Click here to read the March 2025 edition of MDF’s Alumni Connector newsletter. This edition includes updates on what the current classes of both ICL and Leadership Maine are up to, information and registration links to upcoming Alumni events, profiles of Alums who are putting those leadership skills into action, and recognition of Alums who are receiving awards, promotions, or milestones.
MDF’s President & CEO, Yellow Light Breen, is featured in the January 13th edition of Mainebiz. He shares his views on why he is hopeful about Maine’s economic outlook for 2025.
To read the article click here.
MDF President and CEO was a featured panelist Monday, January 6, 2025 on Maine Public’s radio program “Maine Calling”. The topic was Maine’s Economic Outlook for 2025.
Yellow joined other panelists Amanda Rector, Maine State Economist, and James Myall, Policy Analyst with Maine Center for Economic Policy.
The panel discussed, among other things, the state’s predicted revenue shortfall, incoming President Trump threat to place tariffs on Canadian and Chinese goods, and Maine’s continuing labor shortage.
Click here to listen to the show.
Hallowell, MAINE — October 1, 2024 — The Maine Downtown Center (MDC), a program of Maine Development Foundation (MDF), is thrilled to announce awards recognizing projects and individuals that have made the biggest impacts in downtown communities in the past year.
“These exemplary individuals and projects are shining examples of the power of collective action to preserve and revitalize our downtowns,” says Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for MDF’s Maine Downtown Center. “They model strategies and best practices that will ensure the communities they live and work in remain vibrant and sustainable for generations to come.”
The MDC team gathered nominations for the awards during a competitive process, and proudly announce the following winners:
William F. King, Jr., Downtown Champion Award: Luke Dyer, Town Manager, Van Buren Luke Dyer is leading Van Buren’s revitalization with resident involvement at the forefront. Dyer has doggedly pursued certifications and grants from state, federal, and foundations that have enabled Van Buren to pursue green space revival and redesign, community engagement events like “Christmas in July”, and a downtown business incubator and connectivity hub.
Downtown Small Business Award: Rhona Beauty, Biddeford Owner Rhona Deah’s salon focuses on serving the region’s communities of color and New Mainer population. She embodies Maine’s entrepreneurial spirit and strives to offer a space that encourages “empowerment and self-love.” Ms. Deah is very active in community, including inviting groups to meet in her salon for networking, professional development, and peer support. She won a $5,000 Main Street America “Inclusive Backing” grant and used it to expand her space and offer booths to other entrepreneur-stylists.
Downtown Project of the Year Award: The Uptown Apartment Complex, Bath The development firm, The Szanton Company, partnered with the City of Bath to revitalize two historic buildings and add a new addition in order to provide much needed affordable housing in downtown Bath. There are 60 apartments total: 18 are market-rate, 42 low-income, and all are reserved for residents aged 55+. It took just six weeks to fill up. There is also an activity room in a former gym, a communal roof deck overlooking the river and park, community rooms and on-site laundry. The Szanton Company worked with more than a dozen partners to secure stacked funding – including MaineHousing low-income tax credits and state and federal historic tax credits and nonprofit lenders like Genesis Community Loan Fund which provided low-interest loans.
The MDC Annual Awards serve as inspiration statewide for communities and individuals working on downtown revitalization. They recognize outstanding efforts in communities which are part of MDF’s Maine Downtown Center program.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to receive the William F. King Jr Award while representing the Town of Van Buren,” says Luke Dyer, Town Manager, Van Buren. “It exemplifies the dedication and tenacity of many individuals who have entrusted in me the reinvention of their beloved downtown.”
“Rhona Beauty strives to be an inclusive cornerstone of the Biddeford-Saco community and we are thrilled to be recognized for this work,” says Rhona Deah, Owner of Rhona Beauty salon. “We started with a goal of meeting the needs of the region’s underserved ethnic community. We’ve grown to become a multicultural hub for our clients but also for fellow entrepreneurs and community members as well.”
“The Szanton Company is honored to be recognized with MDC’s 2024 Downtown Project of the Year Award,” says Amy Cullen, Vice President & Project Partner with The Szanton Company. “We are proud to be part of easing the housing crisis in the Bath region and hope The Uptown serves as a model for making housing more affordable and accessible across Maine.”
The awards will be presented during MDC’s upcoming Annual Conference and Awards Celebration November 6-7 in Biddeford and Saco. The theme this year is “Revitalization in Action.” For more information and the complete schedule of workshops, speakers, and networking sessions visit the conference section of MDF’s website.
To learn more about Maine Downtown Center and how your community can get involved, visit the MDC section of this website. our website.
OLD TOWN, Maine – February 12, 2024 MDF’s Maine Downtown Center (MDC) is pleased to announce that a new community is joining its Maine Downtown Center Affiliate Program. The Downtown Old Town Committee went through an extensive application process including an online application, a site visit, an interview with professional downtown revitalization experts, and a written commitment to the program.
“The Downtown Old Town Committee is very excited,” says EJ Roach, Director of Economic & Community Development for the City of Old Town. “This partnership will help us strengthen our economic infrastructure, attract more investment and new businesses into our community, and bring more visitors to Downtown Old Town.”
With the addition of Old Town, The Maine Downtown Center Affiliate Program currently supports 27 member communities throughout Maine – 10 Nationally Accredited Main Street Communities, 14 Maine Downtown Affiliate Communities, and 3 Municipal Communities. Some, like Old Town, are in the early stages of downtown revitalization, and many are working toward achieving national “Main Street” accreditation. MDC offers access to training by state and national downtown development experts, best practices in the field, and a network of peers from around the state.
Old Town already has a long-standing relationship with both MDC and MDF, being one of 10 communities that were part of the FOR Maine Initiative (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) that MDF has led for many years. As part of this initiative, Old Town was one of the communities that opted-in for receiving technical assistance on their downtown initiative. In 2022, MDC supported Old Town’s participation in the Downtown Redevelopment Services’ Revitalization Roadmap process, producing a report of recommendations for their downtown. MDC has already begun working with Downtown Old Town Committee and municipal staff to prioritize work, develop a realistic work plan, and training on the Main Street Four Point Approach laid out by the National Main Street Center.
“We are excited to have Old Town join the Maine Downtown Center family. Old Town has amazing assets including the largest riverfront park in any of our communities and an historic downtown library. “We are eager to work with them on their downtown revitalization journey,” said Anne Ball, Senior Program Director of the Maine Downtown Center.
Pictured: Downtown Old Town Committee – Front Row (L- R) Jacob Dubay, Laurie Miller, EJ Roach, Angela Thompson, Crystal Schuurman, Scott Benner Second Row (L-R) Cassandra Pool, Catherine Solari, Lisa Gallant, Tim Folster Third Row Nicole Morgan
Hallowell, Maine – November 29, 2023 – The nonpartisan Maine Economic Growth Council today released its 29h annual Measures of Growth Report – a comprehensive snapshot of how the state’s economy is performing relative to our long-term goals, to other states, and to the nation.
The Report finds that overall, Maine continues to perform exceptionally well in terms of environmental stewardship and has made promising improvements to internet connectivity, entrepreneurship, and achievement of postsecondary degrees and credentials. However, the lingering impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health and learning, the high costs of housing and energy, and other systemic challenges continue to burden communities, businesses, and households.
The Council noted that Maine’s quality of life and other enduring assets set the stage to overcome challenges and for additional investments to achieve economic growth, a more resilient economy in an uncertain global environment, and long-term and more equitable prosperity.
“This Report provides critical insight into Maine’s economy and workforce,” says Steve Von Vogt, CEO, Maine Marine Composites and Co-Chair of the Maine Economic Growth Council. “We must continue to harness Yankee ingenuity, innovation, and public-private partnerships to capitalize on Maine’s unique strengths, respond our economic challenges, and eradicate systemic inequities.”
For the first time this year, the report highlights four examples of creative initiatives that are helping address some of Maine’s longstanding challenges. Look for our “Indicator in Action” stories within the Report about Downeast Broadband Utility, Nonantum Resort, Nyle Systems, and Telstar Academy.
“We hope other employers are motivated by the story of our hiring program for formerly incarcerated Mainers,” says Colby Marvin Bracy, Director of Human Resources and Philanthropy, Nonantum Resort. “These employees are very loyal. In part because we gave them a chance and they feel valued…but more because they prove to themselves and society that they are capable and reliable. They show up for work on time, they are resourceful, and they have great attitudes – it enriches the entire organization.”
For the second year in a row this year’s report brings special focus to Maine’s particular challenges in workforce availability and participation, an urgent issue in every industry and region. “The Report unpacks the dimensions and driving forces which stem from years of demographic, economic, and social changes compounded by a global pandemic.,” says James Dill, Director of the Diagnostic and Research Laboratory and Pest Management Specialist, UMaine Cooperative Extension and Co-Chair of the Maine economic Growth Council. “Overcoming these challenges and building the workforce Maine needs will require attracting more working-age people from other states and countries, retaining more of the young people born here, and helping people of all ages, genders, abilities, races, and ethnicities to improve their skills and participate fully in our economy.”
“There is also reason to be encouraged,” says Yellow Light Breen, President & CEO, Maine Development Foundation. “For the first time, the Council assigned a Gold Star to Postsecondary Degrees & Credentials – calling out Maine’s substantial progress over the past decade – reaching 55% of Mainers with a college degree or shorter-term educational or industrial certificate of value in 2021. This ranks Maine among the fastest improving of any state.”
In total, the 2023 Measures of Growth Report tracks 31 indicators that represent Maine’s assets and areas of challenge.
The Council assigns Gold Stars for significant progress in:
The Council assigns Red Flags for needed attention to:
The Maine Economic Growth Council takes a nonpartisan, data-driven approach to presenting an unbiased picture of Maine’s economy and well-being. Measures of Growth is designed to be a resource for policy and decision makers at all levels, helping them to focus their efforts and understand the connections between the key issues affecting the state. The Report works in tandem with the Maine’s 10-Year Economic Development Strategy to inform policy and decisions in order to achieve overarching goals of growing Maine’s talent pool and workforce, increasing wages, and increasing the value of what we sell per worker. The Council is administered by the Maine Development Foundation (MDF).
MDF’s Realize Maine Network and member organization Momentum Aroostook are featured in this article from the Bangor Daily News.
The article highlighted the Network’s signature annual event, Magnetize Maine, which was held this year on Friday October 20th o the campus of the University of Presque Isle.
Here’s an excerpt: “Like most of Maine, Aroostook County is searching for ways to attract and retain young workers to fill gaps as older employees retire out of the workforce. Working toward that goal, local and statewide stakeholders attended a forum called Magnetize Maine at the University of Maine Presque Isle on Friday to share ideas on how to go about what some described as the key to the state’s future. Some of the Aroostook County stakeholders included S.W. Collins, Smith Farms, and MMG Insurance. Panelists said employers in Aroostook County are looking for young professionals in fields like financial services, agriculture, manufacturing, and entrepreneurs looking to start their own businesses. Some panels focused on family farms and young professionals.”
The SEA Maine (Seafood Economic Accelerator) initiative, which MDF staffs, was featured in this News Center Maine story. Reporter Caroline LeCour takes us onboard a boat turned classroom where educators from across the state and the K-Post Secondary system learn about all the education, entrepreuerial, business, and job opportunities the seafood industry offers.
Click here to watch the story: https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/education/seamaine-educator-summit-allows-teachers-to-learn-more-about-maine-aquaculture-industry/97-09694e2d-7997-4019-b779-2f141ddf1a55
CONCORD, NH: A coalition of organizations led by the Northern Forest Center has been awarded $1 million from the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Regional Innovation Engines program. The coalition is among more than 40 unique teams that received one of the first-ever NSF Engines Development Awards, which aim to help partners collaborate to create economic, societal, and technological opportunities for their regions.
Composed of leading forest institutions across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, the new Coalition of Northern Forest Innovation and Research aims to accelerate innovations in forest ecosystem management and forest products and open new markets that depend on thriving forests in northern New England. The NSF Engines Development Awards will help support the coalition in creating regional connections and local forest innovation ecosystems within two years to prepare strong proposals for becoming future NSF Engines, which will each have the opportunity to receive up to $160 million.
“This is a critical time to support forest ecosystem management and forest products innovation in the Northern Forest,” said Joe Short, vice president of the Northern Forest Center and director of the initiative. “Forests and forest products are powerful tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation and provide business and job creation opportunities in rural communities. This award will position our region to accelerate commercialization of forest management practices and forest products that simultaneously support economic growth and climate resilience.”
The institutions collaborating in this strategic regional partnership span research, commercialization, and economic development practices. At the hub of the network is the Northern Forest Center, a regional innovation and investment partner creating rural vibrancy by connecting people, economy, and the forest landscape. Core partners include the University of Maine, University of New Hampshire, University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, University of Vermont, Northern Vermont University, Maine Development Foundation, and the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund.
The coalition will link forest-focused expertise and resources across the three states towards three objectives:
Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont are three of the most forested states in the U.S., with economies tightly linked to the forest’s natural resources. Globalization and shifting markets have brought fundamental changes to the region’s forest industry, while the impacts of climate change are stressing the forest and highlighting the critical role that a healthy Northern Forest and the wood-based products that come from it play in storing and sequestering carbon. “These complex challenges create a critical need and opportunity for adaptation toward a new forest future based on ecological innovation and advanced manufacturing,” said Short.
The NSF Engines program is a transformational investment for the nation, ensuring the U.S. remains in the vanguard of competitiveness for decades to come.
“These NSF Engines Development Awards lay the foundation for emerging hubs of innovation and potential future NSF Engines,” said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. “These awardees are part of the fabric of NSF’s vision to create opportunities everywhere and enable innovation anywhere. They will build robust regional partnerships rooted in scientific and technological innovation in every part of our nation. Through these planning awards, NSF is seeding the future for in-place innovation in communities and to grow their regional economies through research and partnerships. This will unleash ideas, talent, pathways and resources to create vibrant innovation ecosystems all across our nation.”
Launched by NSF’s new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and authorized by the “CHIPS and Science Act of 2022,” the NSF Engines program uniquely harnesses the nation’s science and technology research and development enterprise and regional-level resources. NSF Engines aspire to catalyze robust partnerships to positively impact regional economies, accelerate technology development, address societal challenges, advance national competitiveness and create local, high-wage jobs.
Coalition Partners Bring Leading Expertise
New Hampshire
“UNH is really happy to be part of this team, expanding the workforce development efforts that Andy Fast from UNH Cooperative Extension has been leading with state partners, and bringing our expertise in forest sampling, geospatial methods, and machine learning to bear,” said Dr. Mark Ducey, professor of Forest Biometrics and chair of the Department of Natural Resource and the Environment at UNH.
Maine
“We are excited to leverage our experiences gained in coalition building through the Forest Opportunity Roadmap/Maine (FOR/Maine), extend our extensive business network, and implement our institutional capacities in precision forestry, biofuels and biochemicals, nanocellulose, and advanced building materials to increase Northern New England forest economy’s competitiveness, support rural communities and improve economic resilience,” said University of Maine’s Forest Industry Business Development Manager Shane O’Neill.
“The NSF Engine award is an opportunity to explore the scalability of emerging technology, investment attraction, workforce, and community development efforts completed over the past five years by the FOR/Maine coalition,” said Bri Bowman, senior program director at the Maine Development Foundation. “The Engine will weave Maine’s approach into a wider effort to strategically enrich product diversity and match new technology opportunities with available resources to deepen a regional forest bioeconomy strategy.”
“The University of Maine’s Center for Research on Sustainable Forests has benefitted from prior NSF support for regional efforts like INSPIRES and more national efforts like the Center for Advanced Forestry Systems,” said Dr. Aaron Weiskittel, director of the University of Maine’s Center for Research on Sustainable Forests. “This new investment allows taking our key research innovations in precision forestry and ecosystem services valuation to full commercialization, which opens new potential possibilities for this ecologically and economically important resource for this region. We are excited to join both old and new partners to help make this a reality.”
Vermont
“This project provides a unique and timely opportunity to combine and leverage strengths across institutions in the region to address the challenges facing its forests and communities, including forest adaptation strategies and associated workforce development being advanced by research at the University of Vermont to sustain key elements of the forest value chain into the future,” said Dr. Anthony D’Amato, director of the Forestry Program and School Research Forests at the University of Vermont.
“We’re excited to be part of this collaborative approach to planning for the future forest economy in our region,” said Christine McGowan, Forest Products Program Director for the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund. “The timing of this project is ideal since Vermont is undergoing a Vermont Forest Future Strategic Roadmap process that by the end of the year will lay out a vision for how Vermont will support the growth of our forest and wood products industry. We look forward to incorporating the ideas being developed by forest industry stakeholders throughout Vermont into this regional approach.”
“This funding will build stronger collaboration between Do North’s Forestry Accelerator and regional institutions, industry leaders, and emerging research,” said Jared Reynolds, director of Do North Coworking and the Forestry Accelerator at Northern Vermont University. “It will integrate the Forestry Accelerator into a robust innovation pipeline that supports research, incubates early-stage ideas, and accelerates and commercializes technology that creates a stronger forest industry and economy.”
More information about the coalition’s project funded by the NSF Innovation Engine program is online at https://nfcenter.org/confir.
View a map of the NSF Engines Development Awards. More information can be found on the NSF Engines program website.
NSF MEDIA REQUESTS: media@nsf.gov
Brunswick, MAINE — April 26, 2023 — The Maine Downtown Center, a program of Maine Development Foundation (MDF), is thrilled to announce awards recognizing projects and individuals that have made the biggest impacts in downtown communities in the past year. The awards were given out during a celebratory ceremony today.
“If you are involved in your community or your downtown, these exemplary individuals and projects provide tangible revitalization strategies to take back to your community, “says Anne Ball, Senior Program Director for MDF’s Maine Downtown Center (MDC). “We were very excited to bring together downtown leaders from across the state to celebrate, network, and be inspired. It was great to be back together, celebrating in person, after three years doing so virtually.”
The MDC team gathered nominations for the awards during a competitive process, and proudly announce the following winners:
Downtown Hero Award: Teresa Valliere, Friends of Woodfords Corner. The organization is an MDC Affiliate and has grown quickly and Teresa has been behind nearly everything they’ve accomplished. Teresa has no formal background in economic development, historic preservation, or community organizing, nor is she trained as an urban planner. She has used her background in the food and hospitality industry and her experience as a clinical social worker to build relationships and organize events that helped set in motion the rebuilding of Woodfords Corner, and helped form strategic planning to continue to propel the community forward.
Downtown Project Award: “Manifesting Main – Asset Mapping downtown Ellsworth”. This comprehensive, strategic planning tool was developed over the course of a year by the Heart of Ellsworth organization, an MDC Affiliate. They set a goal to engage a broad spectrum of community members and collectively set a strategic direction for the Heart of Ellsworth, the City of Ellsworth, businesses, and the downtown commercial district as a whole.
“I can only accept this award on behalf of the whole team of neighbors and supporters – the Board, our Muskie grad assistants, the scores of volunteers and the many, many businesses and organizations who partner with us,” says Teresa Valliere, Board Chair, Friends of Woodfords Corner. “We see neighboring is a verb – like the old story of Stone Soup. We just started the effort; others keep contributing more and more and eventually we will all be nourished by the vibrant hub. I am so proud and privileged to live among and work alongside the folks in Woodfords Corner.”
“This award is a resounding validation of community collaboration, and Heart of Ellsworth is honored to be named 2022 Project of the Year,” says Cara Romano, Executive Director, Heart of Ellsworth. “With input from the Ellsworth community, we inventoried downtown assets while looking to the future. We created a manifesto, an informative tool for the 2023 City of Ellsworth comprehensive plan. Community input and timing were the project’s successes.”
Another cause for celebration during the event was the presentation of MDF’s Champion for Forest Communities Award to Charlie Spies, retired CEO, CEI Capital Management, for his dedication to and leadership of work over the last five years within communities participating in the FOR/Maine (Forest Opportunity Roadmap) Initiative. FOR/Maine works to sustain and grow Maine’s forest products industry to $12 billion in economic impact by 2025.
The MDC Annual Awards serve as inspiration statewide for communities and individuals working on downtown revitalization. They recognize outstanding efforts in communities which are part of MDF’s Maine Downtown Center program.
To learn more about Maine Downtown Center and how your community can get involved, visit our website.
