Board Officers:

Sam Spencer [PRESIDENT]: Portland – Sam Spencer is a real estate developer and entrepreneur currently involved in a number of resort development and energy projects around the country.  He has been Managing Partner of Spencer Monks Development and Vice President for Development for Harper’s Development, both of which focused on redeveloping large scale historic commercial and industrial properties.  For four years, he served as an aide in the Clinton/Gore White House, including as Special Assistant to the Vice President.  He has served as Maine’s Democratic National Committeeman since 2004.  In addition to serving on Opportunity Maine’s board, Spencer serves as President of the Downtown Portland Corporation.  Spencer is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.

Carla Dickstein [VICE PRESIDENT]: Wiscasset – Carla is Senior Vice-President for Research and Policy Development at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI) and Community Development Corporation (CDC) based in Wiscasset.  Carla’s work on research and state policy development at CEI includes green industries and employment opportunities, rural development and entrepreneurship, and predatory mortgage lending and foreclosures.  Prior to coming to CEI she was on the faculty at West Virginia University’s Regional Research Institute and the West Virginia University Extension Service.  Carla also serves on the Research Advisory Board to the Community Affairs Department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Advisory Board of the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at University of Maine.

Nicky Blanchard [Secretary]: Pownal – Nicky Blanchard is the Associate Director of Development for Maine Coast Heritage Trust and has a background in non-profit project management and major donor fundraising.  In the past, Nicky was the Director of Colby College’s Parent Giving Program and was a project director for the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence.  She holds an MA in Public Administration from the University of Colorado in Denver.  Nicky grew up in Pownal, owns a home in Orrington where she lived for 7 years and now has returned to her hometown.  In her spare time, Nicky loves to hike, ski and play in the great outdoors.

Bo Yerxa [Treasurer]: Waldoboro – Raised on an Aroostook County farm, Bo’s professional work has been in the areas of community development, rural health and continuing higher education, primarily in rural Maine. He has held a range of administrative and faculty appointments to the level of Dean at institutions as disparate as Washington County Community College and Cornell University, and is currently Director of Southern New Hampshire University’s Maine Center for Continuing Education in Brunswick.

Board:

Justin Alfond: Portland – Justin serves in the Maine State Senate representing Portland and also develops mixed income housing. He is the former state director of the League of Young Voters. Justin currently serves on the boards of Avesta Housing, Kennebec Valley Community College, Maine Initiatives, New England Board of Higher Education and New England Secondary Schools Consortium.

Matt Beck: S. Portland – Matt is the Organizer for IBEW Local 1837. Matt formerly worked at WGME-TV as a Producer and Director for 20 years. He is Treasurer of the Southern Maine Workers’ Center, a delegate to the Southern Maine Labor Council, and Vice Chair of the South Portland Democratic City Committee.

Greg Brown: Georgetown – Greg is pursuing a MA in New England history. He has assisted with fundraising projects with several Maine nonprofits and is currently an organizer for the national energy and climate advocacy group 1 Sky.

Doug Clopp: Washington DC – Doug is the Deputy Director for Programs for Common Cause.  He is the former Director of Governmental Affairs and Coalition Coordinator of Consumers for Affordable Health Care Foundation. Prior to his work on health policy, Doug was the Democracy Project Coordinator for the Maine Citizen Leadership Fund focusing on protecting and enhancing Maine’s landmark Clean Elections program, improving Maine’s campaign finance laws, and promoting governmental ethics.

Jason Gayne: Skowhegan – Jason is a graduate of the University of Maine at Fort Kent with degrees in Criminal Justice and Public Safety Administration. Jason works in the Public Safety field for the Town of Skowhegan and Colby College. He also has his own consulting business in Organizational Management and Diversity Trainings.

Cheryl Hamilton: Portland – Cheryl is committed to improving the lives of refugees and immigrants and strengthening relationships between American born residents and newcomers.   She has managed local and national refugee programs for the City of Portland,  RefugeeWorks and most recently,  the Center for Preventing Hate. Presently,  Cheryl works as an immigrant integration and communications consultant back in her home state of Maine.  A graduate of Clark University with a degree in International Relations,  she is also a playwright and performer.

Scott Ruffner: Bangor – Scott is an independent real estate broker in Bangor. He is active in many initiatives at the local, state and national level that promote educational and economic opportunity, energy conservation and sustainability, improved access to health care, and a strong democracy. He believes a healthy and well-educated populace is a prerequisite for entrepreneurial growth and economic development. In the summers, Scott enjoys the applied physics of sailing his old sloop out of Belfast.

Diane Russell: Portland – Diane has focused much of her career in the non-profit, community organizing and public policy world. She is serving her first term in the Maine House of Representatives and has a passion for energy policy. With expertise in social media marketing and online organizing, Diane can often be found interviewing people with her FlipCam. Born and raised in Bryant Pond, Maine, Diane earned a bachelor’s degree in media studies from the University of Southern Maine.