and the Help Me Grow model in Maine. Melinda is a certified early childhood special education teacher and educational consultant, as well an Ages and Stages Questionnaire™ trainer. She provides information specialist and training support for several other organizations, including Maine Roads to Quality and Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine. Additionally, Melinda has lived experience as a therapeutic foster parent. She resides in Albion with her husband, son, and two feisty cats, and enjoys camping in their vintage pop-up and reading in her free time.

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Hannah is a Senior Workforce Development Specialist at Educate Maine. She works with employers, education providers, and community-based organizations to create, implement, and spread information about, registered apprenticeship and certified pre-apprenticeship programs as a workforce development strategy and alternative career pathway. She is passionate about connecting youth with resources and opportunities that lead to personally and professionally fulfilling careers here in Maine. Prior to her current role, Hannah worked for the nonprofits The Island Institute and Downeast Institute on public engagement, environmental education, and community development projects. She earned her B.A. in Environmental Science from Wheaton College and is a proud Mainer.

I am a experienced store manager for Walgreens in Central Maine. I have been employed with Walgreens since 2018 when they had acquired several Rite Aid locations in the Northeast. I had been employed with them beginning 1994. With a passion for networking and engagement I have been successful with onboarding and retention of employees and delivering training opportunities for individuals with workforce entry. I enjoy watching the success of individuals gain skills, inclusion opportunities, and develop career goals.

With over 20-years of facilitation, training and coaching work, Mattox has been significantly involved in the evolution of the restorative justice landscape in the state of Maine since 2011. To everything, she brings a trauma-informed, strengths-based focus and an enduring dedication to asking 'what's possible' in terms of individual and collective well-being, safety, healing, and community development. These days, she is launching her own practice; check it out at widercircles.org.

I am the Extended Learning Opportunities Coordinator at Brewer High School.

I am a Dedicated Human Resource professional with a passion for fostering a positive workplace environment and supporting employee development. Enthusiastic team player with exceptional leadership skills, a strong work ethic, and advanced problem-solving skills. A result driven Human Resource professional. I have played a key role in building high-performing teams. I am known for being very passionate and involved in helping others. In my free time, I enjoy gardening, cooking, and spending time with my dogs.

Abbie leads Portland Adult Education’s team of educators and administrators. She holds a doctorate in Japanese and Korean language and culture from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a committed leader with international experience in nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Abbie was born and raised in Japan. Prior to joining PAE, she served as Board chair and then as executive director of MANA - Maine Association for New Americans. Prior to that, she ran her own consulting firm, One TransLiteracy, focused on issues of cross-cultural fluency and cross-linguistic excellence. She also taught Japanese language, culture, and literature at the university level. She has held faculty positions at Centre College; the University of California, Berkeley; Hamilton College; and Sarah Lawrence College. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Barnard College. Outside of work, Abbie enjoys singing, cat watching with her family, woodblock printing, and drawing.