Hearty Maine Hello from Northern Virginia!
This past summer I (Robert Brewer) started a new position at Defense Threat Reduction Agency on Fort Belvoir, VA. I am the chief of the overseas operations division in the cooperative threat reduction directorate overseeing the offices in embassies working closely with our partners globally.
Congratulations to Eric Simonds, who was recently unanimously appointed by the University Credit Union (UCU) Board of Directors as an advisor to that board. Eric’s role includes providing insight on business, financial, and day-to-day matters. Eric previously acted as an independent contractor to UCU starting in 2014. UCU, with its headquarters just off campus on Main Street in Orono, has a presence on several university campuses, including University of Maine. Eric is also a project manager with Tyler Technologies. Eric lives in Brunswick with his wife, Kate, and two sons.
Congratulations to Abby Deitz Manahan, who became Maine Regional School Unit 13’s first distance learning coordinator in April 2022. She previously served as the technology integrator at Boothbay Region High School. After graduating from the University of Maine, Abby started her career as a marine scientist serving projects at the University’s School of Marine Sciences and then in Boothbay Harbor to manage the Maine State Aquarium. She then served as the community education scientist at Bigelow Laboratory in the early 2000s. She committed to science and instructional technology in education through work with Maine Department of Education, the Mid-Coast School of Technology, and the
Maine International Center for Digital Learning. She also served on RSU 12 school board as Alna’s representative. Abby also earned her M.Ed. in science education in 2004.
Lisa Sockabasin is the co-CEO of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness (WPHW). In this capacity, Lisa collaborates with tribal leadership, the WPHW team, and federal and philanthropic partners to address systemic inequalities experienced by Wabanaki communities in Maine and to develop and implement culturally based programs that respond to the needs in these communities. Since graduating, Lisa has over 20 years of experience addressing inequalities experienced by and providing opportunities to tribal populations. Prior to joining WPHW, Lisa served as the director of the office of health equity in the Maine Department of Health and Human Services, as an epidemiologist in the infectious disease program for the State of Maine, as a nurse epidemiologist with the North American Indian Center of Boston, and served for two decades as coordinator to Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard’s Four Directions Summer Research Program. She holds an M.S. in health policy and management from the University of Southern Maine and a graduate certificate in non-profit management. She also serves on several boards including the Maine Philanthropy Center, Planned Parenthood of New England, the ACLU of Maine, and the Maine Development Foundation.
Our Class’s 25th Reunion will be held at Homecoming on October 14, 2023! Anyone interested in being involved in the planning can contact the Alumni Association at 207-581-1144. Look for more info via email in early 2023. To ensure you receive notifications, please update your info with the Alumni Association at umainealumni.com/update-your-info.
Please continue to send in updates on yourself and our classmates! Follow the Class at
facebook.com/groups/UMaineClass1998/.