Maine Senate Confirms New Members to Maine's State Workforce Board

April 24, 2024:

For Immediate Release: April 24, 2024

Contact: Christopher Quint, 207-232-6470

Maine Senate Confirms New and Returning Members to Maine's State Workforce Board

AUGUSTA - The Maine Senate confirmed two new nominees to the State Workforce Board (SWB), as well as three returning members, in a vote held April 10. The two new SWB members, nominated by Governor Janet Mills, are Ryan Bushey of Houlton and Abraham (Abe) Furth of Old Town. The three reappointed members are Vaughan Woodruff of Pittsfield (Chair), Adria Horn of Pittston, and Alexander Rogers of Manchester.

"The core work of the State Workforce Board - aligning our economic and workforce development goals - is critically important to Maine people and businesses. With the confirmation vote by the Maine Senate, the State Workforce Board has gained two new exceptional leaders, and three valuable returning members. They will work to address the pressing needs of both Maine employers and workers by connecting employers with a skilled workforce and helping workers fill high demand jobs," said Laura Fortman, MDOL Commissioner. "These Board members are qualified and well respected in their fields and represent a number of Maine industries. Their expertise will be beneficial to the State Workforce Board as it tackles the important work ahead."

The State Workforce Board (SWB) - https://www.maine.gov/swb/ is an employer-led board whose purpose is to ensure that Maine's workforce development system helps Maine people and businesses compete successfully in the global economy. The SWB advises the Governor on workforce policy and the development and evaluation of the Workforce Development System (WDS) - https://www.maine.gov/swb/stateplan/index.shtml , which includes other state agencies such as Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services along with the Community College System, University of Maine System, and Maine employers.

Ryan Bushey serves as the Human Resources & Safety Manager for Louisiana Pacific Building Solutions (LP) for Maine based operations. As a leader in high-performance building solutions, Louisiana Pacific Building Solutions manufactures engineered wood products that meet the demands of builders, remodelers, and homeowners worldwide. In their Maine based manufacturing facility located in New Limerick, LP produces siding & trim products for residential and commercial customers. Ryan, who graduated from Husson University with a Master of Science in Business, has over 20 years working in the Maine forest products industry; spending the last 16 years with LP. Ryan, along with his wife Katherine, live in Houlton where they raise their two children. This will be Ryan's first term and appointment to the State Workforce Board.

Abraham (Abe) Furth is a lifelong Mainer and co-founder of Orono Brewing Company and Wild Maine Vodka Seltzer, two of Maine's largest beverage brands. He's a University of Maine alumnus and has been in business in Maine since 2005. Abe is an avid skier and mountain biker and splits his time between Old Town and Sugarloaf with his wife (and business partner) Heather, and their rescue dog Lola. Abe also serves on the board of the Outdoor Sport Institute, WinterKids, and the Bicycle Coalition of Maine. This will be Abe's first term and appointment to the State Workforce Board.

Vaughan Woodruff is the owner and founder of EquinoxDG, a consulting firm focused on supporting companies in the clean energy sector with workforce development and regulatory strategies. Vaughan previously served as Vice President of Workforce Development and Interconnection Strategy for ReVision Energy, where he oversaw the company's electrical apprenticeship program, developed additional apprenticeships that serve as models for efforts to build national solar apprenticeship standards, and designed an innovative pre-apprenticeship program in collaboration with Portland Adult Education that streamlines entry into Maines solar industry for new Americans. Vaughan has been a key contributor to the growth of Maine's solar industry, serving as founder and CEO of Insource Renewables, an employee-owned B Corp based in Pittsfield, from 2008 to 2021, and as chair of the state's solar industry trade group from 2012 to 2018. Vaughan earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine and an M.A. Education from Prescott College.

Adria Horn serves as the Vice President of Workforce at Tilson Technology Management, a high growth, Maine-based national company on a mission to build America's information infrastructure. Adria graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 2001 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army Military Police Corps and served in various positions as both a Military Police Officer and a Psychological Operations Officer. She deployed five times in support of the Global War on Terror. Still serving, Adria is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army Reserves. She holds an MBA from Northeastern University.

Alexander Rodman Rogers is Founder and CEO of Grace Hospitality Associates, Inc. Rogers has 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry providing visionary strategic, fiscal, and operational leadership. He currently operates the Maine Evergreen Hotel, Ascend Hotel Collection, which is a 76-room, upscale boutique hotel in Augusta

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