Purpose
- Actively support the School’s mission by building connections and partnerships with
- the business and entrepreneurial community.
- Advocate for the USM School of Business programs, faculty, and students.
- Share observations about important trends and developments in the business
environment. - Participate in fundraising projects that directly benefit School of Business faculty and
students. - Identify and create employment and career opportunities for School of Business
students and graduates. - Encourage prospective students to explore educational opportunities at the School of
Business.
Members
John Adelman
John W. Adelman is a principal of CPRC Group as well as the President and CEO. He is involved in making all upper management decisions for the Company; he focuses on customer relations, regulatory issues, strategic planning, marketing, product development, and partnering for the growth of the business as well as internal cost analysis and procedures to boost the Company’s overall performance.
Prior to leading the investment group that purchased CPRC in 2004, John was the Managing Partner of Exchange Street Partners, LLC, a local business-consulting firm. He and his four partners established the firm to assist companies in northern New England facing growth, turn-around or diversification issues requiring outside resources. Prior to forming this firm, he was Vice President of McKernan Enterprises, Inc. (MEI), which was founded by Governor John R. McKernan, Jr.
Having a keen interest in civic activities, John has sat on many Not-for-Profit Boards, including President roles for: Hancock Point Village Improvement Society, the Construction & Demolition Recycling Association (CDRA), and Falmouth Land Trust. He continues to be involved in both the CDRA and Falmouth Land Trust, while also sitting on the following: Advisory Council of the Children’s Museum & Theater of Maine, Facilities Committee for the Portland Museum of Art, Environmental Board of Directors of the Maine Technology Institute, Board of Directors of Maine Coast Heritage Trust, and the USM School of Business Advisory Board.
He and his wife Judy have lived in Falmouth, ME for the past 30 years where they raised their two children, Kayla and James.
Trish Brigham
Trish Brigham became a CPA while working at a global public accounting firm. After earning her MBA she pursued various financial analysis and strategic planning positions before switching paths and working at Northeastern University as a Faculty Cooperative Education Advisor to Accounting and IT students. She returned to her accounting/finance roots, primarily in nonprofit entities, after serving in leadership roles in volunteer organizations, including as an elected member of the Cape Elizabeth School Board, while raising her children. Trish currently serves as Executive Director of the Maine Society of CPAs, where she manages all aspects of the association’s operations. She thoroughly enjoys meeting new people, volunteering in her community, visiting new places and coming home to Maine to spend time with family and friends.
Tae Chong
My new title is Executive Director of Furniture Friends, Maine’s largest furniture bank. I also serve on the board of Good Shepherd Food Bank. While there are almost 60,000 food banks in the US (and in Maine alone there are almost 600 food banks), there are less than 250 furniture banks across the United States. We serve the same population. Furniture Friends serves clients coming out of homeless shelters, domestic violence, people aging out of foster care, veterans, elderly, people recovering from medical procedures, asylum seekers, refugees and more. We work with over 150 social services agencies and last year we served over 2,000 people. In the last 12 years, we have diverted over 2.6 million pounds of furniture from the waste stream.
Ed de Oliveira
Ed de Oliveira is an Associate Director, Talent Acquisition at IDEXX Laboratories. He brings over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition from a variety of industries including: Veterinary, Medical, Technology among others. In his current capacity Ed leads a team of 16 Talent Acquisition Specialists working across North America and Europe to fill over 1200 positions annually. Ed also manages the Global Center of Excellence for Contingent Workers at IDEXX, which involves over 1000 individuals across the globe. 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.
Sara Guerette
Sarah Guerette is the Senior Program Director, Business Development Services at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a Maine-based community development financial institution with a mission to build just, vibrant and climate-resilient futures for people and communities in Maine and rural regions by integrating finance, business expertise and policy solutions in ways that make the economy work more equitably.
As CEI’s Senior Program Director, Business Development Services, Sarah provides strategic oversight for CEI’s Business Development Services Department. This team provides 1:1 advising to current business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs, and provides a wide variety of workshops, classes, and events for entrepreneurs throughout the State. Sarah is responsible for programmatic oversight, funder and collaborator relationships, and staff management. She maintains a small client load with a focus on access to capital and business transitions. In her time at CEI she has worked with a wide variety of entrepreneurs throughout Maine, including many bakery owners.
Originally from Bangor, Maine, Sarah has worked with small business owners in both Boston and in Ecuador, where she lived for 5+ years. Outside of work Sarah can be found meeting a friend for some early morning exercise, practicing “positive self-talk” while learning to downhill ski well enough to keep up with her husband and daughter (not there yet) or cooking up some delicious vegetarian fare.
Mark Jones
Mark Jones serves as the CEO and President of Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution (SBSI). Since joining SBSI in 1985, after earning his degree from the University of Southern Maine, Mark has remained deeply committed to the institution’s mission and vision: serving others with compassion, striving for excellence, and being a source of possibilities. His leadership extends beyond the walls of SBSI. Mark actively contributes to his community through various volunteer roles, including serving as a board member and treasurer of Shutterbugs4Charity, Chairperson of Hospice of Southern Maine, and Trustee and Treasurer of Saco United Baptist Church. Driven by a passion for continuous learning, Mark is committed to adding value to those around him. He seeks to learn from others and generously shares his insights, focusing on the core principles of service, love, and care for all within his sphere of influence.
Heather Paquette
Heather Paquette is guided by her unwavering leadership purpose – Always Press Forward, Always Give Back. As the President of Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, she leads a dedicated team of hunger-relief professionals to address the root causes of hunger by exploring innovative solutions, sourcing nutritious and culturally relevant food, and collaborating with a network of over 600 partnerships across Maine.
As a University of Southern Maine graduate with a degree in Business Finance, Heather began her career with Hannaford Supermarkets in 1999 as a Retail Management Training (RMT) program participant. During her 22 years with the company, her roles spanned from Assistant Store Manager to Vice President Retail Operations for Maine and New Hampshire, demonstrating her versatility and dedication to the brand.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Heather is deeply involved in community service. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Maine and co-chaired the United Way Tocqueville campaign. Heather also served as the board chair for the Maine March of Dimes Chapter from 2017 to 2019 and as a board member for 11 years.
Heather Paquette resides in Maine with her husband, Brian, and their two children. Beyond her professional commitments, she enjoys running and supporting her busy kids’ activities, including participating in a unique unicycling group!
Phyllis Paris
After decades working out of state and internationally, I am pleased to be in Maine supporting my alma mater, USM School of Business (MBA ’03), in collaboration with fellow Advisory Board members and the Maine business community. After 25 years with Bath Iron Works (BIW) managing Supply Chain and International Programs, I elected to change careers and move to SM&A, a business capture firm specializing in all aspects of business capture from strategy development through proposal development and contract award, chiefly for DoD contractors and IT firms. I chose to spend a year between BIW and SM&A pursuing an MBA at USM—which proved to be a good decision leading to a very rewarding USM experience. After 13 years with SM&A, I formed my own consulting firm, Designautics, in 2016.
Stacy Stitham
Stacy Stitham represents Brann & Isaacson’s business clients in civil and commercial litigation in federal and state courts and before administrative agencies. She has litigated patent, trademark, trade dress, copyright, and corporate cases in courts from Maine to California, before the Trademark Trial & Appeal Board, and in the International Trade Commission on behalf of the firm’s retail clients, including over a dozen of the 100 largest internet retailers. In addition, Stacy advises clients on trademark and copyright issues, including strategies for identifying and protecting intellectual property as well as dealing with claims of infringement. Stacy also advises clients on compliance issues, including data privacy and security.
Sara Spugnardi
Sara Spugnardi is an experienced Talent Acquisition leader with close to 20 years of experience driving recruitment strategies and building high-performing teams across healthcare, retail, and corporate environments. She currently serves as Lead Talent Acquisition Partner at L.L.Bean, where she leads strategic hiring initiatives and fosters an exceptional candidate experience rooted in transparency and integrity.
Prior to boomeranging back to Bean, Sara held senior recruiting positions at Devoted Health, a mission-driven healthcare startup, and spent more than a decade with L.L.Bean in various leadership capacities, including Retail Recruiting Team Lead and HR Business Partner. Her expertise spans full life-cycle recruiting, executive support, and creative sourcing strategies, with a proven ability to attract top talent in competitive markets.
Sara began her career in retail management with Hannaford Bros. Co., where she built a strong foundation in operations, career development planning, and talent acquisition, including retail and international recruitment and team leadership. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Food Science and Human Nutrition from the University of Maine and has been recognized with honors such as Bean’s Best for her contributions to talent strategy. In addition to her professional role, Sara serves on the Board of Directors for Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG), a nonprofit that partners with schools and colleges to help students achieve post-secondary credentials and successful career pathways. For the past decade, she has also collaborated with Saint Joseph’s College, providing career guidance, interview preparation, and guest speaking within their HR Management curriculum.
Sara lives in Scarborough with her husband Mike, 2 daughters Libby and Edie, 3 dogs and 3 cats and enjoys anything outdoors and spending every spare minute in Rangeley, Maine.