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.
Joe Baty
Workforce Development Manager at MaineHealth
Joe joined the Center for Workforce Development at MaineHealth in spring of 2023. In this role, he works to create and maintain programs, relationships and partnerships across the region, in order to prepare 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.
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.
Ed de Oliveira
Associate Director, Talent Acquisition at IDEXX
Ed de Oliveira is an Associate Director, Talent Acquisition at IDEXX Laboratories. He brings over 20 years of experience in a variety of industries including: Veterinary, Medical, Technology among others. In his current capacity Ed leads a team of 25 recruiters who work across North America and Europe to fill over 1600 positions annually. Ed has participated in numerous national and international conferences where he has delivered sessions about job searching techniques, interviewing and maximizing individual and corporate talent acquisitions effectiveness. Ed holds a BS in International Business from Hofstra University and MBA from the University of Southern Maine.
Michelle Hale
Director, Talent Acquisition at Martin’s Point Health Care
Michelle Hale, the Director of Talent Acquisition for Martin’s Point Health Care, is a dedicated professional with a deep-rooted connection to the Northeast. Born and raised in the picturesque state of Maine, she now resides in the vibrant community of New London, New Hampshire.
With over a decade of invaluable experience in human resources and talent acquisition, Michelle has honed her expertise through notable roles at The University of Maine System and Dartmouth College. Prior to transitioning to human resources, she spent over 10 years in nonprofit management, where she developed programs and supported community initiatives. Michelle’s ability to attract and retain top talent has played a vital role in the success of Martin’s Point Health Care’s talent acquisition initiatives.
Marcy Hernandez
Senior Software Engineering Manager at Tyler Technologies
Marcy Hernandez graduated from the University of Maine in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a concentration in Management of Information Systems. She started at Tyler Technologies shortly after graduation as a software engineer. Marcy has worked on various development teams during her tenure at Tyler, helping to build and grow their ERP software applications. She now serves as a Senior Software Engineering Manager, overseeing a few different civic related software applications. She has interviewed and hired several USM graduates over the past few years and is excited to help USM students find jobs in Maine.
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.
Stephanie Johnson
Sr. Early Career Talent Consultant at Unum
As an Early Careers Talent Consultant, Stephanie Johnson manages the recruitment process for Unum’s Leadership Development Programs. As a founding member of Unum’s Early Careers Team, Stephanie is passionate about engaging with students and recent graduates and helping them to connect the dots to meaningful and exciting career opportunities. Prior to working with the Professional Development Program, Stephanie led the recruiting efforts for Unum’s Summer & Scholar Intern Programs for Unum US and began her recruiting career with Unum’s sales organization in 2018. Since joining the company in 2012, Stephanie has also held roles outside of talent acquisition, in both claims and sales.
Stephanie graduated with a double major in International Studies & Peace Studies from Manhattan College in Riverdale, NY. After graduation, she moved to Cape Town, South Africa where she volunteered with Monkeybiz, an economic upliftment project dedicated to reviving the traditional craft of African Beadwork and empowering women to become financially independent. Stephanie is passionate about her family and greater community, traveling, and art. Outside of work, you can find her spending time with her two children (Lukas and Gemma) and spouse (Ben).
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.
Vanessa Snyder
Sr HR Generalist at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works
Vanessa Snyder began her career with General Dynamics Bath Iron Works nine years ago in an entry-level administrative support position. After about a year, she took advantage of BIW’s Tuition Reimbursement Program to finish her degree. This was her introduction into the opportunities presented by a personal development program and led her to want to help others reach their goals as well. Over the next few years, she helped recruit and develop employees for various roles. In her current role in Human Resources, she manages BIW’s Internship and Professional Development programs and leads the company’s University Relations. “It has been very rewarding for me to see interns and those in their early careers flourish and find their passion,” she says. “I look forward to continue to working with the University of Southern Maine faculty and students!”
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.