Board of Directors
Meet HCCA’s board of directors.
BOARD CHAIR
Sara Grant, LMSW
Healthy Aging Services Manager, Office of Aging & Disability Services (OADS), Maine DHHS
207.592.3505 • sara.grant@maine.gov
Sara Grant, LMSW, has dedicated nearly two decades to advancing the health, well-being, and independence of individuals and communities through leadership in human services and social work. Throughout her career, she has worked at local, state, and federal levels to improve access to services, strengthen community partnerships, and advance equitable systems of care. A Licensed Master Social Worker, Sara is passionate about healthy aging, public health, and strengthening Maine’s volunteer network through meaningful community engagement. She is committed to developing collaborative, person-centered solutions that promote wellness, prevention, and health equity for communities across Kennebec County and the State of Maine.
BOARD VICE CHAIR
Ashley Tetreault, MBA
BOARD SECRETARY
207.626.7236 • ashley.tetreault@mainegeneral.org
Martha Poliquin
Maine Food Systems Specialist
207.650.7630 • marthapoliquin@gmail.com
Martha is a retired school nutrition director with 26+ years experience providing meals for Maine students. Having always been a lover of good food made with fresh ingredients and having 3 children who would come home talking about their school lunch experience, it was a natural move for her to jump into the school lunch world to see how it could be improved for all children. It didn’t take long to see that a Maine grown apple and potato is far superior nutritionally and has a much smaller impact on the environment than produce shipped to Maine from across the country. Other leaders in the farm to school movement inspired and influenced her and Martha was fortunate to work for school districts that also valued local food for our local children. It is a world she finds great community in, a opportunity for self-improvement, and a movement in Maine that can contribute to making sure no child goes hungry. Martha has partnered for several years with HCCA’s farm and sea to school efforts and was instrumental in launching the Maine Farm and Sea to School Institute.
Director of Grants, MaineGeneral Health
Ashley is the Director of Grants at MaineGeneral Health and has over 15 years of experience in public health and health care in Central Maine. She has served on HCCA’s Board of Directors since 2018, holding roles as member, Secretary, and currently as Vice Chair. Ashley holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Economics from University of Maine at Farmington and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Project Management from Southern New Hampshire University. She is deeply passionate about sustaining vital mission-driven services in Central Maine, such as Addiction Medicine, Alzheimer’s Care programs, WIC, and Harm Reduction, as well as strengthening Maine’s public health infrastructure and addressing health-related social needs. Originally from Massachusetts, Ashley has lived in Maine since 2006 and in Augusta since 2010. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, and can often be found at the Ice Vault watching her son and partner play hockey alongside her stepdaughter, Isabella.
Zachary Roth, PhD
PhD Assistant Professor of Psychology at University of Maine at Augusta
BOARD TREASURER
207.621.3172 • zachary.roth@maine.edu
Zach moved to Maine from the Midwest in the fall of 2022. He is currently an Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Maine at Augusta where he also serves as the Faculty Coordinator for Civic Engagement. His academic and service interests intersect at issues surrounding stereotyping & discrimination and health equity. In his spare time, he enjoys running, sci-fi and fantasy, and tabletop games.
Bobby-Jo Bechard
Senior Program Manager, MCD Global Health
Peer Support Programs Director, Motivational Services
207.622.5736 • bobby-jo.bechard@mocomaine.com
207.215.9636 • jbeck@mcd.org
Jodi is a senior program manager at MCD Global Health. She has spent the majority of her nursing career, spanning the last 30+ years working in various roles within ambulatory care medicine and primary care practices. She is a passionate advocate for bringing awareness of affordable and accessible community resources to healthcare providers to improve the health of patients and families. Jodi developed a community care management program that consisted of a team of care managers who work with patients with complex medical and social needs. This work involved visiting patients in their homes or communities to assess and address the barriers that prevent them from being successful in caring for themselves. Jodi has extensive experience in quality improvement activities with a focus on chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and preventative care. Jodi is married and has two adult children. When her children were young, she was instrumental in helping to rebuild a school playground for her home community and was active in sports boosters. She enjoys gardening and cooking healthy meals with fresh, local ingredients.
Patricia Clark, MS, CAS
Cathleen Dunlap, MEd, MSW, LCSW
Clinical Director, Paramount Behavioral Services, Inc.
207.660.9124 • cathleen.dunlap@paramountbehavioral.com
Cathleen is a licensed clinical social worker who serves as the Clinical Director for Paramount Behavioral Services, Inc., based in Waterville, with an outreach office in Hallowell. Cathleen is married and has three adult children and four grandchildren. Cathleen has lived in Augusta all of her life and can trace ancestors to the area pre-Revolutionary war. She is one of five daughters born to parents who loved all of their “girls” joyously until the days of their deaths Cathleen notes that supporting them on their last journeys was a challenging and humbling experience—and a great honor.
Cathleen previously worked as an educator for local Adult Education programs in Gardiner, Hallowell, Turner, and Augusta as well as for the University of Maine at Augusta and Kennebec Valley Community College. She is also a Coach for WW of Maine (formerly known as Weight Watchers). Cathleen has provided support to and advocacy for victims of sexual assault and interpersonal violence as a past employee for the Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Center as well as for the Family Violence Project. Other paid employment experiences included working as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the Maine Department of Labor and as a social worker assisting veterans newly home from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cathleen has served on a number of local boards and committees including ones for Motivational Services, Inc., the Augusta Bicentennial Committee, and the Maine Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers–elected twice as their president. Cathleen’s interests include reading, gardening, canoeing, camping, taking care of her small flock of chickens, and watching her grandchildren play baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, and compete in gymnastic events.
Annie Fox, MHA
SHIP/SMP/MIPPA Director for Maine, Office of Aging & Disability Services
781.929.8045 • annafox@gmail.com
Annie is the SHIP/SMP/MIPPA State Director for Maine. She holds a Master of Health Administration degree from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. Annie currently works in the Office of Aging and Disability Services within Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services. She partners with the Area Agencies on Aging and Legal Services for Maine’s Elder to grow the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP), and Medicare Improvement for Patient and Provider Act (MIPPA) programs for Maine. Prior to her current role, Annie worked for a non-profit organization with a focus on a broad range of health care quality improvement initiatives for Northern New England. Annie has worked in Healthcare and Healthcare Quality Improvement initiatives for over 18 years. Annie also enjoys spending time caring for her mini farm of dogs, goats, and chickens.
Professor of Early Childhood Studies, semi-retired, University of Maine at Augusta
207.685.4101 • pclark@maine.edu
Pat was the Director of Early Childhood Studies and is still a professor at the University of Maine at Augusta, specializing in teaching teachers and social work majors in early childhood, special needs, and family courses. Previously, Pat was an elementary school teacher in grades pre-k through 5 (mostly kindergarten). She works closely with Head Start, serves on the SKCDC board, and was a national Head Start Fellow, having worked in the training and technical assistance area for a year in Washington D.C. Pat lives in Readfield and is active in St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Winthrop, is a RSU 38 School Board Member, Readfield Community Library Board Member and Story Time co-coordinator, as well as director of the Playgroup partnership between the Library and elementary school. Her education includes a BA in French and Journalism, BS in Education, MS in Special Education, and higher degrees in Early Intervention and Special Education and Public Policy. She has been on the HCCA Board since 2021 and enjoys fundraising for the organization.
Bobby-Jo Bechard is the Director of Peer Support Programs at Motivational Services, where she oversees the LINC Peer Center in Augusta and the Peer Support Program at Riverview Psychiatric Center, supporting individuals living with mental health and/or co-occurring challenges. With more than 15 years of experience and a foundation of lived experience, she is committed to trauma-informed, recovery-oriented care and creating opportunities for people to feel seen, heard, and supported. Bobby-Jo is a Certified Intentional Peer Support Specialist (CIPSS) and the administrative Coordinator for Maine Association of Peer support and Recovery Centers who believes meaningful change happens through authentic relationships, collaboration, and the voices of those with lived experience. She serves on the Augusta School Board, the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program Board of Directors, and United Way's Impact 2032 Health Cabinet, and is a founding member of both the Augusta Emergency Overnight Warming Center and United Community Living Center. A graduate of the Hanley Leadership Institute, Bobby-Jo is a lifelong resident of Kennebec County. She and her husband of 33 years have raised three sons and their 17-year-old daughter, whom they adopted through foster care in 2014. She believes connection is the foundation of change and that everyone deserves the opportunity to be seen, supported, and given the chance to thrive.
Jodi Beck, RN
PAST CHAIR
Dawn Kearns
Community Response Specialist, Augusta Police Department
207.242.6504 • dawn.kearns@augstamaine.gov
Dawn has been in recovery from substance use disorder for 12 years. Her recovery has given her a second chance at life which she has opted to use in service to others. She has been employed as a crisis clinician in Lewiston/Auburn, an OPTIONS Liaison in Kennebec County, a substance use counselor in both the previously stated communities and most recently, is the Community Response Specialist for the Augusta Police Department. She has been included in the Kennebec Community Collaborative, the planning for the Recovery Games of Maine, and countless other planning groups in the course of her work. She spends much of her time in the community sharing supplies, and educating and encouraging others in their own journeys whether they are seeking housing, treatment, or just connection to another human. She has partners in the unhoused community, education, law enforcement, government, the business community, and within the behavioral health system because she seeks to work collaboratively to support positive change for each individual and for the community as a whole.
Ranae L’Italien
Ranae is the Chief Executive Officer at the Kennebec Valley YMCA. Ranae and the KVYMCA are longtime partners with HCCA helping to implement youth obesity prevention and nutrition education programs. Ranae brings a background in early childhood education and organizational management as well as experience planning and implementing fundraising events and building community connections.
Executive Director, Kennebec Valley YMCA
Sue Woods, MD, MPH
Food Is Health Ambassador, Fork Food Lab
207.747.7408 • sue@forkfood.com
Sue is a general internist, health services researcher, informaticist, and entrepreneur who is passionate about innovation for healthier communities. Sue founded and directed the Center for Tobacco Independence, a center for excellence in education, research, direct services, and policy to address tobacco use and dependence. She served as Director of Patient Experience at the Veterans Health Administration’s Connected Care Office where she developed patient technology, led national deployment of VA Open Notes, and architected VA’s patient generated data solution. She founded Generated Health, launching automated text messaging in the US. From 2017-2024, she was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Participatory Medicine from 2017-2024, publishing research on patient and public involvement in healthcare and research. Currently the Food Is Health Ambassador at Fork Food Lab, she is also advising startups, Senior Editor of the Journal of Medical Extended Reality, and serves on boards at Maine Technology Institute and the Hanley Center for Health Leadership and Education.
207.622.9622 • ranae@kvymca.org
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HCCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is funded through charitable donations from people like you. Thank you for your generous support as we work to better local communities in Maine.