SPEAKERS

Kim Moore is the Bureau of Employment Services Director for the Maine Department of Labor, responsible for overnight and delivery of federal and state employment and training programs and services through Maine’s CareerCenters statewide. Kim has spent more than 14 years honing her skills as a career development professional and has extensive experience in workforce development, career services, grant administration, and project/program management. Her passion for linking and braiding systems and programs to develop a seamless continuum of services to support marginalized jobseekers and employers was developed through her work as Coordinator for the Greater Portland Workforce Initiative (GPWI) and as Workforce Services Manager for Virginia’s fully comprehensive One-Stop in Roanoke, VA.

Julie Dumont Rabinowitz joined General Dynamics Bath Iron Works as Director of Communications in June 2021. Her responsibilities include oversight of messaging for external stakeholders and—most important—internal communication for BIW’s 7,000 employees. Ms. Rabinowitz holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and undergraduate degrees in Communication Arts and History from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY. She has taught courses at North Carolina State University, University of Southern Maine, Bates, and Colby. Prior to joining BIW, she served as press secretary and senior policy advisor for defense, veterans and emergency management for Governor Paul R. LePage. Her service to the State of Maine includes more than five years at the Department of Labor, where, when she was promoted to the Governor’s Office, she held the title director of policy, operations, and communication. She has extensive experience in nonprofit management.

Jason J. Shedlock is the President of the Maine State Building & Construction Trades Council, representing 20 labor unions and over 6,000 workers across Maine. He is also a Regional Organizer and Vice President/Secretary Treasurer for the Laborers' International Union, Local 327. Jason serves as the Vice Chair of the Maine Apprenticeship Council and sits on the State Workforce Board. Jason’s roles representing working families further include positions as the President of the Board of Trustees and Executive Board Member of both the Maine AFL-CIO as well as the Southern Maine Labor Council. A resident of Portland where he lives with his 11 year old daughter Josephine, Jason also serves his community as the Vice President of the Board of the Maine Immigrant Rights Coalition and on the Board of Trustees for First Parish in Portland, Unitarian Universalist.

Patrick began his career as a forester for St. Regis Paper Co. 1981 and eventually became the Regional Vice President of a trucking and recycling company in Bangor, Maine. In 2004 he became the Executive Director of the Maine Forest Products Council. MFPC represents over 300 member companies, including all segments of the diverse forest products community. Members include manufacturers of pulp & paper, sawmills, fiberboard mills, loggers, foresters and over 8 million acres of commercial working forests. MFPC is a founding member of the Forest Opportunity Roadmap (FOR/ME) initiative which is a collaboration of organizations working together to strengthen and build markets for forest products as part of the emerging forest bio economy. Patrick Strauch received his B.S. degree in forest management and his master's in silviculture from the University of Maine. He resides on his tree farm in Exeter, Maine, with his wife Nancy.

I have lived in Central Maine my entire life. I've worked in retail settings for over five years, primarily at TJ Maxx in various positions, before moving into the mental health and social services sector. I currently work as a Health Educator for MaineGeneral's Harm Reduction Department and am attending college full-time to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

Nadine Pembele is a full time staff at Mercy Hospital in Portland, Natural Helper Alumni and executive member of the Congolese Community of Maine. Nadine is also a new entrepreneur in Financial Literacy industry as she believes that the real freedom for immigrants is financial freedom.

I am student attending Cony High School, I am a senior and am graduating this year in June. I am 18 years old and am interested in Digital Art, which is why as a senior, I took Graphic Design down at CATC.

Celina Cunningham is the Deputy Director of the Governor’s Energy Office in Maine, where she leads the renewable energy and markets team. She has two decades of experience leading on energy, climate, and natural resource issues in the public and private sector, including at the U.S. Department of the Interior and as staff at the U.S. House of Representatives.

In the last 10 years Ready Seafood Co. has grown from roughly 60 employees and two locations, to over 400 employees and 6 locations across the state of Maine. This constant growth has forced has to be extremely creative in attracting employees.

Liz Torrance is the Corporate Social Responsibility Manager for Kennebunk Savings. She drives the strategic direction and execution of corporate social responsibility initiatives and philanthropy, through which the bank annually donates more than $1 million to local nonprofit organizations. She leads the Community Relations team, overseeing grants and sponsorships, the Kennebunk Savings Foundation, the corporate volunteer program, the Community Reinvestment Act program, and works as an advisor on the Kennebunk Savings Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council. Liz serves on the Hope on Haven Hill Board of Directors, University of New Hampshire Sustainability Advisory Board, THRIVE2027 Goal 3 Cabinet, and the Granite United Way Greater Seacoast Region Community Impact Committee. She is a strong believer in the business community’s power to be a force for good and she is proud to be a part of a purpose-driven organization like Kennebunk Savings.

Michelle Willis has been employed with Walgreens since August 2022. She graduated from Governor Baxter School of the Deaf. She is a proud mother of three adults and grandmother to six grandchildren.

Kerem is President and Chief Operating Officer of GWI, a leading ISP/telco in Maine; the first B Corp telecommunications carrier in the US. He has served as the Entrepreneur-In-Residence for a quasi-public loan and venture capital entity and was the CEO of a start-up leading it to growth and eventual acquisition by a public company. Prior he also served as CTO and engineering leader of global semiconductor, optical media and electronic companies. He is also the Founder and Managing Partner of Indus Fund which provides micro-loans to immigrant business owners.

As a passionate people person, problem solver and leader, Korina has worked at Ready Seafood for the past 3 years, supporting recruitment and retention as the company has expanded to 400+ employees across 6 locations throughout Maine. Creativity, determination and making an impact on local communities have been the drivers of success

Carolyn Delaney is the founder of Journey Enterprises, a media company on a mission to amplify hope and provide evidence that recovery from addiction is possible. Journey Magazine, a print magazine published 6 times a year and distributed statewide, makes recovery visible and reduces addiction stigma in a hope-filled, solution-oriented way by sharing inspiring personal recovery stories and helpful community based mutual-aid programs, businesses and services. She envisions a world where all options for recovery are known and accessible. Carolyn serves on the boards of the Maine Association of Recovery Residences and Women Standing together.

Executive Director of The Maine Prisoner Re-Entry Network or MPRN, a state-wide non-profit focused on providing peer support and coordinated community resources for hundreds of individuals returning to Maine communities from prison, jail, and treatment courts. Bruce was appointed to the Maine State Workforce Board by Governor Mills in April 2022 and appointed by Senate President Jackson to the Maine Recovery Council in August 2022. Bruce is a “6 Who Care”, “Rising Tide”, and Spirit of Goodwill Award winner, and the recipient of multiple awards for MPRN’s community collaboration. Bruce and his wife Susan have 4 grown children between them and three grandchildren. Bruce is a person in long term recovery, a former small business owner, internet retailer, and political organizer. When Bruce isn't working, volunteering, or enjoying family time you can find him fly fishing, hiking, skiing, cycling, mountain-biking, or playing guitar and singing with his Dad.

As General Manager of Home Instead in Gorham, Renate guides growth, oversees the day-to-day running of the office, and manages a staff of 80+ administrators and Care Professionals. Additionally, Renate co-chairs the PACES Maine group and is a member of the Greater Portland Walk to End ALZ walk committee. Renate graduated from Bowdoin College in 1990 and earned a MAT from UNH in 1992. She currently lives in Gorham with her two children.

Currently working at Versant Power, managing Recruitment & Workforce Development. Specializing in internal and external talent management, executive sourcing, process improvement and new hire experience. Has over 9 years of experience working in the Talent Acquisition industry.

Erica is the Senior Program Director for Education & Workforce at the Maine Development Foundation (MDF). She focuses on the implementation of MDF’s collaborative Adult Promise work – ensuring 60% of Mainers have credentials of value by 2025 and that we have a strong Navigator Network to help adult learners succeed. In addition, she supports workforce development projects at MDF, including FOR/ME and SEA Maine.

Mary Whitten has over 20 years in Federal Human Resources serving in a variety of positions to include onboarding, work life benefits and employee and labor relations. Mary transferred to the VA in 2019 as the Human Resource Officer at the VA Maine Healthcare System (Togus). With consolidation and regionalization of VHA Human Resources in 2020, she is a member of the Veterans Integrated Service Network 1 (New England) HR Staff in the position of HR Senior Strategic Business Partner at the VA Maine Healthcare System. Mary holds HR Certifications from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP) and the Human Resources Certification Institute (SPHR).

Chris Quint serves as the Director of the State Workforce Board with the Maine Department of Labor. In this role he manages execution of strategies to develop and sustain a responsive, networked, and coordinated workforce system that results in increased educational and employment attainment for Maine residents, and supports Maine’s business sectors with skilled and qualified workers. Before joining the Maine Department of Labor, Chris ran his own public affairs consulting firm specializing in strategic communications, government relations and advocacy, media relations, community relations and spokesperson training, and worked in leadership roles at the University of Southern Maine, the Maine State Employees Association-SEIU Local 1989, and Planned Parenthood of Northern New England. Chris earned his BA from Colby-Sawyer College and lives in Biddeford with his wife Kim and two children, Theodora and Levi.

Charles Collins, Ed.D., is Deputy Executive Director of Workforce Training for the Maine Community College System (MCCS) Harold Alfond Center for the Advancement of Maine’s Workforce. In his position, Charlie develops business connections and provides operational management to several workforce initiatives with collaboration with Maine’s employers, trade associations, and training vendors. With 30 years of experience with MCCS, Charlie provides the Alfond Center with leadership, strategic and budget planning, and continual research on best practices for industry training and professional development.

Mari joined the Retail Association of Maine in January of 2021, with a focus on promoting the National Retail Federation Foundation’s RISE Up retail credential program in Maine, with a focus on Workforce Development, as well as managing their 501 (c) (3), the Maine Business Education Partnership. Ms. O’Neil’s role has evolved over the past two years to include in-depth collaboration with business partners and educators to develop career pathways in the retail industry. The Maine Business Education Partnership was awarded Maine Industry Partnership for Workforce Development grant through the MDOL. In December, she successfully completed the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation – Talent Pipeline Management Academy. Previously, Mari served as a board member of the Retail Association of Maine for nine years. She has more than 30 years of retail, training, and educational experience Mari holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire, where she also served as a teaching assistant.

One of Olesya's values is "passionate about people". Fortunately, that value has found its reflection in both professional and personal life. For the past 15+ years of HR experience, working in a variety of industries, ranging from food manufacturing to legal both in private and non-profit sectors, Olesya has been striving to improve peoples' experiences at the workplace. For the past 7 years Olesya has been residing in Maine where she and her small family found their new home.

Gordon Smith was appointed by Governor Janet Mills as Maine's first Director of Opioid Response in Feb. 2019. He is a native of Winthrop, Maine and a graduate of the University of Maine and Boston College School of Law. From 1980 through 2018, Mr. Smith served in various legal and management positions with the Maine Medical Association, concluding as Executive Vice President from 1993 until his retirement in 2018. He is a frequently lecturer on medical and legal topics.

Gretchen Weisner is the Administration and Finance Manager at Maine Coast Sea Vegetables and has been with the company since 2011. She has three decades of management and customer service experience. Her higher education has involved studies of biology, environmental studies, ecology, marine science, nutrition and accounting. She has a passion for wellness and has been teaching water fitness classes at a local YMCAs for 20+ years. She loves spending time in the outdoors, cooking, and exploring with her partner, Mike, and her three children.

Anson Green is a workforce and education trailblazer leading economic opportunity efforts at Tyson Foods. There, he develops strategic initiatives to support the upskilling of Tyson’s 121,000 front-line team members, many of whom are immigrants and refugees. His current assignments include delivering enterprise solutions to support Tyson’s efforts to deploy automation and industry 4.0 solutions with its diverse communities of team members. As Texas Adult Education State Director, Anson led the transformation of the $80M federal responsive solutions for Texans seeking college and career entry solutions. For this work Anson was awarded the National Outstanding Administrator of the Year award by the Coalition on Adult Basic Education. Anson is recognized for his frontline worker upskilling approaches, non-profit engagement models, curriculum and assessment solutions that integrate English, training and digital skills, and policy. Anson’s vertically integrated skills inform his work—He has taught ESL through university level classes, published curriculum, directed a school campus in an empowerment zone, hosts a podcast, directed state government services, testified to Congressional committees, and now builds innovative learning solutions for one of the largest food companies in the world. This experience provides Anson with unique perspectives and the ability to deliver a spectrum of solutions.

Tarlan Ahmadov is the Director Division of Employment, Bureau of Employment, Maine Department of Labor. Prior to his role at MDOL, Tarlan was the State Refugee Coordinator at the Office of Maine Refugee Services. Prior to his immigration to the USA, Tarlan worked in the education field in Baku, Azerbaijan, and later joined the non-profit sector, combined with a consulting business to the Consulate of Azerbaijan in Tehran, Iran. Tarlan had the privilege to work in various capacities with local and international NGOs, such as IFES (providing training to the newly established municipalities in Azerbaijan), and Social Research Center (by screening refugees from Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq). He graduated from the Baku State University with a Masters in History, Social Sciences. Tarlan speaks several languages. Travel is one his passions: during the last two decades, he has visited over 40 countries for business, training, and teaching purposes.

Astrid works in the Human Resources department at ReVision Energy where she works with the Talent Acquisition and training teams. She joined ReVision Energy in August of 2017. Before joining ReVision, Astrid worked as a Job Developer where she assisted disabled adults, often veterans, transitioning back into the workforce. Astrid grew up in Massachusetts but immigrated to the U.S from El Salvador at the age of 3. Astrid graduated with a BS in Psychology from Worcester State University but jokes she has obtained her PhD in Sarcasm. Astrid feels good about working at ReVision and is thrilled to be a part of an Employee-Owned B Corp. She loves helping ReVision evolve and watching her co-owners grow in their careers. Astrid loves being an advocate for their JEDI (Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion) Initiative and is a proud member of the JEDI Council at ReVision.

Morgan is the Senior Director of People Operations for K&A Engineering Consulting P.C. In this position she is responsible for overseeing the full life cycle of an employee’s experience by leading the following functions: Talent Acquisition, Talent Management, Marketing/Communication, Information Technology, and Business Operations. While continuing to maintain extreme focus in the day to day of Talent Acquisition to ensure success of all internal business needs and pursuits.