Meet the members of the Career & Employment Hub’s Employer Advisory Board!

The Employer Advisory Board brings employer partners together to meet the workforce development needs of the University of Southern Maine by aligning the Career & Employment Hub with current and future talent acquisition practices and providing an employer perspective on career development programming and activities.

Chris Cameron

Vice President, Communications & Fan Experience at the Portland Sea Dogs

Chris is a veteran of 27 seasons with the Portland Sea Dogs organization. Among his many duties with the Sea Dogs Chris oversees the Sea Dogs’ highly successful internship program and is responsible for the teams’ public relations and marketing efforts. In 2005, he was named the Public Relations Director of the Year for all Minor League Sports by MinorLeagueNews.com. Cameron graduated from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Sport Management.

Shane Chandler

Early Career Talent Advisor at Unum

As an Early Career Talent Advisor, Shane leads the recruitment efforts for Unum’s Summer & Scholar Intern Programs. In addition to managing internal early talent initiatives, he also oversees external recruiting efforts across Maine, representing the company at career fairs, campus events, and industry networking opportunities.

After graduating from Southern New Hampshire University with a degree in Human Services, Shane began his professional career serving with AmeriCorps as a VISTA, where he drove new initiatives for Campus Compact for New Hampshire (now Education Alliance for New Hampshire). Since transitioning into recruiting, Shane has spent over four years helping individuals navigate through the early, mid, and late stages of their careers in multiple industries.

Based in Portland, Maine, Shane enjoys exploring the state’s scenic trails with his fiancé and Labrador Retriever, Neely. He is also a devoted Bruins fan and a frequent explorer of Portland’s vibrant culinary scene.

Jen Hughes

Director, People & Culture at Systems Engineering

Jen is passionate about creating dynamic opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential in the workplace and believes that organizations should be places where people can bring their whole selves to work. Jen joined Systems Engineering in 2020 and oversees all aspects of people, culture, and human resources. Jen brings a decade of experience in people leadership, organizational development, employee engagement, and workplace culture initiatives, including learning & training, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), community impact, and workforce development. Born and raised in Maine, she is a graduate of Western Colorado University and lives in Freeport. She enjoys the great outdoors and the Maine quality of life, cooking new recipes, paddling her canoe, and enjoying a great cup of coffee and a good book.

Melissa McManus

Director at MaineHealth’s Workforce Development Department.

As the Director, Melissa collaborates closely with the MaineHealth Workforce Development team and a wide network of internal and external partners to advance MaineHealth’s vision of “working together so our communities are the healthiest in America.” Since joining MaineHealth in 2016, Melissa has held several key leadership roles, including Director of Talent Acquisition, Director of People Strategy, and Human Resources Director for the MaineHealth Medical Group.

Melissa is deeply passionate about mission-driven work and thrives on building meaningful connections that lead to equitable, people-centered solutions. She finds great joy in helping others grow and succeed, and is energized by opportunities to support individuals and teams in reaching their full potential. Her work is grounded in collaboration, compassion, and a steadfast commitment to making a positive impact in the lives of others.

David Pease

Senior Vice President, Director of Talent, Diversity & Inclusion at Bangor Savings Bank

David Pease is Senior Vice President – 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 Certified Diversity Professional (CDP), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the Senior Certified Professional (SCP-SHRM) national designations. David is the former State Director of Maine SHRM and received the distinguished Maine HR Leader of the Year award. He has recently received the Kenneth Curtis Leadership Award from Maine Development Foundation for his state-wide leadership contributions selected Unsung Hero of the Year by PROPEL for creating a safe and inclusive work culture for people. David served 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 career.

Allie Platts

DEI Program Consultant & Sr. Talent Partner at L.L.Bean

Allie Platts is a DEI Program Consultant and Sr. Talent Partner at L.L.Bean, where she manages HR Programs, including L.L.Bean’s Summer Internship Program and Mentor Program. She also recruits for roles in L.L.Bean’s Marketing and Creative departments. Allie has a B.A. from Wheaton College (MA) in Sociology and Religion and received her M.S. in Adult and Higher and Higher Education from the University of Southern Maine in 2018. Prior to her time at L.L.Bean, Allie worked as a Sr. Early Career Talent Consultant at Unum, and held various roles at the University of Southern Maine, including Internship Coordinator, Career Advisor, and Student Employment Specialist. Allie is passionate about helping students and folks early in their careers build meaningful experiences and explore potential career paths.

Matt Rothman

Manager of Early Talent Development at Hannaford Supermarket

Matt Rothman ’06, business administration, leads Hannaford’s Early Talent Development and is responsible for continuously improving Hannafords early talent programs to ensure a pipeline of future leaders. Matt went through Hannaford’s premier Retail Management Training (RMT) program and managed stores in southern Maine before moving to the home office leading communication and technology teams. Matt now leads the leadership development programs, internships, and college partnerships. When Matt is not recruiting or facilitating development for his interns and trainees, he is helping associates across the organization find their purpose and thrive.

Alexandra Suckow

Talent Acquisition Partner at Martin’s Point Health Care

As a Talent Acquisition Partner at Martin’s Point Health Care, Alexandra specializes in recruiting top talent for clinical support and delivery system roles. With a focus on building strong relationships internally and externally, she seeks to understand and find the proper talent for the unique needs of each team. Alexandra helps connect skilled professionals with opportunities that support Martin Point’s mission of providing high-quality, compassionate care.

Tracy Thibodeaux

Director of Human Resources at Dead River Company

Tracy Thibodeaux is the Director of Human Resources at Dead River Company based in South Portland, Maine. Before joining Dead River Company in 2016, Tracy was on the HR Leadership team at TD Bank, Americas Most Convenient Bank, holding numerous positions in HR during her 14 years there. She started her career in Human Resources just out of college working in Staffing and Recruiting and held various roles from Staffing Specialist to HR Manager during her 8 years at BONNEY Staffing Centers. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine and credits her time there for steering her toward the dynamic and rewarding field of Human Resources.

Melissa Martens Yaverbaum

Executive Director of Portland Ballet

Melissa Martens Yaverbaum is the Executive Director of Portland Ballet, located just a few blocks from the USM campus in Portland. With three decades of national experience from the world of museums and libraries, Melissa brings to Maine a track record in strategic visioning, community partnerships, coalition building, and a passion for the arts and humanities. Previously she led the Council of American Jewish Museums for a decade, and has also worked with the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Newberry Library, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Field Museum. She has special fluency in issues regarding community arts and the importance of history and storytelling in creating healthy communities and a stronger society.

Internship Program Applications

Learn about internship programs offered by Employer Advisory Board members and the time lines for applying!

Employer Advisory Board

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