Amara Ifeji

Amara Ifeji is a National Geographic Young Explorer and internationally awarded leader in climate and environmental justice. Her academic research examines the intersection of climate change and gender justice, aiming to illuminate the experiences of Indigenous women as they grapple with extractive climate mitigation projects on the African continent. As a policy practitioner, she leverages grassroots advocacy and participatory justice to advance research-driven policy solutions at the local, state, and federal levels. Such efforts include mobilizing a youth-led legislative campaign that spearheaded Maine's $2+ million climate education program and serving on the Maine Climate Council as the governor-appointed Youth Representative. She holds a B.A. with honors in Political Science from Northeastern University and is pursuing an MSc/PhD at the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment as a Marshall Scholar. 

Jason Parent

As Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jason leads Aroostook County Action Program. Jason holds a Master of Science in Business Degree from Husson University and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. In 2022, Jason earned his Certified Community Action Professional Credential.  Prior to joining ACAP in 2015, Jason held communication leadership positions in higher education and healthcare for nearly two decades. At ACAP, Jason and his leadership team have positioned the Agency to become a national leader in advancing and adopting the Whole Family/Two-Generation Approach and a Comprehensive Service Delivery Model that involves working with families and individuals on all facets of their advancement, so they achieve economic and social mobility and overall wellbeing. 

Puthiery Va

Dr. Puthiery Va was appointed as Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC) in August 2023. A graduate of the University of Rochester, Dr. Va attended medical school at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Jacobi Medical Center in New York, NY, and then completed a fellowship as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer with the US Centers for Disease Control.  She came to the Maine CDC from the Indian Health Services’ Chinle Service Unit, where she served as the Population Health Director and, later, as the Division of Public Health Director. Dr. Va was born in Thailand, as a Cambodian refugee, and later immigrated to the United States with her family. She and her husband have two young children. 

Maulian Bryant, Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance

Maulian Bryant (formally Maulian Dana) was named Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance in December 2024. She has been with the Alliance since its founding in 2020, serving for four years as President of the Wabanaki Alliance Board.

Bryant served as the first Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador from 2017-2024, having been appointed by Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis. As Ambassador, Bryant acted as a representative of the Penobscot Nation and liaison for the Nation at the local, state, and federal levels of government in order to educate and advocate for policy and laws that impact and protect the Penobscot Nation’s sovereignty, culture, natural resources, and the general welfare of the Penobscot people. 

Prior to her work as Ambassador, Bryant served as an elected member of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Council. She grew up on Indian Island within the Penobscot Nation’s Reservation and is the daughter of former Penobscot Nation Chief Barry Dana, who served from 2000-2004. Bryant graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a degree in political science. In 2022, Colby College presented her with an honorary doctorate for her work on equity issues and policy.

Bryant is an outspoken advocate on the issue of derogatory mascots and imagery. Her advocacy resulted in the state of Maine enacting laws that changed the annual Columbus Day in October to Indigenous Peoples Day and prohibited public schools from using derogatory mascots. Her other passion is finding ways to strengthen and expand programs that help to preserve and teach the customs and traditions of the Penobscot people. She is a loving mother to three daughters and centers them in much of her work making the state and country a safer and more equitable place for her children and all tribal people. She believes in leading with love and making progress by finding shared humanity.

Noël Bonam, AARP Maine