Heather Shields is a self-made individual who is a Senior Vice President and Broker with Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty. Growing up on the island of North Haven in Maine’s Penobscot Bay, Heather spent many years working with fellow island resident, and U.S. Congresswoman, Chellie Pingree. Heather's journey from island life to mainland real estate showcases her commitment to learning, resilience and adaptability. She has many important insights on Maine’s unique community...

Kristin Eckhardt is a co-founder of Notice, a boutique consulting agency that specializes in educational startups and other entrepreneurial ventures. A graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, Kristin's education and professional background encompass diverse realms from visual art and architecture to technology and small business ownership. Kristin believes in balancing tech with tangible experiences, and the importance of nurturing enriching environments, both physical and virtual....

Sonia Cook-Broen is a trailblazing innovator whose focus is the intersection of technology and art. A former software engineer and longtime Maine resident, Sonia is the founder of TheTechMargin, which embraces “coloring outside of the lines, creativity, mindfulness, and allyship,” through its online classes and other content. Sonia advocates for diversity in the tech industry, emphasizing the value of varied perspectives in problem-solving. Sonia also transforms artwork into wearable pieces,...

Page Eastburn O’Rourke spent decades developing a successful career based on a creative style she called “Pop Folk Art,” that became beloved by loyal collectors of her work. She hopes that her new work will be even more appealing to those who have come to love and appreciate her approach. Page recalls a “lightning bolt” moment while exploring the Left Bank in Paris that convinced her of the clear immediate need to shift her painting to a more abstract form. Although this change represents a...

Raised in Winslow, Maine, Addiction Medicine specialist Dr. Nick Gallagher is the latest in a long line of family members to provide care for his community. He began his employment with the local hospital when he was a teenager, scrubbing floors and emptying trash cans, as a member of the environmental services team. After working his way through the University of Maine at Augusta, Nick went on to the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, Maine. During his...

Coffee by Design owner and co-founder Mary Allen Lindemann is a pioneering force in the coffee industry, and a longstanding supporter of arts and community in Maine.  Her deep connection to the state dates back to 1971, when her family first began summering on Chebeague Island in Casco Bay. Mary Allen would go on to pursue fashion marketing and advertising, before a chance intersection with Seattle’s specialty coffee scene seeded her desire to focus on what would become her life’s work....

Emerging artist Miriam Webber found her way back to art as a means to rediscover herself after becoming a mother. Miriam has long enjoyed painting and drawing. A friend who featured Miriam’s work at her local business catalyzed Miriam’s shift toward sharing her art publicly, and the subsequent sell-out show affirmed Miriam’s artistic path. Currently balancing her role as a mother and work as a hairstylist with her artistic pursuits, Miriam actively involves her son in her creative process....

Dr. David Salko is a family physician and medical leader dedicated to community health. A graduate of Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and the Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Dave completed his family medicine residency at Maine Medical Center in Portland. He and his wife, Jen, have four active children, whose interests range from ice hockey to art. Passionate about teaching, Dave mentors the next generation of health...

Dianne Ballon is a sound artist. A graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, Dianne originally worked with visual mediums, but became intrigued by the creative possibilities of audio elements, and soon changed her focus to sound. Her current exhibit at the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath, titled Lost and Found: Sounds of the Maine Coast by Dianne Ballon, features local soundscape essentials such as buoys and  foghorns.  Previously a member of the teaching and production staff at...

An experienced leader across various industries, Alex Sydnor brings a unique perspective to the healthcare sector, where he has served as a Chief Strategy Officer for more than a decade. With a background in education and the arts, Alex recognizes the pivotal role creativity plays in problem-solving. Alex emphasizes the value of cross-disciplinary ideas, and encourages a culture that embraces diverse viewpoints. He champions and practices effective group facilitation as a means of fostering...

When George Matelich began his career, he intentionally moved to the West Coast to be in the center of tech entrepreneurship. He understood the importance of spending time with others who were on the cutting edge. Drawing on this exposure, and experience as a software engineer, this former self-described “pizza-influencer,” developed invaluable insights and skills. George has used these to cultivate a tech community, Nexus Maine, that he envisions as a place for like-minded entrepreneurs to...

Dr. Sheila Carroll is a former practicing pediatrician who is finding new joy as a certified life and weight coach. A Maine native, and graduate of Bowdoin College and the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Sheila worked as a physician for two decades. After experiencing professional burnout and recognizing the limitations of traditional medicine, Sheila embarked on a path of personal transformation. Additional training and experience in coaching helped Sheila to solidify her...

Stacey Dietsch specializes in human potential. After almost two decades with a national consulting firm, Stacey became the Executive Vice President of Talent at Liberty Mutual Insurance earlier this year. Drawing upon her educational background in psychology, Stacey has developed an expansive understanding of the nuanced world of human resources over the course of her professional career. Stacey seeks to align personal motivations with organizational objectives, enhancing job satisfaction and...

Kristine Newell is an author and professional speaker known for her transformative insights on gratitude. With a background in real estate and executive leadership, Kristine's journey includes multiple familiar challenging events, including the financial stress caused by the 2008 global economic downturn, and subsequent impact on her personal life. She also describes the unimaginable community grief caused by the deaths of several local teens due to a car accident. Kristine’s debut book, "The...

Liz Cotter Schlax, is the President and CEO of United Way of Southern Maine. Originally from Maine, Liz graduated from Waterville High School, then completed an undergraduate degree at Harvard University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She developed her skills in corporate and non-profit settings across the United States, before returning to her home state, with a desire to have a positive and lasting impact on her own community. At the United Way of Southern Maine, Liz oversees...

Emma Wilson is the Director of the Portland Art Gallery, which is celebrating ten years of representing established and emerging artists at its expansive, light-filled space in Portland Maine’s Old Port district. The Gallery Director for the past eight years, Emma has been an integral part of executing the gallery’s unique and successful vision. Her focus on artist and buyer relationships and communication have proven critical to the Portland Art Gallery’s ability to support artists at every...

Native Mainer Katie Shorey has become an enthusiastic promoter of her home state, both as the Director of Engagement for the non-profit Live + Work in Maine, as well as the President of the entrepreneurial resource hub, Startup Maine. Katie grew up in the small Western Maine town of Sweden and graduated from nearby Fryeburg Academy, before getting her college degree from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York.  Subsequent experiences with partnerships and consulting in larger locales...

Catherine Breer has been a prolific and popular Maine artist for decades, captivating the imaginations of art-lovers with her colorful landscapes and scenes of coastal living.  A child of Christian missionaries, Catherine spent her childhood in Seoul, Korea, and has found herself influenced by the harmony of Buddhist imagery and thinking. She studied painting and drawing at the Atlanta College of Art (now a part of the Savannah College of Art and Design) and School of the Museum of Fine Arts,...

Carolyn Delaney is the founder of Journey Enterprises, a media company focused on making recovery from addiction more visible and accessible. Carolyn’s own life-altering experience created an impetus for the significant work she has done supporting individuals and families who are challenged by substance use disorder. While Carolyn encountered a lack of understanding and awareness as a young single mother in early recovery many years ago, she also found hope and encouragement through...

Bill Laurita is the president of the Swans Island Company, a well known maker of traditional wool blankets. Now located in Northport, Maine, the company had its origins on the picturesque isle that bears its name. Bill, his wife, and brother took over the business in 2004, when its original owners retired. This was a natural progression for Bill and his wife, who began their careers in Waldorf education. They found the work of the Swans Island Company to be holistic and process-oriented,...

Dr. Robert McArtor is a longtime Maine resident and leader in medicine, who had a significant impact on Maine’s healthcare landscape. One of the state’s first chief medical officers in the newly created MaineHealth system, Bob drew upon his skills in family medicine and teaching to engage clinicians in improving quality measures and the health of the community. Bob models healthy lifestyle behaviors, both as a former marathoner and as a triathlete who earned the honor of representing the...

Rebecca Hoffmann is the director for the Maine Health Center for Trauma Resilience and Innovation. As part of this role, Rebecca focuses on the challenges faced by caregivers and staff in the healthcare system. One significant challenge is an underlying cultural belief that healthcare providers should be superhuman, and able to continually put aside their own needs in order to care for others. While this view was prevalent before the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not diminished in the past...

Rebeccah Sanders is the CEO of the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM). The NRCM operates within the unique ecological ethic and culture of a state where environmental issues are an integral part of how people live their lives. Rebeccah and her team endeavor to engage stakeholders and build coalitions to achieve important environmental legislation. Rebeccah is understandably proud of the first-in-the-nation legislation that the NRCM has been involved in, such as the bottle bill and the...

Former high school athlete Eavan O'Neill began running marathons as a result of a life-altering event. During her senior year in college at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, Eavan was diagnosed with Stargardt disease, a rare form of macular degeneration that causes vision loss, and often leads to blindness.  Soon after receiving this diagnosis, Eavan’s school closed due to Covid restrictions. Eavan found herself back in her hometown of Yarmouth, Maine. While processing the initial...

Dr. Hermann Haller is the President of the MDI Biological Laboratory (MDIBL), located in Salisbury Cove, Maine. Born and raised in Germany, Hermann trained there as a nephrologist (kidney specialist), before completing post-doctoral work at the Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. In addition to being a practicing physician, medical school professor and researcher in German institutions for more than two decades, Hermann continued his work in the United States through the MDIBL...