Officers
Steve deCastro is the CEO of Maine Community Bank, a nearly $3-billion-dollar mutual savings bank headquartered in Portland, Maine. Prior to joining the bank in 2016, Steve led Key Bank’s Wealth Management group for New England, with $1.3 billion under management. He has over 24 years of banking experience in the greater Portland market. Active in the greater Portland community, deCastro is a board member of Educate Maine, Martins Point, Alfond Scholarship Foundation and Chair of the USM Foundation board. He is past Chair of the United Way of Greater Portland Campaign and is a member of the Maine Bankers Association. Steve attended Colby College and received his Master of Business Administration from Boston University.
As a former vice president and company spokesperson for a publicly traded financial institution, Linda Varrell has more than 25 years of experience in communications, public relations, crisis handling, and project and sales management. In 2007, she founded Broadreach Public Relations, LLC, an award-winning, women-owned strategic communications firm based in Portland, Maine. She is nationally accredited in public relations (APR), holds a master’s degree in organizational leadership, and is regularly tapped to speak at C-level events and industry-specific conferences. Linda serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including Maine Press Association, Institute for Family-owned Business, LifeFlight of Maine Foundation; and she is the past president of the Maine PR Council and past chair of USM Corporate Partners. She served as adjunct faculty at both USM and Thomas College. Linda launched WordLab®, LLC in 2018, a nationally recognized Department of Labor apprenticeship program providing public relations, marketing, and public affairs training to young professionals while serving the communications needs of small businesses and nonprofits.
Todd Chamberlain, Director, IT Staffing at ProSearch, has been in the recruiting industry since 2003. He graduated from the University of Maine Farmington and is Founder and Past President of B.A.S.S.A (Beaver Alum Supporting Student Athletes) a Non-Profit formed to provide scholarships for UMF student athletes and financial support to Athletic Programs. Todd also served as past chair of USM Corporate Partners, is on the USM Foundation Board and is also the founder of the IT Contractor Networking Group of Maine. Todd lives in Cumberland with his wife, two young sons and their dogs Josie and Dozer. Todd joined the USM Foundation Board in 2015.
Steve Irish served as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of Enterprise Bank and Managing Director of Enterprise Wealth Management, until his retirement in 2024. Steve joined Enterprise in 1988 as one of the Bank’s first employees. Following military service with the U.S. Navy, Steve worked for the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency-U.S. Treasury as a national bank examiner, followed by positions in consulting and information services at Arthur Andersen & Co., Briercroft Savings Association, BKW Systems, Inc. and First Bank. Steve previously was a member of the adjunct faculty of the Operations and Information Systems Management Department of the Manning School of Business at UMASS-Lowell. Originally from Rumford, Maine, Steve received his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Southern Maine, his M.S. in Management Information from the University of Arizona and was a fall 2010 participant in Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. In addition to his current role on the USM Foundation Board of Directors, Steve previously served on the boards of Groton Hill Music (f/k/a Indian Hill Music), the Merrimack Repertory Theatre, and The Lowell Humane Society. He is also active on multiple condo boards. Following his retirement, Steve and his wife Suzanne have re-established permanent residency in Portland, Maine.
Director Emeritus
Along with his daughter, Reid Crewe, Dan leads the Crewe Foundation, an organization committed to supporting Maine’s youth, the arts, and LGBTQ initiatives. A passionate humanitarian and philanthropist, Dan is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and former Captain in the U.S. Air Force. He spent many years in the music business in partnership with his late brother, Bob Crewe, a well-known songwriter and record producer, who wrote many songs for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Dan has been involved in a number of community organizations including the Equity Institute of Maine, the Susan Curtis Foundation, and the Breakwater School. In honor of his daughter, Jessie Bullens-Crewe, who passed away from complications due to fourth-stage Hodgkin’s disease, Crewe created the Jessie B-C Fund to support the Maine Children’s Cancer Program and the Jessie Bullens-Crewe Nature Preserve in Cumberland. In addition to serving for nearly 12 years on the MECA Board of Trustees, Immediate Past Chair of the USM Foundation, and Trustee of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Dan’s leadership in the arts, education, and human rights have had an enormous impact on the lives of countless Mainers.
Elected Directors
Ken is a Portfolio Manager and Partner at HeadInvest. He has more than twenty years of experience in investment management and research. Mr. Blaschke was formerly a director in the institutional equity business at Deutsche Bank and began his career at Morgan Stanley in San Francisco. He was named an “all-star” by the Wall Street Journal and has been quoted in the Financial Times, New York Times and BusinessWeek. He holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley and did post graduate studies through Yale in Hong Kong. He currently serves as a trustee on the boards of the Portland Museum Art and Portland Symphony Orchestra. He also enjoys skiing and tennis.
Kelly Brewer is the CEO of Fortify Companies and Insurcomm Restoration Group, where she brings her proven expertise in scaling high growth, multi location companies, and leading diverse service operations. At Insurcomm, she is focused on expanding the company’s footprint, driving operational excellence, and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration across its growing network. With the backing of Summit Partners, Kelly and her team are scaling Insurcomm into an industry leader in the restoration and reconstruction sector, overseeing both the strategic vision and growth across multiple locations.
Prior to her role at Insurcomm, Kelly served as Senior Vice President of Network Strategy and Technology at Crown Castle, a recent Fortune 500 company and a leader in telecommunications infrastructure. In this capacity, she led the network technology platform and organizations which included network engineering, sales engineering, innovation, product management, and external affairs focusing on optimizing deployment methods and building scalable systems for national operations.
Kelly’s career also includes serving as Chief Operating Officer at Tilson, a nationwide telecommunications services firm. During her tenure, she guided Tilson through significant and sustained growth, propelling the company onto the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies for 11 consecutive years. Kelly also played a key role in launching Tilson Infrastructure, an innovative telecommunications asset owner and developer.
Kelly holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine, where she serves on the Foundation Board, and an MBA from Mississippi State University. She also serves on the boards of Landry/French Construction and MH Williams Construction (a Landry/French company).
Gena Canning is a civic leader and seasoned business executive with deep roots in Maine’s business community.
She is a partner at Pine State Trading Co., a third-generation, family-owned beverage distribution company founded by her grandfather in 1941. Today, alongside her brother Keith Canning and cousin Nick Alberding, Gena helps lead Pine State as one of New England’s premier beverage distributors.
Gena also serves as Chair of the Board at Bangor Savings Bank, where she has been a director since 2003. Her leadership reflects a long-standing commitment to community development and economic growth across Maine.
A dedicated philanthropist, Gena co-chaired the capital campaign for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kennebec Valley and continues to serve on its Board of Directors. An advocate for small businesses and innovation, Gena is active in Maine’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. In 2024, she received an honorary doctorate from Thomas College in recognition of her leadership and impact.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from American University and is an alumna of Hebron Academy. Gena lives in Portland, Maine, and is deeply involved with her family.
Robert recently retired from his role as Vice President, Research and Development, and Chief Scientific Advisor at IDEXX. While in this role, Bob led R&D scientists and engineers in development of veterinary in vitro diagnostic products for animal health. Prior to joining IDEXX, Bob held senior R&D management positions in the human healthcare field at lnteg, Inc. in St. Paul, Minnesota, and at Abbott Laboratories, in North Chicago, Illinois. Bob holds a B.A. in Biology from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville and a Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Texas at Austin. Bob is currently President of the Associates of the Osher Map Library, which supports and promotes the interests and growth of the Osher Map Library and the Smith Center for Cartographic Education at USM.
Dajuan Eubanks is the President of the Maine Celtics, an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League and owned by the Boston Celtics. He has been with the Red Claws since their inception in 2009, previously working as the Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and the Executive Vice President. Before joining the team, Dajuan worked in the experiential marketing industry for over 13 years with several leading agencies. His roles included project management, client services, business development, and sales, working with a variety of Fortune 100 clients across the country. He is a former NCAA Division I player and Harlem Globetrotter, as well as the co-founder of Blue Wave Basketball, a Maine youth development program. Eubanks co- founded Blue Wave youth basketball, which teaches character, teamwork, and other skills that can be applied throughout life, not just on the court. He currently serves on the boards of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, and the USM Foundation. He is a member of the USM Promise Scholarship Campaign Leadership Committee and was the keynote speaker for the Fall 2019 welcome event for the first two cohorts of USM Promise Scholars.
Eileen Fongemie, CPA, CPCU, WCP®, joined MEMIC in 2007 after 5 years in public accounting with BerryDunn and 3 years with MaineGeneral Heath. Eileen has held multiple roles at MEMIC and was promoted to Senior
Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer in May 2022.
Eileen is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and has earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Workers’ Compensation Professional (WCP®) designations. She graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a bachelor’s degree in English and has attended the Executive Program in Corporate Strategy at the University of Chicago and Introduction to Analytics at the Northeastern University Roux Institute.
Eileen currently serves on the MEMIC Retirement Advisory Committee, the Connecticut Insurance Guarantee Fund Board of Directors, and the Massachusetts Insurers Insolvency Fund Board of Directors as well as the Audit Committees of Guaranty Fund Management Services, the Vermont Property & Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association, the District of Columbia Insurance Guaranty Association, and the New Hampshire Guaranty Association. She is the former Chair and member of the Finance and Investment Committee of the American Association of State Compensation Insurance Funds (AASCIF).
Eileen is a graduate of the Maine Development Foundation, Leadership Maine, Baskahegan Class, and, since 2019, has been a board member and is current Treasurer for ProsperityME.
Outside of work and community involvement, Eileen resides in southern Maine with her husband and two teenagers.
Mo is a Product Quality Manager for Apple, where he has worked since 2012. He works on the Macbook product line, and—when not in a global pandemic—typically travels to China about 120 days of the year. He previously worked as a Product Quality Engineer for Texas Instruments, and a Product Engineer/Project Manager for National Semiconductor. Mo is originally from Morocco and attended boarding school in Tangiers before studying at USM. Mo lives in California, and also owns two duplexes in Portland. He returns to Maine several times per year, and plans to return more permanently at some point in the future. Mo’s sister also graduated from USM, and now works for Pfizer in Boston on the coronavirus vaccine. Mo’s younger brother is a current USM student.
Daniel Kleban co-founded Maine Beer Company in 2009 with his brother, David. The brothers were determined to create a company purposed with doing good through great beer. As a leader in social and environmental giving, Maine Beer Company’s motto “Do what’s right” is at the forefront of every decision. Since its founding, Maine Beer Company has been a partner of 1% for the Planet and donates 1% of its gross annual sales to environmental nonprofits. Maine Beer Company demonstrates that the bottom line and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive ideals–they can be, and have proven to be, self-reinforcing. Daniel has a B.A. in Political Science from USM and a J.D. from Boston College. In addition to serving on the board of the University of Southern Maine Foundation, Daniel serves on The Maine Climate Council as Small Business Representative and is Past Chair of the Brewers Association.
Michael Marocco, ‘81 is a managing director at Sandler Capital Management, a Registered Investment Advisor. Prior to joining Sandler Capital in 1989, Mike was a vice president at Morgan Stanley & Co. He has over 30 years of experience investing in media, entertainment, telecommunications and technology companies. In addition, he has been on the Board of Trustees of St. David’s School in New York City as Treasurer since 2005. Mike holds an M.B.A. in Finance from New York University and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Southern Maine.
Becky McKinnell founded her award-winning digital agency iBec Creative the day after graduating from the University of Southern Maine in 2006. Becky has since been recognized as one of Businessweek’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs 25 and Under, was named U.S. Small Business Administration Young Entrepreneur of the Year, and received the Stevie Women in Business Award, among numerous industry recognitions for her company’s work. In addition to iBec, Becky is a founding partner of ikno intranet, a social intranet software designed for companies between 50 and 500 employees that need an easy and intuitive way to communicate online. And most recently, Becky launched a necklace and handbag line inspired by salt air, Wildwood Oyster Co.
Dean Murray ’87 graduated from USM with a BS in Business Administration, and then obtained his JD from Massachusetts School of Law. He currently serves as Chief Claims Officer for RiverStone International Insurance, Inc., an industry-leading acquirer and reinsurer of legacy and discontinued insurance business.
Previously, Dean served as Chief Compliance Officer & Vice President Regulatory, Workers’ Compensation & Personal Lines Claims at GE . Prior to that, he was vice president and COO of MMS Group and Corporate Manager, Workforce Diversity at Raytheon Company .
A resident of Portland, Casey’s entrepreneurial spirit and creative approach are an effective combination in identifying and managing successful real estate projects and business ventures. Following his graduation from Middlebury College, Casey founded the Prentice Organization, a privately held real estate development and hospitality management company. In the subsequent years Casey has grown what humbly began as a small family operation to one with multiple, diverse operating businesses and various real estate holdings, earning him the 2014 Maine Family Business Award for first generation family businesses. Casey continues to lead the company’s operations and growth, seeking transformational opportunities centered on adaptive reuse and urban infill developments and infusing them with a “cultural sustainability” mindset that looks at balancing community, customers, and business interests. Casey is involved with numerous civic and professional organizations and is a founding board member of the Portland Parks Conservancy.
John Ryan is Chair of the Board of Directors of Wright-Ryan Construction, a firm he co-founded in Portland in 1984. Known for the diversity of its work spanning some of Maine’s largest institutions to small businesses and single-family homes, Wright-Ryan has grown into one of the most respected construction firms in northern New England. The Company takes particular pride in the work it has done in service of dozens of nonprofit institutions.
John has actively supported a number of community organizations, including serving as Board Chair at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine, Board Treasurer for Greater Portland Landmarks, and as an advisory board member for The Opportunity Alliance. He has worked on affordable housing issues for many years at the state and local levels, including serving on the board of Community Housing of Maine and as a member of the City of Portland Task Force to Develop a Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. At USM, John Ryan has been a key supporter of the Promise Scholarship program.
Lois recently retired as President at Mid Coast–Parkview Health and Mid Coast Hospital, where she worked in a number of capacities for several decades—serving as Vice-President of Nursing and Patient Care Services beginning in 1995 and prior to this current role, Executive Vice-President of Mid Coast Health Services. Lois’ distinguished clinical and leadership career in health care started with receiving her nursing degree from Northeastern University in 1979 and her MS in Nursing Administration and Adult Health from USM in 1991. Lois says, “Northeastern made me an excellent nurse. USM made me a leader.” Her testimonial was prominently featured in advertising related to the 2018 workforce bond initiative campaign led by the USM Foundation. Lois and her husband Jim live in Brunswick.
Dr. Ian Slaymaker ’07 is a life science consultant and entrepreneur. Formerly, he led Molecular Technologies at Aera Therapeutics in Boston and prior to that was head of Synthetic Biology for Beam Therapeutics. He was a Postdoctoral Fellow and Simons Center Fellow at MIT and the Broad Institute with Dr. Feng Zhang, where he studied and engineered CRISPR genome editing tools and applied them towards understanding the neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder. Ian, who grew up in Hope, Maine, has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Southern Maine and a PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Southern California. While at USM, he was on the wrestling and outdoor track teams, and worked in various biology labs around USM, including Dr. David Champlain’s lab, and was a John Ricci Fellow at the Scripps Research Institute with Dr. Raymond C. Stevens ’86, ’14H.
Dr. Ray Stevens is a biomedical researcher, professor, serial entrepreneur, ultramarathon runner and mountaineer. Ray founded two international research institutes: Bridge Institute at USC focused on integrating life science big data with cinematic arts and the iHuman Institute at ShanghaiTech in Shanghai, China focused on imaging the human body at atomic resolution. He served in the Army, and while there enrolled at USM in computer science program in 1981. He completed his BA in Chemistry at USM in 1986. He earned a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the USC in 1988, then conducted his postdoctoral research fellowship in structural biology at the National Institute of Health at Harvard University before joining the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley. Ray has also started five biotech companies: Syrrx, MemRx, Receptos, RuiYi, ShouTi and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Danaher Corporation. Ray credits Dr. John Ricci of USM with his motivation, success and stellar career, and in 2006, established The Professor Emeritus John Ricci Undergraduate Fellowship between The Stevens Laboratory and USM. The Fellowship honors Dr. Ricci and provides a unique experience for USM undergrad chemistry and biology students to study at an eminent biomedical research institution, providing inspiration for pursuing science careers. In 2018, Ray and his wife Vivian donated funds to renovate the Science building lecture hall now called “The John Ricci Lecture Hall”. Ray is continuing his pursuit of Mt Everest and dreams Portland, Maine will become a major innovative center for novel drug discovery. He and his wife Vivian have three children.
Ex Officio Directors
Corey Hascall ’99, a USM alumna and proud native of Maine, became interim President & CEO of the USM Foundation in 2024, after serving five years as Vice President. Since joining the Foundation in 2017, her role has expanded to include leading the Foundation’s senior team, and overseeing the organization’s operations, budget, development, communications and engagement programs. With over two decades of experience in political strategy, fundraising, and issues management, Corey has directed state and federal campaigns, overseeing paid and earned media, policy development, communications, and field operations, while raising multi-million-dollar budgets. She has worked alongside national organizations like EMILY’s List, the DCCC, and J Street. In the private sector, Corey spent eight years leading community relations, crisis communications, and reputation management for clients nationwide. She earned her mediation and alternative dispute resolution certification from USM in 2012. Her community involvement includes board service with The Ecology School, the Nash Foundation, the Maine Women’s Lobby, and the Maine AIDS Alliance. As former board president of The Ecology School, she co-chaired its first capital campaign and now serves as emeritus board member. Corey lives in Falmouth, Maine with her husband John, their two dogs, and two cats. They have two adult sons, Max and Oscar.
Jacqueline Edmondson is an educator who is committed to Thomas Jefferson’s tenet that an educated and engaged citizenry is necessary for a democracy. Throughout her career at Penn State, she worked collaboratively with faculty, staff, and students across twenty campus locations on undergraduate and graduate curriculum, accreditation, program reviews, and new program development. She led access and affordability initiatives, programs dedicated to student success, and strategic efforts to serve communities where Penn State campuses are located. Her research has focused on rural communities, public policy, and popular culture. Dr. Edmondson has been married to Michael for 31 years, and they have two sons. Their oldest son Jacob works as a behavioral and social interventionist in Vermont, and he plans to graduate from Northern Vermont University in May with an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Their youngest son Luke is an estate attorney who lives in Philadelphia, PA, and he is pursuing an LLM focused on tax law at Temple University. In her free time, Dr. Edmondson enjoys spending time with her family. She is also an avid reader, a musician, and a runner.
Rebecca (Beckie) Conrad is a business and organizational consultant, and the former President and CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Prior to the LAC Chamber, she was the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine where she had worked since 2006. She was co-owner with her husband of Austin’s Fine Wines and Foods for 20 years, and for 3 years owned and operated Rÿsen Home Garden & Antiques, a retail gallery promoting local art and products that supported international women’s economic development. Both shops were located in downtown Auburn. Prior to Rÿsen, Conrad’s career spanned 21 years in higher education administration at Bates College, including 1999–2003 when she served as executive director of LA Excels, the college’s non-profit community development partnership in Lewiston-Auburn focused on leadership, arts, educational aspirations, and economic revitalization. She served on the Maine Arts Commission for seven years, with four as vice-chair. Volunteer board roles include chair of the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council, past chair of L/A Arts and Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice, vice chair of the Maine Association of Nonprofits and as a board member of Advocates for Children, the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce and the advisory boards of USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College and Central Maine Community College. Conrad received her BA in English from Bates College and studied in the New England Studies MFA Program at the University of Southern Maine. She lives in Auburn with her husband Austin Conrad, Jr. and her cat, Charles Mingus.
Kelly Barden is the Director of Corporate Communications at MEMIC in Portland, Maine. She is responsible for shaping and projecting the corporate image and brand identity and overall reputation for MEMIC’s many stakeholders. She has worked for the company for over 20 years as a member of the Communications Department. She graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Southern Maine and earned the American Society of Workers’ Comp Professionals (AMCOMP), Worker’s Comp Professional (WCP) designation in the spring of 2014. Kelly is a native of Southern Maine.