A native of New Hampshire, John is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music with a bachelors in music. John’s experience as a professional musician includes working as Principal Tubist with the South Bend and Honolulu Symphonies, as well as performing with a long list of American orchestras including the Rochester and Buffalo Philharmonics,
Sarah Linet, Co-Vice Chair
Sarah Linet is a policy specialist for the Great Schools Partnership. She works with internal and external partners and stakeholders to advance the mission of the New England Secondary Schools Consortium to close achievement gaps and promote educational equity and opportunity for all students through federal, state, and local policy.
Emily Marczak, Co-Vice Chair
Emily Marczak has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 15 years, most recently as the Donor Relations Manager at Preble Street, a social service agency in Portland, Maine. She previously worked in International Education with CIEE and for the Libra Foundation managing the Marketing and Events program from Pineland Farms.
Tim Blackstone, Secretary
Tim Blackstone is the Chief Creative Officer at Ethos—a multi-platform branding agency in Westbrook, Maine—where he leads a diverse team of creative and technology professionals developing and marketing authentic consumer brands. Tim brings a multidisciplinary perspective to the creative process, and has more than 20 years’ experience developing award-winning projects across a wide range of
David E. Currier
David has practiced law at Warren, Currier & Buchanan (or its predecessor) as a principal since 1988. Before that he was an associate at the Portland firm of Murray, Plumb & Murray. David received his JD from Harvard Law School in 1982. He was an editor of the Harvard Law Review from 1980 to 1982.
Erica Swan
Erica is a Research Associate at the University of Southern Maine’s Cutler Institute and works on projects related to population health and health policy with a particular focus on patient safety and healthcare quality performance measurement. Prior to this role, Erica worked in public health evaluation at Partnerships for Health, community finance-related program evaluation at
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc
Gibson Fay-LeBlanc’s first collection of poems, Death of a Ventriloquist, was chosen by Lisa Russ Spaar for the Vassar Miller Prize and published in 2012. The book received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and was featured by Poets & Writers as one of a dozen debut collections to watch. Gibson’s poems have appeared in magazines including Guernica, The New Republic, and Tin
Donna McNeil
Donna McNeil is the Co-Director of Artists in Context and the former Executive Director of the Maine Arts Commission. She has served as a juror for the National Endowment for the Arts, Baker Artist Awards, St. Botolph Awards, MacArthur Foundation, and Piscataquis Artist Advancement grant, and she has worked extensively with the Creative Capital Foundation.
Ashley O’Brion
Ashley O’Brion is a graphic designer and art director for Inc.com. After working at Boston, Oprah, and Maine magazines, she became a freelancer in 2011, collaborating with clients from her farmhouse studio in Raymond, Maine. Ashley designs identities, branding systems, print materials, websites, and—her greatest love—publications, for which she has received multiple awards from The Society of Publication Designers.
Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo, Executive Director
Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo is an artist and an educator. She has dedicated her professional and adult life to promoting the importance of art and education. Beth has had the opportunity to work with a variety of community organizations facilitating insightful and productive connections through the arts. Over a decade ago, Beth founded Oak Street