Community Action in Aroostook, Washington and Hancock Counties has reached a defining milestone in the development of a unified, regional community action agency serving northern and Downeast Maine with the formal election of a new 30-member, three-county board of directors.
This achievement marks a major step forward in the organization’s transition to a fully integrated governance and service delivery model spanning the three counties, an expansive region representing approximately 35 percent of Maine’s landmass.
The new board reflects the federally required tripartite structure of community action agencies, ensuring balanced representation from the consumer, public and private sectors.
Board members were nominated by a six-member, three-county nominating committee and seven entities, including the Head Start Parent Policy Council, Aroostook Community Collaborative, Community Caring Collaborative, Healthy Acadia and the County Commissioners from each of the three counties.
“The process we have engaged in over the past several months has been very inclusive and intentional,” said Jason Parent, the organization’s CEO. “From the governance work session we held in November that brought together more than 70 community leaders, partners, and service recipients, to the thoughtful nomination and election of this board, we have taken great strides to ensure that the voices of the communities we serve are meaningfully represented as we carry this new agency forward.”
Board Chair Gary Sanfacon underscored the significance of the election as the culmination of that process and the foundation for what comes next.
“This is a historic step in strengthening community action across northern and Downeast Maine,” Sanfacon said. “The board we have elected reflects the diversity, expertise, and commitment needed to guide this organization as it continues to evolve.”
The new board includes the following from each sector.
Consumer sector: Bobbie Chasse (Aroostook Policy Advisory Council/AMHC), Bruce Thibeault (Head Start Parent Policy Council), January Pederson (Head Start Parent Policy Council), Meghan Miller (Head Start Parent Policy Council), Trudy Gorneault (Head Start/Early Childhood Education expert), Robin Levesque (Aroostook Community Collaborative/Maine Parent Federation), Lauren Sachs (Community Caring Collaborative – Washington County), Nicole Brandt (Community Caring Collaborative – Washington County), Leslie Goode (Healthy Acadia – Hancock County), Lynette Johnson (Healthy Acadia – Hancock County).
Public sector: Ammie London (Region Two School of Applied Technology Director), Gary Sanfacon (State of Maine Juvenile Corrections Officer), Jenney Dionne (Madawaska Select Board), Nancy Troeger (Van Buren Town Librarian), Sheriff Peter Johnson (Aroostook County Sheriff), Dan MacDonald (RSU 39 Adult Education Director), Courtney Hammond (Washington County Commissioner), Marcia Rogers (Mayor of Calais), Jo Cooper (Lamoine Select Board Chair), Nicole Beers (RSU 25 Bucksport Elementary School Principal).
Private sector: Billi Griffeth (Financial Services), Catherine Kent (Attorney), David Alward (Finance and Accounting), Jennifer Buckingham (Economic Development), John Zavodny (Housing), Nikki Chan (Education and Training), Patti Haslam (Transportation), Paula Sperry (Energy and Utilities), Theresa Brown (Health and Wellness), with one vacancy remaining in the Natural Resources sector to be filled in the coming months.
Board Vice Chair and Nominating Committee Chair Paula Sperry emphasized the careful thought behind the design of the governance model.
“We were deeply intentional in assembling a board that not only meets federal requirements, but truly represents the strengths, needs, and perspectives of all three counties,” Sperry said. “The individuals who have agreed to serve bring a remarkable breadth of experience and a shared commitment to advancing opportunity and support for the people and communities we serve.”
The agency amended its bylaws earlier this year to expanded the organization’s service area and governance framework to the three counties.
The board formation builds upon progress made over the past year to stabilize and expand services following the transition of programs formerly operated by Downeast Community Partners. Effective October 15, 2025, the agency successfully assumed nearly all continuing program contracts, maintaining critical services across the region.
Most recently, the organization secured the long-term sustainability of the Friendship Cottage adult day program in Blue Hill through the purchase of its facility, supported by an extraordinary grassroots fundraising effort.
“We do not see ourselves as an organization headquartered in one county extending outward,” Parent said. “We are building a truly regional community action agency—one that is present in and responsive to communities across Aroostook, Washington and Hancock counties.”
There is an intentional shift in service delivery, he said.
“From expanding partnerships with local schools and municipalities to deploying mobile outreach in rural areas, we are working to ensure that access, opportunity, and support are available throughout our entire region—not just in centralized locations.”
The organization is working to create a name and brand to reflect its expanded mission and regional identity. Following a competitive request for proposals process that drew interest from firms across Maine and beyond, Lewiston-based Warp + Weft was selected to guide the effort.
Over the past several months, the firm has worked closely with agency leadership, staff, board members and community stakeholders through surveys, virtual roundtables and in-depth interviews to develop a name and brand that represents the organization’s impact and aspirations.
As a result, the board has approved a new agency name, following multiple rounds of review and a thorough legal clearance process. The group is not yet ready to share the name, Parent said.
The organization will now enter the next phase of brand development, including logo design and visual identity work, with a full public launch anticipated in early fall. Leaders note that the rollout will be accompanied by a broader communications effort to introduce the new brand and reinforce the agency’s role as a unified, regional Community Action organization.
The new board will convene its first full-day, in-person work session on Thursday, June 25 in Sherman, where members will begin developing a new mission, vision, and five-year strategic plan.
Framing the broader significance of the work underway, Parent added, “At any given time of year, our region is the first in the nation to see the sunrise. In a time when many communities are facing significant challenges, we are committed to being a source of light, stability, and opportunity across northern and Downeast Maine.”
