Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season!
Bob Cowdrick (forest engineering) recently retired after working for American Software for 32 years selling supply chain software to multinational accounts. His next career will focus on helping nonprofits with their missions of helping others. His work will include being the Georgia director of trail maintenance for the Benton MacKaye Trail. As director, he will have his hands full organizing, recruiting, and training over 700 volunteers who maintain the 298-mile hiking trail in Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina. He continues to live in Atlanta, GA.
Larry Gering (forestry) writes, “Retired to Maine after many years at southern universities and am now an Emeritus Professor (sounds fancy, but means ‘no pay’). Bought a house in Belfast. The first ’79er to stop by was Terry Ziebell Baker (and husband, Mike). Hadn’t seen each other in 41 years. Survived the COVID sequester but my ‘back in Maine social life’ slowed way down. Looking forward to an autumn road trip to The County.”
Dale T. Phillips took part in the Boothbay Festival of Books last summer. His latest novel (his ninth), Locust Time, is now out. His most recent story is in the Maine-based anthology Northern Frights.
Earl Anderson recently took the job of boys’ varsity basketball coach at Nokomis Regional High School in Newport, ME. He has spent most of his interscholastic basketball coaching career in the Newport-Pittsfield area. He is best known for coaching the Nokomis girls’ basketball team from 1995 to 2007. He took the team to the 2001 Class A state championship, a second Eastern Maine crown in 2003, and a third regional final in 2002. He retired from a 33-year career in education in 2013.
The St. George, ME, Select Board recently selected Rick Erb to be their next town manager. He previously served as town manager of Gouldsboro, Winterport, and Kennebunk, and has held the position as president and CEO of the Maine Health Care Association in Augusta.
The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame, established by the Maine Federation of Business and Professional Women, inducted Joanne D’Arcangelo G to the class of 2020. Joanne has worked as a feminist activist and political strategist, policy advocate and lobbyist, State House staffer, and non-profit leader.
Bob Tjaden, former state forester of Delaware, has co-authored a new book. Beneath the Canopy: A Historical View of Forestry in Delaware takes readers on a historical journey of Delaware’s forests with archival photographs, documents, and interviews. Bob authored the book with the late Walt Gabel, also a former state forester of Delaware, to help people appreciate the value of forests and Delaware’s rich forest history.
Bob said of his UMaine experience with UMaine’s School of Forest Resources, “It has served me well and provided me with a solid foundation to build a successful career.”
Here’s to a happy and healthier 2022! Please make sure to send me all your good news!