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Member Biographies

 

Susan Lessard, Chair -- 1st Term

Ms. Lessard, who has more than 25 years of experience in local government, is currently the Town Manager for the Town of Hampden where her responsibilities include budget development and administration, personnel administration, policy implementation, investment management and economic development. She previously served as Town Manager for the communities of Vinalhaven, Fayette and Livermore Falls. Ms. Lessard has received a number of awards including the Governor's Environmental Excellence Award (2002) for development of a collaborative process for municipal review of major landfill expansion projects in Hampden, and the Maine Engineering Excellence Award (1998) and Maine Town and City Manager's Association Leadership Award (1999) for the development of an innovative alternative landfill capping plan for the town of Vinalhaven which resulted in substantial savings to the community and the State. Ms. Lessard also served on the Mane Lighthouse Selection Committee, receiving a U.S. Coast Guard Public Service Commendation (1996) for her work on a program to transfer ownership of thirty-five Maine lighthouses from the federal government to municipalities and non-profit organizations across the state. Ms. Lessard's service to Maine communities also includes her work at Maine Tomorrow where she was involved in community planning and transportation projects. Susan is currently a member of the Hampden Congregational Church, Maine Town & City Manager's Association, and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the board of directors for the Municipal Review Committee and served as President of the Maine Municipal Association in 2003. Her educational background is in public administration and engineering. Ms. Lessard has two adult sons, one who works in special education and one as a researcher at Jackson Lab. She currently resides in Hampden with her Boston terrier, Sassy, who also serves as the mascot at the Hampden Town Office. Ms. Lessard was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in July 2007 and as chair in November 2008.

 

Matt Scott, Belgrade -- 2nd Term

Mr. Scott is an Aquatic Biologist, a Certified Fisheries Scientist, and an elected Fellow to the American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists. He holds both Bachelors and Masters degrees in Wildlife Management, Fishery Science and Public Administration from the University of Maine. Following retirement from 38 years of service in Maine State Government, including service as Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Mr. Scott was given Emeritus status by the American Fisheries Society, American Institute of Fishery Research Biologists, and the North American Lake Management Society. In addition to his State Service, Mr. Scott has been an adjunct faculty member at Colby College and has served as Executive Secretary for Project SHARE (Salmon Habitat and River Enhancement). He is a past President of the North American Lake Management Society, a past President of the Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, and, as a hobby beekeeper, a past President of the Eastern Apicultural Society of North America. Mr. Scott is also a Registered Master Maine Guide, and serves on the Maine Guides Advisory Board. Matt's volunteer and community service work has included pro bono work for many conservation and environmental organizations, service on the Belgrade Planning Board, and service as Scoutmaster and Committee Chairman for Boy Scout Troop 453 in Belgrade. He resides in Belgrade on his 100 acre farm where he manages a woodlot and maintains several colonies of bees for pollination and honey production. Governor Baldacci appointed Mr. Scott to the Board in June 2003 and Mr. Scott served as Chair from June 2005 to December 2006.

 

Nancy Ziegler, So. Portland -- 2nd Term

Ms. Ziegler is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Maine School of Law. She was admitted to practice law in Maine and Federal Court in 1981. Following law school, Ms. Ziegler worked as a research associate at the Marine Law Institute in Portland. She then became an associate with the Portland law firm of Curtis, Thaxter, Stevens, Broder and Micoleau (1984-1994), with a practice in civil litigation including several significant cases involving land use, regulatory and environmental matters. Ms. Ziegler has fourteen years of experience as a debate and mock trial coach at Cape Elizabeth High School where she coached five varsity Lincoln-Douglas Debate state champions. Ms. Ziegler was the author of the 2003 Maine State High School Mock Trial competition case sponsored by the Maine State Bar Association. She has served on the Boards of the Maine Suzuki Association, the Jewish Community Center of Portland, and the East End Children's Workshop. Ms. Ziegler was an Assistant Editor of WomenSports Magazine (1973-1975) and a freelance writer with articles published in Runner's World Magazine, Mother Jones Magazine, and San Francisco City Magazine. Ms. Ziegler was appointed to the Board in April 2002.

 

Donald Guimond, Fort Kent -- 2nd Term

Mr. Guimond is the Town Manager of Fort Kent, a position he has held since December 1993. As Town Manager Mr. Guimond is responsible for many aspects of local government including budget preparation and implementation; personnel management; oversight of police, fire and public works departments; as well as oversight of economic and community development initiatives. In 2009, the US Small Business Administration honored Mr. Guimond with its Phoenix Award for outstanding service to his community during the 2008 spring floods. Other professional experience includes service as the Planning and Economic Development Coordinator for the Town of Fort Kent, Program Assistant for the Farm Service Agency, and Manager of the Fort Kent Federal Credit Union. He has also served as Director for the Greater Fort Kent Area Chamber of Commerce and Director of the Aroostook Municipal Association. Mr. Guimond is a partner/operator of a family farm consisting of over 1000 acres, maintaining a cow/calf operation in excess of 100 broad cows as well as the harvesting of grains, hay, straw and forest products. He was recognized as the St. John Valley Outstanding Conservation Farmer in 1990 and Maine Beef Producer of the Year in 1993. Mr. Guimond is also a certified official for the United States Biathlon Association. Mr. Guimond holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Husson College and an MBA from Norwich University. He was appointed to the Board in April 2004 by Governor Baldacci.

 

Elizabeth E. Ehrenfeld, Falmouth -- 1 st Term

Ms. Ehrenfeld holds a doctorate in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Cornell University. Ms. Ehrenfeld lived in Switzerland for 5 years doing post-doctoral work in bacterial genetics at the University of Geneva Medical School, and the Nestle corporate research center. In 1992 she moved to Maine to work for IDEXX Laboratories where she developed diagnostic tests for the food industry. She has written numerous scientific papers, and has several patents on detection of bacteria in drinking water and food. She is currently an adjunct professor in the Science Department at Southern Maine Community College where she teaches courses in Microbiology, Genetics and Biotechnology. She is a founding member of Mainely Women in Science, and currently serves on the board of the Biotech Association of Maine. Outside of the scientific world, Ms. Ehrenfeld is a Registered Maine Guide who enjoys many outdoor pursuits, including sea kayaking, cross-country skiing, and hiking. She has led trips and taught classes for a number of organizations in Maine , including LL Bean, Maine Audubon, and the WoodenBoat School. Ms. Ehrenfeld is a past President of the Board of Trustees of Portland Trails, and currently serves on the Board of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Ms. Ehrenfeld was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in June 2005.

 

M. Wing Goodale, Falmouth -- 1 st Term

Mr. Goodale is a research biologist and seabird program director at BioDiversity Research Institute, a Maine-based nonprofit ecological research group. He carries out diverse fieldwork, from conducting bird surveys to testing seabird eggs for mercury to capturing and collecting blood from bald eagles. When not in the field, Goodale prepares scientific papers, conducts GIS analysis, manages Biodiversity's Web site, and oversees live eagle and loon Web cameras. Outside of work, he is a member of the Falmouth Shellfish Committee and membership chair of the Waterbirds Society. Prior to BioDiversity, Goodale studied wildlife in many regions of the continental U.S., worked with endangered species in Hawaii, assessed a macaw reintroduction project in Costa Rica, and assisted in an expedition to the lowland rainforest in Brazil. For his work he has been recognized as a National Fellow of the Explorers Club. Goodale has a bachelor's degree in biology from Colorado College and master's degree in conservation biology from College of the Atlantic. He was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in March 2006.

 

Richard Gould, Greenville -- 1 st Term

Mr. Gould is a retired high school teacher and former State Legislator with a long history of service to his community and the state. During his twenty-two year career as a high school teacher, Mr. Gould taught government and history in the Greenville school system, and served as the vocational education director for the towns of Greenville and Jackman. Mr. Gould was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, serving five terms from 1986 to 1996. During his tenure in the Legislature, Mr. Gould was a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, including a term as co-chair of the Committee. After leaving the State House, Mr. Gould was employed by Great Northern Paper as the company's legislative liaison, working with natural resource issues, policies and legislation. At the local level, Mr. Gould has been a Selectman for the Town of Greenville for over twenty years, including twelve years as Chair. He currently serves as Greenville 's Code Enforcement Officer and is in his second term on the Greenville School Committee. Mr. Gould has also worked as a wood harvester and managed a family farm. He and his wife reside in Greenville where they enjoy gardening and spending time with their grandchildren. Mr. Gould was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in March 2006.

 

Lissa Widoff, Freedom -- 1st Term

Ms. Widoff is the Executive Director for the Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation, a family foundation based in Belfast , Maine that focuses on environmental leadership development. As Executive Director she oversees the foundation's operations including grant programs, board management, policy implementation, and financial management. Ms. Widoff's background in environmental work largely began in the early 1980's as a staff ecologist for the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy where she developed conservation priorities and land preserve designs. She later worked for the Maine State Planning Office on wetland policy and then as a project manager in the Land for Maine's Future Program where she facilitated the purchase of over 50,000 acres of new public lands Ms. Widoff has also employed her organizational, strategic planning and fundraising skills to develop and promote projects for a number of non-profit organizations including the Maine Community Foundation, the Audubon Expedition Institute, the Golden Rule Foundation, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Ms. Widoff was a trustee of the Maine Chapter of The Nature Conservancy from 1995-2005 and has served on several committees in the Town of Freedom including the Planning Board, Appeals Board and Community Internet Program. She has recently served on the steering committee of the Maine Environmental Funders Network. Ms. Widoff has a Masters in Public Administration from the J. F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University , and an undergraduate degree in Forest Biology from the State University of New York. She resides in Freedom where she enjoys canoeing, cross-country skiing, bicycling and restoring old houses. Ms. Widoff was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in March 2008.

 

P. Andrews Nixon, Brunswick -- 1st Term

Mr. Nixon retired on May 1, 2008 from his position as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Dead River Company. He joined the company in 1970 and served as President for 35 years. The company is the largest distributor of residential heating fuels (home heating oil, kerosene and propane) in northern New England, operates a chain of convenience stores in Maine, and develops, manages and owns a large portfolio of commercial real estate properties (shopping centers, office buildings and industrial buildings) in states from Maine to Florida.

During his tenure with Dead River Company, Mr. Nixon incorporated a philosophy of environmental stewardship into the operations of the company, initiating numerous projects to upgrade facilities to be more protective of the environment. As a result of these efforts, the company received six Governors' Awards for Environmental Excellence and thirteen of the company's convenience stores have been recognized by the State's Environmental Leader Program.

Prior to joining Dead River Company, Mr. Nixon served in the administration of Governor Curtis working on environmental legislation, economic development and petroleum policy. He was appointed by Governor Kenneth Curtis to chair the Machiasport Planning and Conservation Committee to examine the social, economic and environmental impacts of a proposed oil refinery in Washington County . The findings of the committee resulted in the passage of the state's Oil Conveyance Act regulating the transportation and handling of petroleum products along the Maine coast and the Site Location of Development Law which gave the state the authority to review significant development projects. Maine was the first state in the Union to provide this protection for its citizens. Mr. Nixon was subsequently appointed in 1972 to the Maine Environmental Improvement Commission, the predecessor of the Board of Environmental Protection.

In addition to his professional work, Mr. Nixon is a committed volunteer and civic leader who has served on the board of directors of numerous non-profit organizations including the Maine Community Foundation, the Center for Prevention of Hate Violence, and Common Good Ventures. Mr. Nixon has also served as an officer in the United States Navy and as a Peace Corps volunteer in West Africa . He is a graduate of Yale University . Mr. Nixon was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in March 2008.

 

Franklin Woodard, Falmouth – 1 st Term

Mr. Woodard is the co-founder and past president (1979 to 2004) of Woodard & Curran, Inc., a 550 employee environmental consulting firm headquartered in Portland , Maine . Mr. Woodard holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering from the University of Maine and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from Purdue University . His fields of specialization include: mathematical modeling of hydraulic systems, vulnerability of estuaries to pollutant discharges, industrial wastewater treatment, and chemical and physical pollution control processes. He has authored numerous technical papers on water pollution control technologies and has authored a book titled, “Industrial Waste Treatment Handbook.” He was instrumental in the development of Maine 's first solid waste management law. Mr. Woodard is the recipient of several professional awards including: Achievement in Environmental Engineering from the American Society of Civil Engineers (2003), the Edward T. Bryand Distinguished Engineering Award from the University of Maine Engineering Department (2001), and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Maine Wastewater Control Association (1999). In addition to his consulting work, Mr. Woodard has been a dedicated teacher, serving 12 years as a full time professor and many years as an adjunct professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Maine , where the Environmental Engineering laboratory is named in his honor. Mr. Woodard, a native of Bingham , Maine , currently resides with his family in Falmouth . He was appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in June 2009. Franklin Woodard, Falmouth – 1 st Term

 

(October 2009)

 

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