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.
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.
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
Ellen is a Senior Principal with SMRT Architects and Engineers. She is committed to working with clients to anticipate future state, encouraging them to innovate and position their organizations for success. Ellen is known for her collaborative leadership skills and fully engages in a change management mindset. She champions transparency and a strengths-based leadership philosophy. From 2004-2024 Ellen served as SMRT’s president, ably leading the firm during a time of tremendous expansion, advancing the mission of sustainability and positive community impact. Her focus on strategic planning and bringing forward a new generation of firm leaders has positioned the firm for both stability and growth. She is in the “giving back” chapter of her career, focused on mentoring, and talent development both in and out of the office. She is a Clifton Certified Strengths Coach and uses her relator, maximizer, strategic, adaptability and achiever talents to build stronger, more effective teams.
Ellen was named a Junior Achievement of Maine Hall of Fame Laureate in 2024. She is active in the communities she lives and works in; she serves as Co-Chair of the Maine Climate Council Buildings, Infrastructure and Housing Work Group, and sits on the boards of Maine & Company and E2Tech. Ellen earned her Master of Architecture at Columbia University and her undergraduate degree at Cornell University. She lives in Portland’s Deering Center and enjoys exploring near and far.
Ken is a Portfolio Manager and member of the Investment Committee 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.
Eileen Fongemie is an experienced finance professional with over 25 years of experience. Eileen 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 is a graduate 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 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. Eileen 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, LeadershipMaine, 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.
Margaret “Peg” Griswold-White is a longtime Maine entrepreneur, educator, and civic leader with deep ties to the University of Southern Maine and the greater Portland community. Peg attended USM as an education major and began her professional career in education, later founding a Gifted & Talented School that reflected her lifelong commitment to innovative learning and student development. She has also served on the boards of North Yarmouth Academy and Breakwater School, demonstrating sustained engagement in independent and community-based education leadership.
Over the course of her career, Peg became widely recognized for her work in real estate and community development throughout Maine and New Hampshire. She was involved in numerous development initiatives, including the transformative Thompson’s Point redevelopment project in Portland, as well as hotel and health campus development efforts across the region. Through both her educational and business leadership, she has cultivated strong relationships across Maine’s philanthropic, business, and civic sectors. Peg is also deeply family- oriented and is the mother of three children and grandmother to five grandchildren, including one who is a freshman at USM.
Daniel Kleban is the co-founder of Maine Beer Company in Freeport, ME. While working at a law firm in Portland, Daniel started homebrewing with a coworker and later his brother David. They practiced a single recipe over and over until they felt it was perfect, and devised a business plan to take this passion to the next level. Daniel and his brother, David, founded Maine Beer Company in 2009. At that time, Maine Beer Company was one of the nation’s first “nano breweries,” producing beer on a 40-gallon system. Today, MBC employs over 75 people, produces nearly 25,000 barrels per year, and distributes its beer to 29 states and the District of Columbia. Much of this success is due to the brothers’ philosophy: do what’s right. In addition to making the best beer possible, MBC is focused on environmental stewardship, community engagement, and promoting a corporate culture focused on the well-being of its employees. 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 currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Brewers Association and as the small business representative for the Maine Climate Council. He was a past President of the Maine Brewers Guild and has also served on the boards for Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment, and Friends of Katahdin Woods and Waters.
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.
Max co-founded Keeper Bay’s veterinary real estate platform, bridging the gap between private equity consolidation in animal healthcare and the practitioners who built the industry. He focuses on partner outreach, underwriting, and fundraising, having sourced over $100 million in senior debt and $50 million in equity while maintaining personal investment alongside the firm’s LPs.
Max grew up around the dinner-table conversations of a real estate family, absorbing both the promise and the pitfalls of the business by osmosis. Wanting initially to chart a different course, he spent years working in New York and abroad in consulting and M&A, advising large telecom companies and global regulators. That experience – high stakes, relationship-driven, and relentlessly client-focused – ultimately became the foundation for how he approaches real estate today.
Max has experience in LIHTC development, industrial real estate and multifamily and won the 2018 Maine Preservation Award for a multi-family historic redevelopment. Max graduated from Vassar College and received an MBA from I.E. in Madrid. He lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine with his wife and two kids.
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 .
Heather Shields is Senior Vice President and Broker at Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty and founder of the Heather Shields Maine Team, one of the highest- performing real estate teams in the state. Consistently ranked among Maine’s top real estate professionals by sales volume, she is known for her strategic marketing approach, elevated client experience, and deep expertise in Maine’s coastal and island markets.
Shields is deeply committed to advancing women in business and community leadership. She is co-founder of the Maine Women’s Project, a statewide storytelling initiative that elevates and celebrates the voices and impact of women across Maine. She serves as Co-Chair of Women Empowered within the Sotheby’s International Realty network, helping to shape national programming and community for women advisors, and currently serves on the board of the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute.
Born and raised on North Haven Island, Shields brings a lifelong connection to Maine’s communities and a strong belief in the power of authentic leadership, service, and meaningful relationships. She resides in the Greater Portland area with her husband, Lee.
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.
With twenty years of advisory experience, Brian Stornelli specializes in delivering high- impact strategic counsel and M&A execution for growth-oriented companies. Having completed more than 35 mandates across a wide array of industries, he offers a multi- disciplinary perspective on converging sectors, including technology, industrials, manufacturing, consumer products and sustainability. Brian is recognized for his ability to distill middle-market complexities into actionable opportunities and apply creative problem-solving to special situations for optimal outcomes.
Brian’s foundational experience includes positions within the Technology and Financial Institutions groups at Stifel Nicolaus and A.G. Edwards (now Wells Fargo). During this tenure, he executed a mix of M&A, private placement, and public market financing transactions. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Babson College, with dual concentrations in Finance and Economics.
Brian and his wife reside in Pownal, Maine, and spend their downtime taking full advantage of the state’s year-round outdoor pursuits from the mountains to the coast.
Ex Officio Directors
Corey Hascall ’99, a USM alumna and proud native of Maine, became President & CEO of the USM Foundation in January 2025, 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.
Prior to joining Serra Public Affairs, Ellie worked for U.S. Senator Susan Collins as her Augusta State Office Representative serving Kennebec, Lincoln, Knox and Somerset counties.
Ellie was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2010. She was elected by her peers twice to serve as the Assistant Republican Leader. In her tenure, she also served on the Inland, Fisheries and Wildlife Committee.
Ellie is the founding leader of SHE Leads, a Maine Republican Party initiative whose mission is to identify, train and support Republican women to be political leaders. Ellie is also the former Republican National Committeewoman for Maine. Ellie holds a degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine.
A mother of four, Ellie lives in Southern Maine.
Anna Marie Klein-Christie is the Executive Director at Baxter Academy. She grew up in Gambier, Ohio, the daughter of a Kenyon College professor and a community activist. After graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, her early career focused on advertising based in Chicago, Paris, and Prague. This experience gave her the foundation to successfully join the nonprofit community as a leader in donor-centric fundraising, program development, public policy, and community engagement. For nearly two decades she has worked for the well-being of youth and families to build healthy communities. She believes that the collective passion, energy, and wisdom of youth can solve apparently intractable problems and that it is incumbent on those in positions of authority to create opportunities for their success.
As the former Executive Director of Rippleffect, she led the expansion of leadership programs from Casco Bay to year-round expeditionary collaborations with Portland area schools. Through the height of the pandemic she worked as the Director of International Development/Director of the US office for Safe Passage, an expeditionary learning school based in the Guatemala City garbage dump community. After working with extraordinary colleagues in Guatemala, Germany, and the United States, she is greatly inspired to collaborate with the team at Baxter Academy to expand the STEM learning community, strengthen educational and employment opportunities for students, and engage brilliant young minds in the work of our shared future.
She loves traveling with her family to destinations near and far, playing with her labrador retriever on the beach, and sharing Czech family traditions with friends.