Staff
University of Southern Maine, BA: Interdisciplinary and Self-Designed in Women’s Studies Goddard College, MA, Interdisciplinary and Self-Designed with a focus of Discrimination through the Lens of Class with a special focus on Social Service and Health-Care Delivery
Joanne, HCCA Executive Director, has integrated advocacy, health promotion and coalition building into initiatives serving populations with disparate health risks via her work with and in community-based coalitions. As HCCA Director, she currently directs the assessment and coalition building activities as well as the Healthy Maine Partnership efforts in the 18 towns in Southern Kennebec County. Her passion is reducing the impact of tobacco and the barriers to tobacco treatment on populations with the highest negative impacts.
Joanne participates on several collaborative groups that serve the Kennebec Valley and the DHHS Central District of Somerset and Kennebec Counties.
* Central Maine Behavioral Health Cessation Collaborative
* Mid Maine Worksite Wellness Collaborative
* Healthy Moms Healthy Babies Healthy Families
Community Service activities include
* Richmond Area Health Center, Community Board of Directors,
Vice President and Secretary
* Maine Network of Healthy Communities, Past President, Chair
of Membership Committee
* State Coordinating Council for Public Health System, Executive
Committee advising the Maine Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (MCDC)
Previously, she was the Director of Community Planning for the HIV/AIDS Bureau of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health in Boston, and the HIV Prevention Community Planning Coordinator in Maine. She also served as Executive Director of Dirigo Prevention Coalition, a pilot initiative to provide technical assistance to health promotion and disease prevention coalitions statewide in the late 1990s.
She is a Native of Maine, a mother of 3, and lives with her partner in Bowdoinham
Neill left semi-retirement to join HCCA. A developer of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs across the New England states for the past 15 years,Neill worked 18 years for the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, including six years as the Director of the State Alcohol and Drug Agency. He lives with his wife Mary Ellen in Augusta; his two sons were educated in the Augusta schools, graduating from Cony High School.
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Renee, School and Youth Program Manager, provides technical assistance and resources to schools and youth organizations for policy development and environmental change around physical activity, nutrition, tobacco, and substance abuse. Prior to coming to HCCA, Renee has worked as a School Foodservice Director and nutrition and lactation counselor. She holds a Masters degree in Public Health, a B.S. in Food Science and Human Nutrition, and an A.S. in Business Management and Accounting. She is an active member of the Maine Nutrition Council, the Hall-Dale Elementary PTO, the Hall-Dale Wellness Committee, the Hall-Dale Pee Wee Basketball Board, and is a 4-H volunteer. In her spare time you might find Renee enjoying the Kennebec River Rail Trail with her family. Renee resides in Farmingdale with her husband Richard and two elementary school-aged children.
Karen, HCCA Project Coordinator, works closely with the Executive Director to ensure overall smooth operations at HCCA, providing the day-today communications link between HCCA and the community, board, stakeholders and others. Additional responsibilities include website maintenance, Healthy Home programs and coordination with our fiscal partner, Medical Care Development, to assure financial documentation is accurate and in the right hands. The Project Coordinator interfaces with all HCCA staff to support their projects, build capacity and implement objectives. Karen is an enthusiastic newcomer to the capital area. A graduate of University of Maine at Orono and a Maine native with a masters in Training and Organizational Development, she brings with her seven years in community outreach, non-profit and volunteer management. In addition, Karen’s background in mediation and facilitation supports staff in connecting to the communities HCCA serves. Hers is the voice you are likely to hear when you give us a call.
Amy Wagner, Adult and Worksite Wellness Initiatives Manager, works with small businesses and communities encouraging the development of supportive, health-promoting workplaces and organizations focused on improving adult health and wellness. Amy, a nationally Certified Worksite Wellness Program Consultant, also holds numerous certifications in exercise, nutrition, tobacco cessation and prevention, coaching and chronic disease management. Prior to coming to HCCA, she was the project director of a Healthy Maine Partnership in the Midcoast District after working as an accountant for twelve years. She currently maintains her home in Jackson with two dogs Sirus and Simmone and two cats Roscoe and Zoe. In her spare time she loves to garden, kayak, hike, bike, travel, cook and practice Reiki.
Staff Associates
Tara Marble, School Health Coordinator, MSAD#11
Tara is the School Health Coordinator for RSU 2, which includes the towns of Gardiner, West Gardiner, Pittston, and Randolph.
She holds a B.S. in Community Health Education and a K-12 Teaching certification from the University of Maine at Farmington. This educational base and previous work in public health as a Family Life Educator and Consultant for the Family Planning Association of Maine from 2005-2010 serves as a solid foundation for Tara in her position as School Health Coordinator. For a link to MSAD#11 website click here.
Jamye Martin, School Health Coordinator, RSU#2
Jamye is the School Health Coordinator for RSU 2, which includes the towns of Dresden, Farmingdale, Hallowell, Monmouth, and Richmond. For a link to RSU#2 website click here.
Laura Budde, Food Corps Volunteer
Although not officially her employer, we are thrilled to have this FOODCorps Volunteer call HCCA her homebase for the time being.
Laura graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Sustainable Food Systems. She has worked on farms in Washington, Minnesota, Michigan, and Virginia where she's done everything from handling dairy livestock to managing vegetable crops and product orders. Laura’s career goals correspond with her personal goals: she aspires to have her own small-scale, diversified farm that provides for local schools.
With FoodCorps, Laura serves in the Capital Area of Maine to create and develop two school garden programs from scratch, to reestablish an existing vocational school greenhouse, to lead nutrition and food education lessons for several area schools and young families through the Head Start program, and to connect local farms and the district's food service program to increase the amount of locally sourced meals.
You can read about Laura in these two articles in the Maine Kennebec Journal here and here.
Our local service area includes: Augusta, Chelsea, Farmingdale, Fayette, Gardiner, Hallowell, Litchfield, Manchester, Monmouth, Mount Vernon, Pittston, Randolph, Readfield, Richmond, Vienna, Wayne, West Gardiner, Windsor, Winthrop.
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