For the past four years I have run the gardening program at RCAM.  Prior to running the gardening program, I was an Occupational Therapist for 40 years, 10 in my home state of Connecticut after finishing my BS from Quinnipiac University and 30 years in Maine.  My last 20 years I did homecare services in six counties in Maine and feel I have seen it all! I am currently retired and devoting much of my time to grandchildren who live close by to my home in Monmouth.

Robert (Bob) English retired from the Navy and attended the University of Maine at Augusta earning an Associate’s Degree in Business in 1996 and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting in 1998. Since graduation he has worked for Johnny’s Selected Seeds, CommTel, Bath Iron Works, and is recently retires from the State of Maine. Positions have included Senior Staff Accountant, Assistant Controller, Corporate Tax Specialist, Managing Staff Accountant, Business System Analyst, and Tax Section Manager.

Bob has been a School Board member for Wales for over 20 years. He is currently serving as the Treasurer for the Wales Presbyterian Church, and as the Quartermaster/Adjutant for Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 11032 in Greene. Bob is also a member of American Legion Post 135 in Sabattus.Bob is married to Susan and has two grown children, a daughter Jennifer Setechel of South Paris, and a son Christopher English (wife Ashley) of Leeds and one grandson, Bobby.

I am 32 years old and am a lifelong Mainer. I attended my first year of college at Saint Anselm College in Manchester studying Criminal Justice and had the opportunity to study abroad in France in the summer of 2009. I then transferred to and subsequently graduated from the University of Southern Maine in May 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and have been working as a Paralegal in Legal Aid for nearly a decade now assisting low-income Mainers with a variety of legal issues. I currently reside in Sabattus with my husband, David, our kids, Jordan, Thaliah, and Dawson along with our animals. In our spare time we enjoy traveling, cooking/baking and music. I’m very excited to be joining you folks on this board and think that I bring a lot of experience with the community the Rural Community Action Ministry serves and a desire to do more for folks that face barriers in getting access to basic human needs.

Joyce Pratt has been the Town of Leeds Administrator for 20 years and has lived in Leeds all her life.  Active in the community, she has served as a Deacon for the Leeds Community Church for 30 years.  Volunteerism is in Joyce’s blood as demonstrated by her volunteering for the Abused Women’s Shelter, and the Leeds Community Church’s Food Pantry.  When talking about her serving as a volunteer board member for Rural Community Action Ministry, she said she loves her community and feels as though she is carrying on her dad’s legacy.  Her father, Don Pratt, worked for RCAM for 10 years, overseeing Housing’s summer volunteer crews as they completed minor—and sometimes not so minor— home repairs to ensure homes were safe.  She said her dad also had his hand in RCAM’s Hunger Prevention services.  Joyce is a proud grandmother of two boys.

My name is Deb Hase, I am 59 years old and have lived in Maine 30 years. Since moving to Maine from the Washington DC area I have only worked with non-profits.  I worked 14 years at Western Maine Community Action (WMCA) and I have been working at Community Concepts (CCI) for 16 years.  My field is finance—I have done everything from Payroll clerk for the Summer Youth employment training program to Business Manager in charge of systems, supervising AP & AR, my current position.  At both WMCA and CCI I am and have been software administrator of our accounting software.

One of my strengths is looking outside the box at how we make systems make our lives easier.  While working full time, I was the full charge bookkeeper for United Methodist Economic Ministry in Salem.  I held this position for approximately 20 years.  I love being a part of agencies that strive to make a difference in people’s lives.

In 2002, my teenage son and I were part of a group of four families in Wilton to build ourselves houses thru the Self-Help housing program at CCI.  It took us 11 months working weekends and one night a week (as well as my full time and part time jobs) to complete our homes.  In the end we had an energy efficient, well-built new home and some valuable experience.

I still live in Wilton with my husband, Bob, and our dog Max.  My husband runs a small engine repair business, which helps to keep us from getting bored.  Our kids, Charlie and Mark (and his two horses) live locally and are an active part of our lives. Our son Shaun, his wife and our granddaughter, Frankie, live in Pennsylvania and we see them whenever possible.  In our down time we enjoy road trips around Maine to see the beautiful sights, going to Owl’s Head Transportation Museum to see old cars and air shows, local theater, time with friends and great music.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to join the Rural Community Action Ministry board, I feel with my experience with Non-Profits (large and small) and finance I can help the ministry.  I look forward to learning about working with the ministry from the board perspective. I think it will enrich my work and personal life.  Without agencies like the RCAM so many Mainers would fall thru the cracks, I am excited to be a part of that.  Thank you for this opportunity and I look forward to working with you!