I have had the pleasure of working alongside RCAM’s Executive Director for years now through our work in the homeless services field. Growing up in rural Maine I recognize the importance of bringing needed resources to more isolated areas. Born and raised in Turner, Maine, I still consider that my home. I currently reside in Oxford Hills with my partner of seven years. “The Hills”, much like Turner, is made up of families who have lived there for generations and who continue to care for and support each other. I have been an active member of the Maine CoC, Region 2 Homeless Committee, Maine Shelter Network and the Leadership Committee for the Statewide Homeless System Redesign through Maine Housing and the Corporation for Supportive Housing.  I am currently serving as Western Maine Community Action’s  Chief Executive Officer.  When I am not elbows deep in “the work”, I can most often be found surrounded by animals of some sort, enjoying the beautiful Maine Summer or Fall or curled up reading in the colder months. I have two dogs, one cat, three goats and six chickens and will try to convince anyone I know to rescue animals. My two beautiful adult daughters are out in the world making it a better place by also engaging in social service work, focusing on teens who need emotional or educational support.

My husband and our three children have lived in Wayne, Maine for 42 years. During that time,
I was a teacher and a school administrator. As a principal in Monmouth, I worked with RCAM
multiple times to support our school families. Now that I am retired, I have taken on a position
as the Coordinator of the Wayne Aging At Home organization. In this role, I coordinate support
for our senior citizens through trainings, presentations, transportation, food delivery and
socialization opportunities. I look forward to joining your group to build a strong collaboration
between AAH and RCAM.

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.

Community collaborations play a crucial role in sustainability. As the Sabattus Recreation Garden Club Coordinator, we are already collaborating with RCAM to enhance and increase access to farm-fresh produce for those experiencing food insecurity. As an adult education administrator, I oversee program development and assist with event coordination, as well as professional development for instructional staff. Intentionally living to be a difference maker, specializing in nature and movement-based lifelong learning. Community outreach, volunteer management, and collaborative entrepreneurial spirit are at the heart of the work I choose to do.

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!

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.

I know many of the challenges that young, discriminated, disabled, and older people in Maine face, and I am getting to a place where I want to use my experiences to improve lives. Getting resources to help with immediate need is an important first step. This introduction can begin a relationship where the people assisted can be connected to support networks where they may share their knowledge and skills, find a reason to be accountable for reaching goals, and open possibilities by expanding their connections. A tree stands on one strong connection which can be hard to sever. In reality the trunk is dependent on many smaller roots, limbs, and leaves in order to stay healthy and grow. To improve lives, we can work on strengthening smaller interpersonal community connections, to find or improve a few healthy and strong connections.

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.