Member Biographies

Susan Lessard, Chair -- 2nd Term

Ms. Lessard, who has more than 25 years of experience in local government, is currently the Town Manager for the Town of Hampden where her responsibilities include budget development and administration, personnel administration, policy implementation, investment management and economic development. She previously served as Town Manager for the communities of Vinalhaven, Fayette and Livermore Falls. Ms. Lessard has received a number of awards including the Governor's Environmental Excellence Award (2002) for development of a collaborative process for municipal review of major landfill expansion projects in Hampden, and the Maine Engineering Excellence Award (1998) and Maine Town and City Manager's Association Leadership Award (1999) for the development of an innovative alternative landfill capping plan for the town of Vinalhaven which resulted in substantial savings to the community and the State. Ms. Lessard also served on the Mane Lighthouse Selection Committee, receiving a U.S. Coast Guard Public Service Commendation (1996) for her work on a program to transfer ownership of thirty-five Maine lighthouses from the federal government to municipalities and non-profit organizations across the state. Ms. Lessard's service to Maine communities also includes her work at Maine Tomorrow where she was involved in community planning and transportation projects. Susan is currently a member of the Hampden Congregational Church, Maine Town & City Manager's Association, and the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. She also serves on the board of directors for the Municipal Review Committee and served as President of the Maine Municipal Association in 2003. Her educational background is in public administration and engineering. Ms. Lessard has two adult sons, one who works in special education and one as a researcher at Jackson Lab. She currently resides in Hampden with her Boston terrier, Sassy, who also serves as the mascot at the Hampden Town Office. Ms. Lessard was re-appointed to the Board by Governor LePage in October 2011 and retained as chair.

Elizabeth E. Ehrenfeld, Falmouth -- 2nd Term

Ms. Ehrenfeld holds a doctorate in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Michigan and an undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Cornell University. Ms. Ehrenfeld lived in Switzerland for 5 years doing post-doctoral work in bacterial genetics at the University of Geneva Medical School, and the Nestle corporate research center. In 1992 she moved to Maine to work for IDEXX Laboratories where she developed diagnostic tests for the food industry. She has written numerous scientific papers, and has several patents on detection of bacteria in drinking water and food. She is currently an adjunct professor in the Science Department at Southern Maine Community College where she teaches courses in Microbiology, Genetics and Biotechnology. She is a founding member of Mainely Women in Science, and currently serves on the board of the Biotech Association of Maine. Outside of the scientific world, Ms. Ehrenfeld is a Registered Maine Guide who enjoys many outdoor pursuits, including sea kayaking, cross-country skiing, and hiking. She has led trips and taught classes for a number of organizations in Maine , including LL Bean, Maine Audubon, and the WoodenBoat School. Ms. Ehrenfeld is a past President of the Board of Trustees of Portland Trails, and currently serves on the Board of the Appalachian Mountain Club. Ms. Ehrenfeld was re-appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in June 2009.

M. Wing Goodale, Falmouth -- 2nd Term

Mr. Goodale is a research biologist and seabird program director at BioDiversity Research Institute, a Maine-based nonprofit ecological research group. He carries out diverse fieldwork, from conducting bird surveys to testing seabird eggs for mercury to capturing and collecting blood from bald eagles. When not in the field, Goodale prepares scientific papers, conducts GIS analysis, manages Biodiversity's Web site, and oversees live eagle and loon Web cameras. Outside of work, he is a member of the Falmouth Shellfish Committee and membership chair of the Waterbirds Society. Prior to BioDiversity, Goodale studied wildlife in many regions of the continental U.S., worked with endangered species in Hawaii, assessed a macaw reintroduction project in Costa Rica, and assisted in an expedition to the lowland rainforest in Brazil. For his work he has been recognized as a National Fellow of the Explorers Club. Goodale has a bachelor's degree in biology from Colorado College and master's degree in conservation biology from College of the Atlantic. He was re-appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in March 2009.

Richard Gould, Greenville -- 2nd Term

Mr. Gould is a retired high school teacher and former State Legislator with a long history of service to his community and the state. During his twenty-two year career as a high school teacher, Mr. Gould taught government and history in the Greenville school system, and served as the vocational education director for the towns of Greenville and Jackman. Mr. Gould was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, serving five terms from 1986 to 1996. During his tenure in the Legislature, Mr. Gould was a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, including a term as co-chair of the Committee. After leaving the State House, Mr. Gould was employed by Great Northern Paper as the company's legislative liaison, working with natural resource issues, policies and legislation. At the local level, Mr. Gould has been a Selectman for the Town of Greenville for over twenty years, including twelve years as Chair. He currently serves as Greenville 's Code Enforcement Officer and is in his second term on the Greenville School Committee. Mr. Gould has also worked as a wood harvester and managed a family farm. He and his wife reside in Greenville where they enjoy gardening and spending time with their grandchildren. Mr. Gould was re-appointed to the Board by Governor Baldacci in March 2010.

Gary Curtis, Greenwood – 1 st Term [photo pending]

Mr. Curtis is a retired paper industry expert. Mr. Curtis was the Mill Manager at the New Page Corporation mill in Luke, Maryland from 2006 to 2010 where he oversaw productivity, quality, safety, environmental compliance, staff operations, communications, governmental affairs and labor relations. From 1993 to 2006, he was Vice President of Maine Operations at MeadWestvaco. In this position he was responsible for all operations including the management of timber harvesting on the company's land holdings. Mr. Curtis has also held a number of management positions at other paper industry plants throughout the United States. Mr. Curtis's community service includes past membership on the Board of the Rumford Community Hospital, the Board of Androscoggin Home Care and Hospice, and the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation, and as a volunteer for Maine Handicapped Skiing. Mr. Curtis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Pulp and Paper Technology from the University of Maine. He was appointed to the Board by Governor Paul Lepage in September 2011.

Robert A. Foley, Wells - 1 st Term

Mr. Foley, a 35 year veteran of the insurance industry, is currently employed as an agent and partner at Cole Harrison Agency in Kennebunk. A native of Kittery, Mr. Foley has been a resident of Wells since 1977, where he has been actively involved in town government. He served on the Wells Board of Selectmen from 1992-2003, and again from 2009 to the present, including seven years as Chairman. He has also served on the Town of Wells Charter Commission, the Comprehensive Planning Committee, the Harbor Advisory Committee, and as the town's representative on the Wells Reserve Management Authority at the Wells National Estuary Research Reserve. Mr. Foley has a strong interest in coastal issues and is the founder of Save Our Shores-Maine and the Maine Coastal Coalition. Mr. Foley served on the State of Maine Beaches Committee from 2006-2008. Mr. Foley also serves as a Trustee to York Hospital. Mr. Foley holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Policy from the University of Southern Maine. He was appointed to the Board by Governor Paul Lepage in September 2011.

Alvin K. Ahlers, North Yarmouth – 1 st Term [photo pending]

Mr. Ahlers is a retired Registered Professional Engineer , with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maine. He served as Environmental Manager for Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation in South Portland from 1993 to 2004 where he was responsible for managing environmental compliance for the facility and was an active member of Maine DEP's Environmental Leadership program for Fairchild. Prior to joining Fairchild, Mr. Ahlers was employed by ABB Environmental Services (formerly E.C. Jordan Co) of Portland where, among other things, he managed the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties, developed programs for the management of underground storage tanks, and performed process design engineering for a variety of clients. Since retiring he has been active in town government, currently serving on the Town of North Yarmouth Budget Committee and on the town's Economic and Sustainability Committee. He was appointed to the Board by Governor Paul Lepage in September 2011.

(October 2011)

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