Erin Billings has built her career in communications, beginning as a statehouse reporter in Helena, Montana, for Lee Newspapers and later as a national political journalist in Washington, DC, for CQ-Roll Call. During her time as a reporter, Erin was regularly featured as an analyst on CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, and NPR. After journalism, Erin became a strategic communications consultant for several prominent public affairs agencies, specializing in crisis communications, media relations, and reputation enhancement for a broad range of clients such as Tyson Foods, Credit Suisse, and H&R Block.
The goddaughter of Senator Muskie and, like the late Senator, Erin attended Bates College where she majored in Political Science and French. She received her master’s degree in Journalism from the University of Montana, her parents’ alma mater. Leon and Pat Billings were dedicated public servants: Leon served as Muskie’s Senate and Secretary of State chief of staff and both Leon and Pat served in Maryland’s House of Delegates. A Washingtonian and lover of Maine who proudly boasts of her Montana ties, Erin is a strong supporter of the University of Ma
While his Maine roots are deep, Neal Allen spent his youth in upstate New York. His career of public service includes leadership positions at the municipal, regional and state levels. For eighteen years, Neal was the Executive Director of the Greater Portland Council of Governments, and the Southern Maine Economic Development District. Previous to that experience, he was the first Executive Director of Regional Waste Systems (now ecomaine) during its startup and implementation, and later, as the Executive Director of Mid-Maine Waste Action Corporation, during its transition to a municipal, Waste to Energy facility. Neal’s earlier public service positions include Assistant City Manager, and, Acting City Manager of Portland. At the state level he served as the Governor’s liaison to the National Governor’s Association, and as the Executive Director of the Maine Job Training Council.
Active in state and national election campaigns, Neal’s civic participation includes elected service on the Cumberland County Charter Review Commission, (1980-82), as a Town Meeting moderator, and, Chair of the Lake Region School Board. In more recent years Neal served on the Avesta Housing Housing Board, and the 75 State Street Board. Both experiences included stints in which he served as Chair. Neal served in the United States Coast Guard, and is a graduate of Hartwick College, and, the University of Hartford, Barney School, (MPA).
More recently, Neal authored, If You Love Someone, You Must Tell Them, a true story profiling USM alumni, Christopher and Lavinia Gelineau. A scholarship honoring their memory has been established through the USM Foundation.
William Burney was a long-time civic leader in his home town of Augusta and in state and federal education and housing programs. A graduate of Augusta’s Cony High School, he is an alumnus of Boston University and the
University of Maine School of Law. Bill’s public service career included City Councilor and Mayor of Augusta, executive director of Augusta’s Downtown ’82the program, chair of the Maine Board of Education, Maine field office director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and assistant director of the Maine Housing Authority. His professional and volunteer affiliations included the Board of Directors and Advisory Council of the National League of Cities, chair of the Maine Conference of Mayors, Board of Directors of Volunteers of America
Northern New England, Advisory Council chair of Penney Memorial United Baptist Church and the Maine Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Augusta’s Le Club Calumet named him Outstanding Citizen and he was the organizer of Kids ’n Cops on Campus. Still actively engaged in community service in retirement, he is a member of the Maine Capitol Planning Commission and the Capital Area Recreation Association in addition to his service on the Muskie School Board of Visitors.
Jane Fenderson Cabot was a longtime member of Senator Muskie’s staff, interning in his office before accepting a permanent position following her graduation from Mount Holyoke College. She was a research assistant on the candidate’s plane during Muskie’s 1968 vice-presidential campaign and a professional staff member on his Senate Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations where she specialized in federal revenue sharing. After directing scheduling and advance operations for Rosalynn Carter during Jimmy Carter’s 1976 presidential campaign, she was appointed White House Director of Scheduling for the First Lady from 1977-81. Later, as executive vice president of M Booth & Associates, a public relations firm in New York City, she represented some of the nation’s best-known philanthropies and educational institutions. She is the current president of the Maine Women’s Giving Tree, philanthropy serving women, children, and families in Midcoast Mai
Rebecca Swanson Conrad owns RSC Consulting that assists businesses and organizations seeking to align mission to outcomes, develop new projects, or scale to new market positions. Previously, she served as President and CEO of the Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce where she led the acquisition of the Lewiston Auburn Economic Growth Council. She joined the Chamber following a career in higher education administration, first at Bates College and then as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Maine College of Art. With her husband, she founded and owned two small Maine businesses. She had a gubernatorial appointment to the Maine Arts Commission as vice-chair.
She currently serves with Oxfam’s “Sisters on the Planet,” a diverse group of American women using their influence to fight global poverty, hunger, and injustice, with a particular focus on empowering women and girls worldwide. She is also chair of the University of Southern Maine’s Board of Visitors and serves on the Muskie School’s Board of Visitors and is the vice-chair of the Community Health Options board. Conrad received her BA in English from Bates College and studied in the New England Studies Program at the University of Southern Maine. She lives in Auburn, Maine with her husband Austin and cat Charles Mingus.
Peter J. Crichton began his 35 year career in public service as economic
development director in his Aroostook County home town of Mars Hill. He
was superintendent of administration for public works, then assistant city
manager for the City of Lewiston and, for eighteen years, Cumberland
County manager, rounding out his professional positions as Auburn city
manager. His leadership roles in municipal and regional government
included presidency of the National Association of County Administrators
(2013-2014) and presidency of the Maine Town, City & County
Management Association (2017), which recognized him with their Annual
Leadership Award (2003) and their Linc Stackpole Manager of the Year
Award (2020). He earned his MPA at the University of Maine and
supplemented his academic education with an internship in Senator
Muskie’s office. He is the co-chair of the Muskie School MPPM Advisory
Committee.
Larissa Crockett earned a BA in Economics from the Whittemore School at the University of New Hampshire in her hometown of Durham, NH and a master’s in policy, planning, and management from the Muskie School of Public Service. After a few years in municipal management, Larissa shifted her career towards the nonprofit sector and is currently the executive director of the Neighborhood Housing Trust, a 501c3 that builds affordable homes in southern Maine. She loves serving on the Board of Visitors and is grateful for the opportunity to support future government and nonprofit leaders in Maine.
Patrick Cunningham is CEO of Blue Marble Geographics, a Hallowell based GIS software company. He is a proud native Mainer, who grew up in Westbrook and earned his BA in Psychology at USM. After working in behavioral health Cunningham studied and received an MA in Sociology from the University of New Hampshire. Exposure to demography and statistics led him to pursue a career as an applied researcher and program manager in the software industry in Massachusetts, where, as an industry analyst, Cunningham co-developed a return on investment (ROI) software calculator to assist companies such as Microsoft, Compuware and others with their sometimes complicated B-to-B software solutions. Patrick returned to Maine in 2003 as Director of Business Development with Blue Marble and a year later became President. Under his leadership the company has grown to be a world-wide leader in GIS, mapping and cartography software.
Cunningham is married to Wendy Harper PhD, Economist with the University of Maine at Farmington, and is the proud father of twin teenage daughters Josie and Charlotte. The family enjoys skiing and hiking the 4,000 footers of New England, as well as supporting their daughters’ athletic and academic pursuits. Cunningham is out-going Chair of the Maine GIS User’s Group, a member of the Maine Geolibrary Board and a member of the Maine Innovation Economy Advisory Board. He is an amateur musician (voice, guitar, mandolin, banjo and drums) and enjoys volunteering as a youth basketball coach and a member of the Vaughn Woods trails committee. Cunningham also actively supports Capital Area New Maines Project, the Ronald McDonald House and the Good Shepard Foodbank with employee and personal volunteering efforts.
Senior Vice President, Camoin Associates
Trevey Davis is a healthcare policy and operations leader with expertise in value-based care, population health, and Alternative Payment Models. He is currently working in public service at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Innovation Center (CMMI). His career includes leadership roles at CMS, Trinity Health, and UpStream, where he served as Vice President of Government Programs. There, he led two Accountable Care Organizations under the ACO REACH Model. At Trinity Health, Trevey also managed national quality programs and supported operational excellence across hospital and provider networks. His work is grounded in a strong commitment to building a more efficient, evidence-based, and patient-centered healthcare system.
He earned his Master’s in Public Health from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine in 2016. Trevey also holds a Bachelor of Science in biology, with a minor in chemistry from Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick.
Alexa Dayton is a marine scientist, resource manager and advocate. She has been extensively involved in sustainable economics, education, and fisheries policy. She was Chief Operating Officer of Maine Center Ventures 2010-2022, where she initiated collaborative programs for the Center for Graduate and Professional Studies in its formative period. She worked with the Muskie School faculty and administration in this capacity. Now, as executive director of the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries, she is engaged in advocacy for sustainable fisheries. She served previously as a policy analyst/advocate/educator with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, where she still serves as an adjunct scientist. She holds both University of Southern Maine and University of Maine graduate degrees.
Jennifer Hutchins is the Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits, the state’s leading organization for Maine’s charitable nonprofit sector with more than 1,300 members from all 16 counties. She serves on the boards of the National Council of Nonprofits and the Maine Philanthropy Center and the advisory boards of the USM Muskie School of Public Service and the Foundation for Portland (ME) Public Schools.
Prior to joining MANP, she was Executive Director of Creative Portland, where she led the City of Portland’s efforts to strengthen the creative economy. Jennifer also served as Director of Communications and External Affairs at the USM Muskie School of Public Service for nine years and Marketing Director at Portland Stage Company from 1995-2000. After graduating from college, she worked for nonprofit and public institutions in Washington D.C. and France.
In May 2020, Jennifer was selected to serve on Governor Mills’ Economic Recovery Committee, tasked with putting forth recommendations to alleviate the impacts of the COVID 19 pandemic on the state’s economy. She holds a master’s in public policy and management from the USM Muskie School.
Executive Director, Maine Commission to Investigate the Facts of the Lewiston Tragedy
Gerard Kiladjian chairs the Muskie School Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board. He brings three decades of experience in hospitality management. Gerard has led management teams in various branded hotels, such as Hilton, Marriott, and Four Seasons, and independent hotels, like The Cliff House & The Portland Harbor Hotel in Maine.
Gerard is president of Principal Hospitality in Portland, a hotel management and consulting firm that acquired and rebranded the Federal Hotel and 555 North restaurant in Brunswick. He is an active board member, helping hospitality students gain hands-on experience by connecting industry leaders to students through internships and classroom guest speaking opportunities.
Armenian by heritage, Gerard was born and raised in the Middle East. He graduated from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Administration.
A dedicated community volunteer, he is president of the Armenian Cultural Association of Maine, a past board member of Piper Shores Retirement Community, past chair of The Greater Portland Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, and a past board member of Portland Downtown.
Adam Lee is a native of Auburn and currently lives in Cumberland with his wife Diana. He worked in New York City for five years before returning to Maine. He currently serves on the Muskie Board of Visitors and Chairs the MPBN Board. Lee served as the Chairman of the Efficiency Maine Trust, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and the Maine Conservation Voters Board as well as Maine Audubon Corporate Partners. He is a past member of the Natural Resources Council of Maine, Maine Historical Society, Maine Energy Council, Governor’s Advisory Council, Center for Cultural Exchange, and the OSHER Map Library.
Over the last 20 years, Lee has worked hard in conjunction with various environmental groups to raise fuel economy standards across the nation. He’s proud of the successful accomplishment that will raise the national standards to 54.5 MPG’s by 2025. Lee is a graduate of Vassar College and the recipient of environmental awards from the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Maine League of Conservation Voters.
Senator/Secretary of State Ed Muskie was a lifelong friend of Adam’s father, Shep and frequent overnight guest at his childhood home.
John L. Martin, of Eagle Lake has had a long career serving Maine in the legislature. He earned his B.A. in history at the University of Maine. A member of the House for thirty years, during which he was Minority leader (1971-1974) and a Speaker(1975-1992). Term-limited in the House, he was elected to the Senate (1998-2008). Term-limited in the Senate he returned to the House in 2014 and has been re-elected three times. He was president of the State Legislative Leaders Foundation (1979-1982) and chairman of the New England Caucus of State Legislatures (1982-1983). Martin was also a chairman of the Land Use Regulation Commission (1970-1972) and chairman of the Intergovernmental Relations Commission in 1969. He has served as president of the National Conference of State Legislatures (1990-1991) and was chairman of the State-Federal Assembly of NCSL in 1985-86, vice-chair of NCSL’s Budget, Fiscal and Rules Committee in 1986-87, and chair of the Task Force on Reapportionment in 1987-1988. Martin interned in Senator Muskie’s office and managed his Washington campaign office in the 1968 vice-presidential campaign. In addition to his service as a legislator, he has been a high school and university history and political science teacher.
Mary McAleney was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, but her family roots are deep in Maine. She attended high school in Maine, earned her bachelor’s degree at Merrimack College, and returned to Maine and taught high school in Maine at St. Joseph’s and Catherine McAuley High School. After eight years of teaching, she began a second career as a political and legislative staff member. She worked for Senator Muskie’s ‘76 campaign, twenty-two years after her grandfather, Guy Twombly, Democratic State Committeeman from Waldo County, helped launch Senator Muskie’s first campaign for governor. She also worked for Maine House Majority Leader Jim Tierney. She served in George Mitchell’s U.S. Senate office for ten years (1984-1994) and was his chief of staff.
From 1995 until her retirement in 2007, Mary was the district director for the U.S. Small Business Administration in Massachusetts and Maine. She has also been the executive director of the Maine Irish Heritage Center. Mary now manages her real estate business within Maine.
Charles Micoleau retired after more than four decades practicing energy and administrative law in Portland. He presently is Secretary for the Muskie School Board of Visitors. He attended Bowdoin College (1963), then earned a master’s degree in international relations at Johns Hopkins University (1965) and a law degree at George Washington University (1977). He first worked in Maine state government with anti-poverty programs in ‘Downeast Maine, then joined Senator Muskie’s staff in 1970. This was a period of Senator Muskie’s most productive legislative accomplishments, including the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and the Congressional Budget Act. He served in a variety of legislative and constituent services roles and became Senator Muskie’s chief of staff in 1975. He served in that role until 1978 when he joined the Portland law firm founded by former Governor Ken Curtis and Kermit Lipez who is now a senior judge for the First Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. His law practice included appearances before municipal, state and federal agencies and legislative bodies. He was a member of the Democratic National Committee (1984-1992). He is a past president of The Nature Conservancy of Maine, has served on loan review committees of the Maine Technology Institute, and is the past Chair of the Muskie Board of Visitors.
Peter Mills is Executive Director of the Maine Turnpike Authority. He was born in Farmington and attended Gorham high school, following which he attended Harvard and earned his bachelor’s degree (1965). After five years of U.S. Navy service he entered the University of Maine Law School and earned his J.D.(1973). He practiced law for thirty-two years, twenty-three of which were with, Wright and Mills in Skowhegan. He is a founding member of the Somerset Economic Development Corporation and a founding member of FirstPark, a business park in central Maine. Mills has also spent many years in public service, serving as a representative and senator (1995-2010). He was also a candidate for governor in 2006 and 2010). He was appointed Executive Director of the Maine Turnpike Authority in 2011.
Edmund S. (“Ned”) Muskie, Jr. is a Senior Advisor with the Washington, DC, office of Bernstein Private Wealth Management. He serves private clients throughout the US and, selectively, overseas. Prior to joining Bernstein, Ned was a managing director at both U.S. Trust and Convergent Wealth Advisors. Most of his clients are successful first generation entrepreneurs or serial entrepreneurs. He also serves family offices responsible for sustaining the multigenerational wealth, vision, and legacy of ultra-high-net-worth families. Mirroring his father’s skills, Ned assists his clients with probing questions that elucidate their unique needs, beliefs, and principles as he connects them to resources who will aid in their business or personal goals.
As the youngest son of Senator Muskie, Ned was raised with strong family values and an appreciation for public service. Ned has served on numerous boards. In addition to his service on the Board of Visitors he regularly volunteers with the Capital Area Food Bank and Children’s National Hospital.
Ned earned a BA in political science from Duke University. His career in finance has taken him to 74 countries and throughout the United States. Apart from living a decade in London, he has resided in Washington, DC, (Georgetown) most of his life. He also spends as much time as he can in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Gregory Nadeau is chairman and CEO of Infrastructure Ventures, LLC, a company forming strategic alliances and serving as a bridge for infrastructure companies and public and private transportation systems, building on his experience as a state legislator, state government and the Federal Highway Administration. Following graduation from high school in Lewiston he attended the University of Maine in August the University of Southern Maine Lewiston/Auburn College. He was elected to the Maine House of Representatives from Lewiston in 1978 and served in the legislature from 1979 to 1990. From 1995-2002 he was a policy advisor for Governor Angus King. He was appointed to the Maine Department of Transportation as the Director of the Office of Policy and Communications and continued with the agency as the Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Planning, and Communications until July 2009, when he was appointed deputy administrator of the Federal Highway Administration. In December 2013 he became acting administrator and in July 2015 he was appointed administrator of the agency. He left the Highway Administration at the end of the Obama administration and founded Infrastructure Ventures LLC.
In 2018 Carolann returned to the Maine Department of Economic & Community Development to serve as the first Director of the newly created Office of Outdoor Recreation. Her prior role at DECD was as Director of the Maine Office of Tourism from 2010-2016. A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, she has a strong background in hospitality and outdoor recreation having been the Executive Director of Maine Huts & Trails, chef/owner of an award-winning Maine restaurant, former whitewater guide/operations manager at New England Outdoor Center, and lodging manager at Sugarloaf Resort.
In 2015, she was named by Maine Magazine as one of “50 Mainers Boldly Leading Our State.” Carolann currently serves in board or advisory member capacity on the Maine Sports Commission, Maine Gear Share, Maine Trails Coalition, UMaine Outdoor Leadership Program, Confluence of States, and Skowhegan Savings Bank.
She is a ski, snowmobile, snowshoe, hike and paddle enthusiast, working on her fishing and hunting skills, and loves the exploration and discovery of travel.
Amanda Rector has been the Maine State Economist since 2011. She graduated with a BA in Economics from Wellesley College and a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. She is also a graduate of Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine program. Amanda started working for the state in 2004 as an Economic Research Analyst with the Maine Department of Labor before spending time as an Economist and Senior Economist in the former State Planning Office. She is a member of the State of Maine’s Revenue Forecasting Committee and serves as the Governor’s liaison to the U.S. Census Bureau as well as serving on the advisory board for the New England Public Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. Amanda is originally from Camden, Maine, and now lives in Union with her husband and their two children.
Linda Silka started her academic career at Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Psychology. From there she continued to the University of Kansas with an MA in Psychology and then received a Ph.D. there in Social Psychology. Silka has had a rich professional career. For thirty years, Silka was a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, where she directed the Center for Family, Work, Community, served as the Special Assistant to the Provost for Community Outreach and Partnerships, and was Professor of Regional Economic and Social Development. She has many years of experience in leading community-university research partnerships on environmental, economic development, and environmental health issues. She has conducted much research over her career and has been published extensively in multiple peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education, Australasian Journal of Community Engagement, and Gateways: International Journal of Community Research and Engagement. Silka has been the Director of the University of Maine’s Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center. Silka is currently a Member and Fellow of both the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and is now a Senior Fellow at the University of Maine’s George Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions
Mary-Elizabeth Simms is a native of Southern Maine, who graduated from
USM with a Bachelor’s in Business Management in 2015 and went on to
earn her Master’s in Public Health as well as a Master’s in Business
Administration from USM in 2017. She is passionate about building strong
community networks and is the co-founder of the Muskie Alumni
Association.
She currently works as Medicare Program Manager at Martin’s Point
Health Care where she leads and supports initiatives to improve the health
and well-being of our communities in Maine and New Hampshire by
addressing social determinants of health and ensuring equal access to
care.
She adds “In my free time, I have fun exploring trails around Greater
Portland with my fiancé (also a USM grad) and our pup, Theo. We recently
purchased a home in Portland and have been enjoying getting used to our
new neighborhood and settling in.”
James (“Pat”) Webber was appointed director of the Bates College Muskie Archives and Special Collections in 2012, following five years as archivist and one year as acting director. His early career, following graduation from the College of William & Mary in 1988, was in archeological field work, followed by geotechnical services in the construction industry. He shifted fields and earned a master’s in history at Virginia Commonwealth University with a 2001 master’s degree in history. He completed his move to the archivist’s profession with a 2001 master’s in public history at the Special Collections Research Center of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. As director of the Muskie Archives he is responsible for Senator Muskie’s collection of documents, films, photographs, audio recordings, the Muskie Oral History collection, the Senator’s legislative record, and memorabilia. Under his direction the archives has expanded digital access to the oral history interviews, the legislative record and other research aids, all vital resources for students of Senator Muskie’s legacy.
Rob Wood is a public administrator, having assumed a position in January 2023 as Director of the Bureau of Land Resources at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. A Portland resident, he was previously a member of the management team of The Nature Conservancy in Maine from 2016 to 2022. In this role, he managed TNC Maine’s climate change mitigation and clean energy initiatives before becoming TNC’s government relations director and state policy advocate. He is a 2013 graduate of the McCourt School of Public Policy, Georgetown University with a Master of Public Policy degree.
Joe Zamboni is a regulatory and health policy expert with extensive experience in public health leadership, operations, and governance. As a Chief Operating Officer at the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, he oversees day-to-day operations including finance, budgets, grants and contract management, human resources, legislation, compliance, IT coordination, and business systems. His work focuses on streamlining services and ensuring alignment with legislative and technological standards to strengthen public health infrastructure across the state. Previously, he served as Policy and Program Manager for the Office of Aging and Disability Services, where he led policy development, drafted legislation, and advanced best practices to improve care and outcomes for Maine’s aging and disability populations.
In addition to his state leadership role, Joseph is a U.S. Public Health Advisor with the Department of Health and Human Services, where he supports coordinated disaster response and fosters multidirectional communication between federal, state, and local partners. He also teaches graduate-level courses in health policy and law, drawing on his expertise in nonprofit organizations, regulatory compliance, and program development to train the next generation of leaders. Deeply engaged in civic life, he has served on Portland’s Zoning Board of Appeals and currently sits on the Planning Board, contributing to thoughtful and equitable community development. Across his professional and civic roles, Joseph is dedicated to advancing policies that strengthen health systems, promote equity, and building sustainable community impact.