The University of Southern Maine's Alumni Association

The University of Southern Maine Alumni Association serves as a liaison for all graduates of the University and its predecessor institutions. In partnership with University Advancement, the Association provides the infrastructure for mutually beneficial relationships to further develop between the University and its Alumni. 

The Association supports the University’s commitment to continually develop and promote itself as an institution of which its community can be proud. Viewing alumni as the University’s most visible representation of success, the Association supports the University in recognizing in visible and meaningful ways the contributions of its alumni to the University, the State of Maine, and beyond. Through joint ventures and collaboration between the Association and the University, the reputation of the University will continue to strengthen as a center for discovery, scholarship and creativity. View full mission statement.

Carissa Robb '07, Chair
Head of CR Governance & Controls, TD Bank, N.A.

Carissa graduated cum laude from USM with a BS in Business Administration and General University Honors. Carissa currently serves as the Head of Risk and Operational Controls for TD Bank, overseeing Audit Management, Compliance, Quality Assurance, Vendor Management, Finance, Operational Excellence and Complaint Management for distressed Retail Credit and Small Business loans. Carissa is also a senior leader for TD Bank’s Women in Leadership Committee and active mentor for emerging leaders. Carissa is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt through Villanova University and Strategic Planning through Wharton’s Executive Education Program; she is also a two time recipient of the annual TD Bank CEO Leadership Award. Prior to rejoining TD Bank in 2009, Carissa took post-graduate courses at the University of Maine School of Law and served as a Customer advocate for Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Portland, Maine.

Jeffrey Jordan '81, Vice Chair
Deputy Director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority

Jeffrey earned his degree in Political Science from USM in 1981. He holds a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Jeffrey is currently the Deputy Director and Chief Financial Officer of the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority (MRRA.) MRRA is responsible for the implementation of the Reuse Master Plans for Naval Air Station Brunswick (NAS Brunswick) and the Topsham Annex. He previously served as the Deputy Director of the Brunswick Local Redevelopment Authority (BLRA) which developed the reuse plan for the base. Jeffrey worked for the City of South Portland for twenty years, having served ten years as City Manager of Maine’s fourth largest City. Jeffrey and his wife, Anne (’81, ’84 Law), have two children, Robert and Katharine and they reside in South Portland.
 

Bob S. Blackwood '78, '82
Immediate Past Chair, USM Alumni Association

A native of South Portland, Bob received an M.B.A. and a BS in accounting from USM. Prior to earning his USM degrees, Bob graduated from Bowdoin College in 1969 with a BA in history. His professional life was in the banking industry in Portland, Lewiston/Auburn and Bangor with a focus on commercial lending. Bob retired in 2009 as an SVP at Norway Savings Bank. He currently serves as the Chair of the USM Alumni Board in addition to serving on USM’s Athletic Development Council. His extensive university advocacy includes current service on the USM Board of Visitors and prior Alumni Association Board of Directors, including terms as chairman/president respectively. He has worked on the USM Annual Fund campaign, USM's 21st Century Campaign for Excellence, and the Alumni Skywalk for the Joel and Linda Abromson Community Education Center. Bob and his wife Jill (USM '83) endow a scholarship at USM for graduates of South Portland High School.




Kate Beever '07
Board Certified Music Therapist

Kate is passionate about the field of music therapy. She began early in her college career teaching lessons to students with disabilities. After getting a Masters degree in Music Psychotherapy at New York University, Kate moved back to Maine and founded Maine Music & Health, which now reaches clients in fifteen towns in Southern and Central Maine. She is especially interested in drumming for wellness, verbal processing in therapy, collaboration with other healthcare professionals, oncology and end-of-life care.

Maureen Carland, MA, RN, NHA '00, '12
Administrator, Maine Veterans' Home

Maureen is a graduate of the Sommerville Hospital School of Nursing and received her BSN and Master’s in Leadership Studies from the University of Southern Maine. She is also a licensed Multi-Level Long Term Care Administrator. At MVH Carland oversees 250 employees who care for veterans and their spouses at the 150-bed Home. In 2014 the Home was recognized by the American Health Care Associations and the National Center for Assisted Living for outstanding quality, receiving the Silver Quality Award. Very few facilities in Maine receive this prestigious award. Prior to joining MVH in 2010, Carland was the Administrator of Piper Shores in Scarborough and served as the Director of Elder Care Services at Goodall Hospital. She has over 25 years of health care experience. Carland grew up in Lee, Maine, and has resided in Shapleigh for over 20 years with her husband, James, who is an Army veteran. They have three adult children, including Shaun a 2015 USM graduate.

Kevin M. Freeman '88
Director of Business Development, Allied Cook Construction

Kevin graduated from USM with BA in Political Science. A native of Millinocket, he worked for Great Northern Paper Company and attended the University of Maine prior to finishing his degree at USM. Kevin’s paper mill background and experience at USM prepared him for his twenty-five year career as a sales and business development professional in the construction industry. Kevin is the former chair of USM’s Corporate Partners, a graduate of the Maine Development Foundation’s Leadership Maine program and served as a member of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce Higher Education Task Force. He is currently the President of Day One, Maine’s leading provider of youth substance abuse prevention and treatment services and Chair of the Scarborough Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors. Kevin is active in coaching youth sports and an avid Red Sox fan. He resides in Scarborough with his wife Michelle (’87), daughters Hannah (USM ’15), Katie and son Sam.




Karen Hakala '01
Senior Vice President, Marketing, Norway Savings Bank

Karen has 17 years of bank marketing experience and is the current Senior Vice President of Marketing at Norway Savings Bank, a $1.08 billion community bank in Norway, ME. Karen has a BS in Leadership and Organizational Studies from USM's Lewiston-Auburn College. She holds the professional designation of Certified Financial Marketing Professional and is a 2004 graduate of the American Bankers Association School of Bank Marketing and Management.

Earle F. Harvey '93
Senior Vice President, Mechanics Savings Bank

Earle graduated from USM in 1993 with a BS in Business Administration. He also holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from Suffolk University, a Masters degree in Business Administration from Boston College and is a graduate of the New England School of Banking at Williams College. Earle is currently a Senior Vice President at Mechanics Savings Bank in Auburn, ME. A founding member of the Topsham Express Rotary Club, Earle currently also serves on the Board of Trustees at the United Baptist Church in Topsham, as a board member and former chairman of the Southern Mid-Coast Maine Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he is the past Chair of the United Way of Mid-Coast Maine’s 2011 campaign, and serves as the Treasurer of Topsham Development Inc. (TDI). Earle lives in Brunswick with his wife Tracey and their two sons, Jack and Thomas.   





Stephen Houser '93, '96
Adjunct Faculty Computer Science, University of Southern Maine

Bio and photo to follow. 

Matthew Jones '12
Detective Sergeant, Sanford Police Department

Matthew has protected the Sanford community for 12 years providing emergency services and training fellow officers. As the current supervisor for the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) he manages four detectives, two school resource officers, one court officer and one administrative assistant while overseeing investigations involving all major crimes in Sanford. He also co-authored the Criminal Investigations policy and opened lines of communication between the District Attorney’s office and Detectives. Matthew is a certified instructor in Verbal Judo, a member of Wounded Warrior Project® Advance Guard and a member of Maine’s Human Trafficking Task Force. In 2007 he received the Meritorious Service Commendation for bravery in attempting to save a life and ending an armed confrontation with less lethal force and again in 2014 for superior performance and leadership in his capacity of supervisor of CID.  

Tara Nau Burdett '02
Wellness Center Manager, Hannaford Brothers

Tara received her BS degree from USM’s College of Nursing and Health Professions in 2002. She currently works for Maine Medical Center, where she serves as the Wellness Center Manager for Hannaford Bros. Corporate office and Distribution Center. Tara volunteers for Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation at Sugarloaf Mountain. In the summer, she enjoys volunteering for Pine Tree Camp. Tara lives in Springvale with her husband, Toby, and brother, Aaron. They own and live in a four unit apartment building that is always in need of renovation.







Sharon Martel '10
Surety Territory Manger, Liberty Surety First-Northeast Region

Sharon Martel is a Surety Territory Manager for Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. She brought with her 22 years of experience on the agency level when she joined Liberty Mutual in January of 2008. She provides training to Agents in the New England area including New York and New Jersey for Liberty’s on line surety execution systems. Sharon’s experience includes a Bachelor Degrees in Leadership and Organizational Studies and Social and Behavioral Sciences where she is successful in working with many different types of agencies with varying degrees of surety knowledge. Sharon is a member of IPIG (Insurance Professionals of Greater Portland), and a Notary Public in the State of Maine. In her spare time, Sharon enjoys gardening, concerts, and spending time with her family which also includes her two grandsons.

Becky McKinnell '06
President, iBec Creative 

Almost ten years ago Becky left Massachusetts to go to school at the University of Southern Maine. In 2006, she started iBec fresh out of college as a graduate in Art and Entrepreneurial Studies. Maine was the perfect place for her to start her company. The opportunity to build a business that combines my passions for art and strategy has been, and still is, exciting and rewarding. Each day Becky loves going to work and thinking about creative ways to help clients grow their business through a web strategy. It has been such an amazing journey growing iBec and building her team as a young entrepreneur. BusinessWeek named iBec a Top 25 Entrepreneur 25 and Under and was recognized as the Maine Young Entrepreneur of the year in 2010. 

Barbara Powers '84

Barbara graduated in 1984 with a MS in School Counseling. She also holds a BS (summa cum laude) in Human Behavior Sciences and Secondary Education from Central Michigan University. She served as the Superintendent for the Falmouth School System from 2009 to 2014. Barbara also previously served as Falmouth’s Assistant Superintendent of Schools, as Principal of Plummer –Motz School in Falmouth, and in the classroom as an experienced educator. She currently serves as Vice President of the Cumberland County Superintendent’s Association, as well as serving on USM’s Advisory Council for the College of Education and Human Development. Other affiliations include memberships in the American Association of School Superintendents, the ME Association of School Superintendents, and as a former member of the ME Curriculum Leaders Association, among others.





Alistair Raymond '03
Attorney, Iberdola, USA

Alistair earned his M.B.A from USM, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law in 2006. He also holds degrees from St. Lawrence University in Chemistry and Philosophy. He is currently Director of Compliance and Compliance Officer for Iberdrola USA Networks, a U.S. subsidiary of one the world’s largest energy companies, Iberdrola SA. Prior to attending law school, he served as law clerk to Chief Justice Leigh I. Saufley of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and as a legal intern in the litigation and consumer protection divisions of the Office of the Maine Attorney General. Alistair currently serves as Vice Chair of the board of directors and as Chair of the executive committee for Spurwink Services, Inc. Alistair is a member of the Tau Class of Leadership Maine, a program through the Maine Development Foundation committed to economic development in Maine. He resides in Yarmouth, Maine




Denise Scammon '12
Content Editor, Lewiston Sun-Journal

Denise serves as the special sections editor for the Sun Journal's advertising/marketing department and entertainment editor for the newsroom. She has worked in marketing communications for 15 years, including four years in the marketing department at USM LAC. She has volunteered as publicist and historian for the Woman'sLiterary Union of Androscoggin County for which she has written a successful grant for preserving the group's historical documents. Denise acts as tour guide at the historic Foss Mansion and hostess of Buncoand prom gown-giveaway events. She has a bachelor's degree in the Arts & Humanities from USM LAC. She enjoys outdoor activities and spending time at Bear Pond in Hartford. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano, cooking, writing, genealogy and history. Denise lives in Auburn with her husband. They have two adult children and two Himalayan cats.





Laongdao “Tak” Suppasettawat, CFP, CPA '04
Financial Advisor, TAK Advisory, LLC

A 2003 graduate of the University of Southern Maine, Tak holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounting (magna cum laude). She is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER ™. Tak is currently employed as a Financial Advisor with Fidelity Investments in Portland, ME. Tak currently serves on the board of the World Affairs Council of Maine, and is a past board member of the University of Southern Maine School of Business Alumni Chapter. She is an active member of the South Portland-Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club and resides in Cape Elizabeth with her husband Fred Thomas and their daughter, Nina.






April E. Ylvisaker '04
Senior Vice President - Wealth Management, Merrill Lynch

A 2004 graduate of the University of Southern Maine, April Ylvisaker holds a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science. April is currently employed as a Senior Vice President, Wealth Management Advisor with the Honan Group at Merrill Lynch in Portland, Maine. She is involved with several local community organizations including as immediate past president of PROPEL and membership on the Portland Ovations Board of Directors, the South Portland Cape Elizabeth Board of Directors, PORTOpera Board of Directors, the Portland Regional Chamber Board of Directors.