FRIENDS OF THE BOAT SCHOOL
MARINE TRADES DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Five Year Strategic Plan: 2018-2023
Acknowledgement
Today, as we lay the keel for the future, it is with reverence for the visionaries of our past. Ernie Brierley, Doug Dodge, Fred Beal, the Calder brothers, Junior Miller, John Pike Grady, Peter Pierce, were among our stalwarts. They recognized that theirs was a world of knowledge deeply rooted in Maine’s maritime heritage. We respectfully submit our plan for the furtherance of their legacy. The new face of Maine Marine Technology Center will bring The Boat School into the 21st century creating an educational environment that values the skills of the marine trades and technology’s innovations. This document seeks to unleash that potential on a course that we will navigate to tomorrow.
Launching this process with us are Ellen Angel of Artifex Architects & Engineers, the STEINS team from the University of Maine at Orono Civil Engineering Dept., and Rafi Hopkins of Section Sign LLC. We thank the Maine Community Foundation’s Washington County Fund, Belvedere General Charitable Grantmaking Fund, and the Donor Advised Fund which finances our pursuit, our community which nourishes us, and our consultant, Susan Coopersmith, who guides us. Special thanks to Will Hopkins and Elizabeth Drinker of Cobscook Bay Resource Center and the crew at Eastport Port Authority for opening their doors for our meetings and planning sessions.
“What we make has the opportunity to transcend expectation.”
Antonio Dias, boatbuilder and author Boats for difficult times
Boatbuilding graduate, class of ‘74
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary
Introduction
Organizational History
Mission, Vision, Values
Goals and Strategies
Conclusion
Appendix A Strategic Planning Process
Appendix B Board Of Directors 2018
Appendix C Infrastructure Renewal Work Plan
Appendix D Board Authorization of Strategic Plan
Executive Summary
First, I wish to thank the Strategic Planning Committee for their hard work, perseverance, and unwavering commitment to the strategic planning process. This resultant five-year plan (2018 – 2023) is the road map the ‘Friends of the Boat School Marine Trade Development Corporation’ will follow as they work to revitalize Maine Marine Technology Center’s physical infrastructure and re-establish the site as a premier location for marine trades vocational education and marine research, and as a valued community ‘harborhood’ center.
The ‘Friends’ Board chose the plan’s six focus area following an April 2017 SWOT analysis:
- MMTC’s Physical Infrastructure – The MMTC complex is the ‘Friends’ most valuable asset. Repairing, renovating, and preserving the physical infrastructure is the immediate concern and fundamental repairs on the building must begin without delay.
- Financing – Creative financing and a diverse revenue stream are necessary to finance renovations and future MMTC programs and operations.
- Internal Organization – An effective Board, competent staff, and engaged volunteers are necessary components for successful plan implementation.
- Marketing and Communications – A concerted outreach and strong public presence is necessary to recruit students, interest researchers and other educational organizations, and attract individual, corporate and foundation support.
- Programming and Operation – MMTC operations must be designed to advance the marine trades industry and marine research, and to serve the community. The Boat School’ programming must be affordable and sustainable, reflect the needs and wants of students, and produce graduates highly qualified to compete in 21st century marine trades.
- External Relations – Fostering mutually beneficial relationships within the community, and with other educational institutions and commercial marine industries will help to promote and advance MMTC and the marine industry.
The ‘Friends’ strategic planning committee, Meg McGarvey, Joanne O’Grady, and Dean Pike met weekly for eight months with external consultant Susan Coopersmith, who was funded by the Maine Community Foundation. The final plan re-affirms the ‘Friends’ allegiance to ‘The Boat School’ and illustrates their readiness to take full responsibility as sole owners/operators of MMTC. It defines a “destination’. It sets priorities and long-term objectives. It proposes clear pragmatic strategies to reach distinct attainable goals. There still is much to be determined relative to implementation. Because MMTC is a work in progress, this plan must be a dynamic document. Annual Board evaluation of the plan and necessary modifications will ensure this plan remains relevant and leads the ‘Friends’ to realize their vision for MMTC.
-Susan Coopersmith, Strategic Planning Consultant
Introduction
Welcome to the “Friends of the Boat School Marine Trades Development Corporation’s Strategic Plan for Maine Marine Technology Center 2018 – 2023. For nearly a half decade, the ‘Friends’ have waited patiently while ownership of MMTC and administrative responsibility for ‘The Boat School’ were clarified. During this time, our Board met monthly, engaging in extended discussions about MMTC’s future. When our position as sole owners/operators of MMTC became clear, we found ourselves with a plethora of ideas but lacking in focus and general direction. We needed a plan.
This document, the result of weekly Strategic Planning Committee meetings and Board recommendations (see Strategic Planning Process Appendix A), defines our goals, strategies, and priorities. It maps the path we will tread as we pursue our vision for MMTC. We recognize the project’s scope is wide and our goals, ambitious. The strategies we have developed necessarily address concerns ranging from roofing to recruiting students. With this strategic plan, we have honed a wide variety of options into a cohesive unit and established realistic priorities.
Goal 1 and Goal 2, renovating MMTC’s structures and establishing a mixed revenue stream to fund capital improvements and support expanding MMTC operations, are immediate priorities. Goal 3, strengthening the ‘Friends’ internal organization, will ensure sufficient human resources are available to effectively implement this plan. Goals 4 and 5, marketing and communications, and programming and operations, are designed to guarantee ‘The Boat School’ and MMTC emerge as leading players in the 21st century marine trades education and marine research industries. Goal 6, external relations, highlights the importance we place on collaborations with other educational institutions and those in the marine industry. It also demonstrates our commitment to contribute positively to Eastport’s future development.
Preparing this strategic plan proved to be an enlightening and enlivening experience for the ‘Friends’. Now, with renewed vigor, a targeted mission, and a plan, we confidently approach the welcome task of ushering MMTC into the next half decade and beyond.
Maine Marine Technology Center
Since 1978, Maine Marine Technology Center has:
- served as ‘the home of The Boat School’
- offered specialized marine research facilities
- provided community-oriented services and spaces
- supplied resources for local mariners, and
- been a significant player in Eastport’s socioeconomic fabric.
MMTC was founded when the longest-running boatbuilding educational institution in the United States, ‘The Boat School’, outgrew its Lubec, Maine location and moved to the former Sealife Industries’ site, Deep Cove Road, Eastport. Originating under the auspices of the State of Maine Department of Educational and Cultural Services, the school transitioned from a vocational technical institute offering certificate and diploma options in boatbuilding, commercial fisheries, marine mechanics, and marine and industrial coatings to a technical /community college awarding associate degrees in applied science.
MMTC’s unique technological, locational and human assets drew prominent marine related researchers and educators to Eastport. The Center allied with the University of Maine SeaGrant Marine Advisory Program, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Maine Department of Marine Resources, providing a base and support for their extension field office operations. Westlawn’s Institute of Marine Technology, a nationally accredited distance-learning school of small-craft design, also had a base at the Center. Ocean Renewable Power Corporation collaborated with MMTC staff in prototype tidal generator development. The Center organized aquaculture industry workshops, facilitated an experimental submersible halibut cage design project, developed an intermediary finfish health diagnostic laboratory, and presented an annual New England Farmed Fish Health workshop. MMTC had a close relationship with Maine Marine Trades Association and an articulation agreement with Maine Maritime Academy. They also worked Federal Marine Terminals in training for port operations.
A community-inclusive complex, MMTC encouraged use of the ample facilities by all. Commercial and recreational boaters treasured the Center as a resource center where they could find customized industrial training, technical assistance, and other invaluable information. The student and community library boasted of the first computer-aided library and free internet services in the area. MMTC’s diverse educational programs enriched community members lives and drew members from beyond the community to Eastport. The Center was a popular venue for local, civic and government events. It hosted weddings, funerals, showers, birthday parties, Elderhostel programs and a Nature Conservancy gathering.
Friends of The Boat School Marine Trades Development Corporation
The ‘Friends of The Boat School Marine Trades Development Corporation’ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the State of Maine under Title 13-B MRS. Its founding members were concerned local citizens who objected to a 2005 proposal to relocate ‘The Boat School’ to the Washington County Community College campus in Calais.
After the successful effort to keep ‘The Boat School’ in Eastport, the ‘Friends’, who initially envisioned their role as simply a “cheering squad”, found themselves increasingly responsible for MMTC’s future. In 2011, they became the legal owners of the Center’s three buildings – Bio Lab, Administrative/Community building, and ‘The Boat School’ building – and nine acres of waterfront property. Following a period of clarification on MMTC ownership and ‘The Boat School’ administration, the ‘Friends’ now are free to serve as the economic and administrative engines that drive MMTC. Its future lies entirely in their hands.
Eastport’s City Manager, Elaine Abbott, believes the ‘Friends’ are up to the task and endorses their efforts. “As City Manager I support endeavors which benefit our citizens and the community. The ‘Friends’ vision for Maine Marine Technology Center and its operation of ‘The Boat School’, harborhood center, and marine research station will create jobs, educate eager minds and inspire innovation. The tide is turning for the City of Eastport with economic development initiatives creating a renewed spirit of vitality. Maine Marine Technology Center will be an integral part of our city’s bright future as the ‘Friends’ progress towards their vision.”
‘Friends’ Mission
The ‘Friends’’ mission is to provide a state of the art physical infrastructure and expert staff for 1) The Boat School and its associate marine resource center, 2) a marine biology research and laboratory station, and 3) a ‘harborhood’ community facility.
‘Friends’ Vision
MMTC will be a premier site for marine industry education and research. With the strong work ethic instilled in them at The Boat School, graduates will be highly sought after employees in the marine industries. Research carried out at MMTC will provide invaluable information on concerns specific to Cobscook and Passamaquoddy Bays. Community relations will be strengthened and local residents’ lives enriched as they study, work, gather, and share information at MMTC.
‘Friends’ Values
- It is essential to provide opportunities that enable future generations to continue longstanding maritime traditions that have sustained coastal peoples for centuries.
- A strong work ethic, knowledge of the trade, reverence for tools and equipment, and attention to detail are essential characteristics for those working in the marine industry,
- Recognizing each individual’s abilities and contributions is indispensable for fostering teamwork and allows every person to strive to reach his/her fullest potential.
- MMTC has served to advance social, economic, and human development in the greater Eastport region in the past and must continue to play this important role in the 21st century.
‘Friends’ Goals
- Develop a comprehensive renovation plan for MMTC’s physical facilities and begin improvements as soon as capital becomes available.
- Establish and sustain a mixed revenue stream.
- Build and strengthen the ‘Friends” internal organization.
- Create a marketing and communications plan designed to 1) promote MMTC’s programs and services and 2) encourage financial and operational supporters.
- Establish an administrative system to oversee ‘The Boat School’ program development and MMTC’s facilities operations.
- Be an integral part of Eastport’s social, economic and cultural development, and a central player in marine education and research.
Goals & Strategies
1. Develop a comprehensive renovation plan for MMTC’s physical facilities and begin improvements as soon as capital becomes available.
• Conduct a thorough assessment of MMTC’s physical infrastructure to identify work that needs to be done, estimated costs, and orders of priority.
1. ARTIFEX, Architects and Engineers conducted an initial structural assessment of the three MMTC buildings, September 2017 (reports available on file). They will continue working on renovation planning.
2. Participate in a year long research study with UMO’s Civil and Environmental Engineering department (reports available on file). The May 2018 results of this Senior Capstone design project will include recommendations for building improvements, rebuilds, and site design.
• Explore energy efficient renovations and investigate programs that support alternative energy and efficiency initiatives.
• Conduct an inventory of all tools, equipment, furnishings, books and other holdings at MMTC. Make determinations whether to store, sell, donate or dispose of physical properties.
• Remove mold from MMTC buildings:
1. During spring 2018 clean up, enlist volunteers willing to remove carpet and ceiling tiles
2. Assessment and estimate by mold remediation specialist
3. Contract specialist to complete mold remediation
4. Repair damages.
• Assess asbestos risks in MMTC’s buildings.
• Upgrade electrical supply in accordance with Emera standards to ensure no loss of feed.
• Install separate service entrances to each building.
• Offer Washington County Community College Residential and Commercial Electrical program the opportunity for students to connect interior electricity.
• Upgrade HVAC systems, water supply, heat loss prevention (doors and windows), and modernize lighting.
• Renew all systems (heat, water/sewer, electrical, bathrooms, communications) in the BioBuilding to enable it to function as a stand alone building with revenue producing rental spaces.
• Remove connecting corridor between the TraveLift building and the boat shop building.
• Make all improvements necessary to meet ADA regulations for educational institutions.
2. Establish and sustain a mixed revenue stream.
• Formulate a comprehensive five-year budget following Board passage of the five-year strategic plan.
• A well-devised development plan will serve as the road map to establish and sustain a mixed revenue stream. The Finance/Development committee will create a fundraising plan with a timeline, and clear goals and strategies to maintain a diversified income through:
- Individual and corporate donations
- Program fees
- Endowments and bequests
- Short term rentals of community facilities
- Long term rentals of professional spaces
- Storage fees
- Foundation and government grants
• Involve ‘The Boat School’ alumni and former staff members as fiscal and operational supporters of MMTC by establishing ‘The Boat School’ Alumni Association.
1. Past class lists are the starting point for alumni contact information. Volunteers will review and update lists with current contact information.
2. Contacting alumni currently working in the marine industry is a priority.
3. Information about the association and sign up opportunities to appear on MMTC’s social media and websites.
• Identify potential donors and corporate sponsors and estimate their giving potential.
• Create a mailing list comprised of past and current donors, alumni, marine trades advocates, and potential donors and corporate sponsors.
• Begin direct mail appeals Fall 2018. Continue with mailings each Spring and Fall.
• Launch a two year capital campaign, beginning in 2018, to raise funds for ‘The Boat School’ building roof and MMTC rewiring project.
• Create and encourage a monthly sustaining givers program.
• Initiate major donor and planned giving programs.
• Include a Donate Now button on websites for online donations.
• Conduct research on foundation, government and corporate grant opportunities.
• Create an annual plan/tracking system listing foundations, their areas of interest and submission deadlines, grants submitted and results, and reporting dates.
• The Board will identify grant seeking priorities.
• Structure MMTC’s accounting system to facilitate access to financial information
required for grant applications, and state, federal and foundation reports.
• Explore possibilities for marine industry “buy ins” to MMTC.
3. Build and strengthen the ‘Friends’ internal organization.
• Conduct a Board self-evaluation to identify areas that need to be strengthened.
• Build the current Board’s capacity to govern and administer effectively through trainings, workshops, and webinars.
• Identify current and anticipated stakeholders.
• Devise a “pitch” to interest and approach new Board members who have a passion for MMTC’s mission, share its vision and values, are representative of its stakeholders, and bring needed expertise.
• Maintain four permanent committees made up of Board members and at large non-Board community members serving in advisory capacities:
1. Finance/Development
2. Programming
3. Facilities
4. Governance.
• Other committees, e.g. Personnel, will be formed on an ad hoc basis.
• Anticipate staffing positions. Create job descriptions and a staffing plan for identified positions.
• Contract a part-time (.25 FTE) Development Coordinator in FY2018 who will assist with plan implementation, budgeting, and launching the capital campaign. The person in this position reports to the Board.
• Recruit a part-time (.50 FTE) salaried Director/Project Coordinator in FY2019 who will oversee all MMTC daily operations. The person in this position reports to the Board.
• Contract with local specialists for website management, bookkeeping, grant writing, and grounds maintenance services.
• Legal, engineering, architectural and tax consultants will be contracted on an ad hoc basis.
• Enlist a solid volunteer crew to provide the physical labor required for clean up efforts during the infrastructure renewal phase. To bring public attention to these efforts, invite community members to join in a day long clean up event in Spring 2018.
• Enlist volunteers to serve as docents, librarians, computer assistants, and for general office support.
• Establish policies for financial accountability.
• Establish policies, protocols and systems for recording, tracking, and acknowledging contributions.
• Devise system to track volunteer hours.
4. Create a marketing and communications plan designed to 1) promote MMTC’s programs and services and 2) encourage financial and operational supporters.
• Identify expected consumers/end service users.
• Identify proponents among community leaders.
• Develop a brand that communicates and promotes the unique array of MMTC’s marine related programs, activities, research facilities, and community events.
• Compose a tagline and create a logo.
• Highlight unique locational aspects – Eastport is home to the deepest water international marine terminal in the continental United States, and robust commercial fishing and aquaculture industries. MMTC complex is adjacent to the 4000 foot instrument rated Eastport Airport.
• Submit news releases and calendar listings to local and industry newspapers and publications.
• Participate in radio talk shows on WERU radio, Blue Hill to attract interest from the Downeast and mid-coast Maine regions.
• Conduct recruitment efforts among international students, particularly those from southern New Brunswick.
• Update the ‘Friends of the Boat School’ website. The Boat School site will forward to the ‘Friends site’ until The Boat School is operating.
• Map organization goals with website goals and design website 1) to achieve the goals and 2) to measure the goals.
• Building trust, raising awareness, and raising funds are the foci of the website content.
• Create a content strategy (communication plan) for the websites, Facebook, and online newsletter.
• Plan a messaging timeline.
• Install WordPress on the ‘Friends of the Boat School’ website.
• Set up a ‘Friends of the Boat School’ MailChimp account to serve as a mailing list manager.
• Define web marketing, monthly maintenance, and web support needs and contract with web and marketing consultant for these services.
5. Establish an administrative system to oversee ‘The Boat School’ program
development and MMTC’s facilities operations.
• Identify potential consumers, both students and marine industry employers. Conduct a survey among this group to determine skills currently in demand and preferred delivery methods, e.g. short courses, summer courses, or two year programs.
• Investigate possibilities for interest and income generating off campus courses that could be conducted before MMTC’s renovations are completed.
• Conduct a feasibility study to determine whether year-round programs or April – November programs are more viable. Questions to consider include:
1. Would closing the school for the winter months have implications for collaboration with Shead High School and participating in the ABYC programs?
2. What have potential students and employers expressed as their preferred method of delivery?
3. How could the complex be heated year-round?
• Perform an in-depth analysis of other New England boatbuilding schools – International Yacht Restoration School, Southern Maine Community College, Washington County Community College, Eastern Maine Community College, The Landing School, and Wooden Boat School– to determine the level of competition they present for The Boat School and to gain a thorough understanding of their successes and challenges.
• Reconstitute the Marine Trades Advisory Committee. This group will have significant input in programming decisions.
• Determine set up costs for proposed courses including tools and equipment, furnishings, technology, and connectivity. Make necessary purchases when capital becomes available.
• Analyze the costs/benefits of running short summer courses (1 day to 1 week) and off campus courses in order to make longer programs more affordable and sustainable.
• Maintain reasonable tuition by offering a diversity of courses.
• Design programs to meet accrediting agencies’ standards. Apply for accreditation when operational time requirements have been met.
• Apply to the Veterans’ Administration for approval for student tuition funding.
• Upgrade the composite lab to accommodate emerging technologies and industry standards.
• Install a commercial kitchen in the ‘harborhood’ community space making it more user friendly and appealing to renters.
• Assess library holdings and digitize collection. Refurbish the library to serve as a community friendly resource and information technology center.
• Explore the possibilities for shared technological spaces, incubators, and Makerspace.
6. Be an integral part of Eastport’s social, economic and cultural development, and a
central player in marine education and research.
• Co-sponsor events with community organizations and businesses. Co-sponsored events using the floats and docks must have an educational component to meet the easement agreement with the neighboring property owner.
• Coordinate with the Maine Marine Trades Association and the ABYC to offer one day certification trainings.
• Organize with the Maine Association of Non Profits to present educational workshops. This will benefit non-profit sector workers in Downeast Maine, Washington County, and northern Maine who currently travel to southern Maine for professional development.
• Reach out to the Canadian side. Plan collaborative meetings with boat builders from southern New Brunswick.
• Promote “vacational education” courses through Downeast Area Regional Tourism.
• Collaborate with educational institutions by:
1. offering access to waterfront workshops and laboratories
2. extending their programs to MMTC.
• Explore possibilities for collaboration with Shead High School:
1. contact American Boat and Yacht Council for information on program requirements
2. meet with Eastport School Board to determine their interest level.
• In response to the opioid epidemic in local communities, collaborate with the city of Eastport and the Passamaquoddy Tribe to set up a safe drug free space for youth education.
• Offer shared faculty and workshops to area high schools using ABYC curriculum.
• Establish relations with the aquaculture industry and commercial fisheries by offering courses in cold water survival skills, net mending, and small boat handling.
• Offer USCG Captain’s License preparation courses for charter boat operators.
• Appeal to recreational boaters with opportunities for short courses for personal boat related activities.
• Negotiate with local property owners to secure students and researchers safe, affordable housing.
• Ask local businesses/artisans, e.g. Raye’s Mustard, to create customized ‘The Boat School’ products.
Conclusion
This strategic plan re-affirms the ‘Friends’ commitment to ‘The Boat School’ and illustrates our readiness to move forward with our long-term vision for MMTC. By creating this plan, we have taken the first step in an ongoing process. We looked back at MMTC’s rich history, evaluated present assets, confronted current challenges, set future goals, and devised measurable strategies to reach those goals.
Although we have done a tremendous amount of work, we realize we have far to go to achieve our vision. Following Board approval of this plan, a committee will work together with a consultant to develop a budget, and action and implementation plans. It is essential current Board members maintain the momentum demonstrated during the strategic planning phase and additional Board members and community volunteers are recruited to assist with plan implementation.
The ‘Friends’ annual action plans will be based on this strategic plan. The plan also will act as a measuring stick. Bi-annual progress evaluations, based on the stated goals and strategies, will help chart progress and guide future decision-making. Since the organization’s internal and external social, political, and economic environments are unlikely to remain static during the coming five years, the SPC will conduct annual plan reviews and introduce updates and modifications when necessary.
Appendix A Strategic Planning Process
March 2017
• Board unanimously agrees to embark on a process leading to a five-year strategic plan, 2018 – 2023.
• The ‘Friends’ apply to Maine Community Foundation for funding for an external consultant to facilitate the planning process.
May 2017
• Maine Community Foundation grants funds for an external consultant/facilitator.
• The ‘Friends’ contract consultant, Susan Coopersmith.
• Board members Andrew Pottle, Wanda Newman, Meg McGarvey, Joanne O’Grady and Dean Pike participate in a SWOT analysis.
• Board reviews SWOT results.
• Board identifies the plan’s six focus areas: Physical Infrastructure, Financing, Internal Organization, Marketing and Communications, Programming and Operations, and External Relations.
• Board selects Meg McGarvey, Joanne O’Grady, and Dean Pike to serve as the Strategic Planning Committee.
May – July
• The SPC meets with the consultant for a minimum of an hour and a half weekly. Their tasks include:
1. Rewriting the ‘Friends’ mission and vision statement to reflect their current role as MMTC’s owners/operators
2. Defining the ‘Friends’ values
3. Compiling MMTC’s and ‘Friend’s’ histories
4. Articulating goals to correspond with each of the six focus areas.
• Board approves the goals and a first draft of the plan.
July
• The ‘Friends’ present the plan’s first draft at the Annual Meeting.
August – December
• The SPC continues to meet weekly with the consultant to develop strategies for reaching identified goals.
• The SPC receives professional advice and input from:
• Ellen Angel and Scott Homer, ARTIFEX, Architects and Engineers and UMO Stein’s team on physical infrastructure renewal and site design.
• Andrew Kahrl, Revision Energy on energy efficient improvements
• Bret Blanchard, Tom McNaughton, and Tadg Clarke on programming
• Rafi Hopkins on marketing and communications planning
• Elijah Brice on youth concerns in the marine trades
Appendix B Friends of the Boat School Board of Directors 2018
S. Dean Pike – Chair
Dean is a life long resident of the Cobscook/Passamaquoddy Bay region. A graduate of Calais Memorial High, he earned a B.A. in Zoology from the University of Maine, Orono and completed graduate studies in Marine Biology at Southeastern Massachusetts University. Before enrolling in The Boat School’s two year boatbuilding course in 1978, Dean taught Biology at Washington Academy, East Machias. After graduating from the boatbuilding course, he joined The Boat School’s staff as a boatbuilding instructor, teaching the course until 2008. He is founder, owner and operator of Moose Island Marine, Inc. Eastport (est. 1980). Since 1984, Dean has been a member of the Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce and has served as the elected Director of the Eastport Port Authority since 1994.
Meg McGarvey – Vice Chair
A forty-three year Eastport resident with deep generational roots, Meg has dedicated many of those years to community development. A graduate of Cornell University and fiber and glass artist, she is co-owner of The Commons, an Eastport waterfront gallery and lodging place and is a partner in a project to develop a hotel/residential/retail establishment in Eastport’s National Historic District. Meg has served 11 years on the Eastport School Committee and is involved in promoting new educational programs in the local schools that will incorporate all of Eastport’s resources as a campus for students. The Boat School, where Meg’s late husband Bill McGarvey was a marine mechanics instructor, is an integral and important part of this vision and Meg is committed to Its growth and expansion.
Wanda Newman – Treasurer
Wanda is a native of Campobello Island, New Brunswick. While raising her family in Perry, Maine, she completed the diesel mechanics program at Washington County Vocational Technical Institute. Wanda is the manager of Moose Island Marine’s retail store in Eastport, Maine. As an active member of the Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce, she volunteers for Eastport’s Annual Salmon Festival and many other community events. Wanda has close personal and professional ties with the men and women who work the bays and since joining the Board is 2012, she has brought a realistic perspective on commercial and recreational waterfront activities to the table.
Joanne O’Grady – Secretary
Joanne, long time Eastport resident, enjoyed a 20 year career as an administrative assistant for the local technical college affiliated with MMTC and served as a bookkeeper for several local businesses. Her passion for trades education is reflective of her life as a sailmaker, upholsterer, and jill of all trades. A community minded person, she has worked on behalf of the Eastport Area Chamber of Commerce, Quoddy Maritime Museum & Visitors Center, Peavey Memorial Library, and Sunrise County Economic Council. She advocates for Maine Marine Technology Center’s and The Boat School’s socio-economic benefits to the community. Preservation of Maine’s maritime heritage and marine trades industry align with her hopes and dreams for the working people of Downeast Maine.
Andrew Pottle
Andy grew up in Perry and moved to the Bangor area to attend college, work and raise his two children. He earned a B.S. in Forestry and after graduating, fell into the surveying profession, becoming a licensed surveyor 1993. For over twenty years, Andy worked at engineering/surveying firms in Brewer, Bangor and Machias. In 2009, he founded South Meadow Surveying. Andy retired from the U.S. Army Reserve in 2012, and continues to serve with the United Veterans Honor Guard.
Appendix C Infrastructure Renewal Work Plan
| Task | Strategy | Begin (date) | Complete (date) | Persons Responsible |
| Thorough assessment of current infrastructure and needed improvements including Boat shop building roofing Campus wide assessment by Ames Associates LLC, Architects and Engineers (Ellen Angel) |
Campus wide assessment by Ames Associates LLC, Architects and Engineers (Ellen Angel) | July 2017 | December 2017 | Facilities committee |
| Explore possibilities for energy efficient, sustainable infrastructure improvements | Assessment by Revision Energy (Andrew Kahrl) | July 2017 | September 2017 | Facilities committee |
| Upgrade electrical supply in accordance with Emera standards to ensure no loss of feed and install separate service entrances to each building | Estimates from Emera, Border Electric and Riverside Electric for primary power supply and electrical entrances |
July 2017 |
October 2017 |
Facilities committee |
| Upgrade HVAC systems, water supply, heat loss prevention (doors and windows), modernize lighting | Review assessments as they become available to determine the most efficient improvements | September 2017 | December 2017 | Facilities committee |
| Renew all systems (heat, water/sewer, electrical, bathrooms, communications) in the Bio building to enable it to function as a stand alone building and to provide a revenue source through rentals | Review assessments as they become available to determine the most efficient improvements | September 2017 | December 2017 | Facilities committee |