MyT Board of Directors, 2023-2024 |
| Daniel Puhlman, PhD Dan is a faculty member in the human development and family studies program at University of Maine, part of the School of Educational Leadership, Higher Education and Human Development. His research is focused on family processes such as fathering and parenting. Specifically, he looks at co-parenting relationships and how mothers and fathers influence one another in the raising of children. Daniel’s work centers around theory development and qualitative exploration of these family processes. He is also a Marriage and Family Therapist and has worked clinically with families for the past 15 years. He received a PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Florida State University. Daniel comes to the University of Maine with his wife Jane and 3 children, Max, Nathyn, and Jack. He is from Pittsburgh and is an avid Penguins fan and loves to be outdoors. |
 | J. Kenneth Stewart III - Senior Vice President Banking, M&T Bank Ken is the Regional Senior Vice President for our Retail Division in New England overseeing our Maine Retail Banking market. His family relocated from Baltimore where most recently he was a commercial manager overseeing the VIP banking relationships (sports teams, legal, political and manufacturing). Kenneth holds a BS in International Business, a Graduate Degree from MD School of Banking, and multiple years of experience with involvement in local and regional Boards supporting a variety in interest including but not limited to (Elder Care, Youth Activities, Museum and historical preservation, Homelessness and low income urban families, Orphan and Minor housing and education services) His most memorable Maine moments are proposing to his wife, Heidi, on Mount Kineo, and the birth of his second son, Maxell. |
| Leslie A. Forstadt, PhD Leslie lived in the Midwest before moving to Maine in 2004. Since 2007, she’s worked at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension on campus in Orono. She earned her PhD in Educational Psychology and her research focused on alternative education for youth at-risk for high school dropout. Her current work in Human Development with UMaine Extension focuses on communication and well-being of farm families and awareness of ACEs and resilience in farms and beyond. Leslie was a founding member of the Maine Resilience Building Network and served on the Leadership Team before transitioning to Board President. In 2019, she completed her certification in mediation. She loves spending time with her husband and two sons, and practicing communication moment by moment in her precious time with friends and family. |
| Samantha Hackney – Co-Founder & Principal, Marigold Strategy Samantha is a social impact consultant and organizational development expert. She is the co-founder and principal of Marigold Strategy, a woman-owned consulting firm working at the intersection of diversity, equity, and inclusion and organizational development. Marigold works with nonprofits, foundations, companies, and other actors interested in building more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and resilient organizational cultures and structures. Samantha holds a M.A.L.D. in International Business and Development Economics from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a B.A. in French from Amherst College. She lives in Portland, Maine with her husband and pup Cholula. |
| Heather Batchelor, Ed.D. – Faculty, Thomas College Heather has been an educator for 25 years and is currently an Associate Professor of Education at Thomas College. She has taught in diverse settings around the country including as an Associate Professor at Westminster University in Salt Lake City and as a decorated classroom educator in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Colorado. Her passion for more equitable and supportive schools led her to spearhead school-based programs to reduce dropout by focusing on students' social-emotional well-being. In addition, she developed the first Masters program in Trauma-Resilient Schools in the Mountain West. She is deeply committed to the mission and goals of the MRBN, believing that focusing on the mental health and wellness of all members of our community benefits us all. Heather is an avid outdoors person who loves Maine's unrivaled opportunities to get outside and soak in the beauty of nature. |
| Kristy Ouellette, PhD - Extension Professor, University of Maine Kristy serves as an Extension Professor, Positive Youth Development Specialist, and Co-State Program Leader for 4-H Youth Development at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. In her role, she leads the onboarding and professional development of Maine 4-H staff, emphasizing positive youth development. Her efforts focus on streamlining initiatives and shaping the vision of positive youth development across all aspects of the Maine 4-H program.
As a native Mainer, Kristy loves Maine for its unique blend of rural charm and innovation, which provides the perfect backdrop for fostering growth, learning, and connection. Kristy lives in Litchfield with her husband and two sons. |
Shaun Haskins - Co-Director and Director of Development, Cobscook Institute |
Jim Roche - President, Maine Bankers Association |
Amanda Methot-Vigue, MSW, J.D. - Owner, Methot Method Consulting |
Jack Thompson - Undergraduate Student, Central Maine Community College |