Board of Directors & Staff
STAFF
John Viehman
President
John has had an extensive publishing and broadcasting career while also engaging in many community activities. He joined the UMC board in 2014 after serving for six years on its communications committee, and was UMC’s board chair from 2015 through 2019, then stepping off the board to become UMC’s President in late 2020. He lives in Rockport Village, where he also serves on the Town Planning Board.
Rebecca Leonard
Administrative Assistant
Rebecca is a lifelong resident of the Midcoast and joins UMC after having worked as the Retail Manager at the Samoset Resort/Ocean Properties for more than 26 years. She oversees all our administrative functions, including grant applications, and most likely is the friendly voice you hear should you call (207-236-2299) or inquire via email (Admin@UnitedMidcoastCharities.org).
Eileen McGuigan
Development Assistant
Eileen began her career in social services, then shifted to the creative field, working with local, national and global advertising and catalog clients upon moving to Rockport 25 years ago. Before joining UMC, she had been back in social services for five years.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jim Hengerer
Chair & Grants Chair
Jim grew up in Albany, NY. After medical school, he served in U.S. Navy for nine years while training in Ear, Nose and Throat. He practiced in Lynchburg, VA for 35 years and retired to Rockland four years ago with his wife, Judy. They have spent summers in Maine on Echo Lake for many years.
Jay Foster
Vice Chair & Governance Chair
Jay graduated from Camden High School and, after graduating aviation technical school and time spent with the U.S. Army, completed a 35-year career in commercial aviation with Trans World Airlines. Since returning home, he volunteers locally and works on various boards and committees for the Town of Lincolnville.
Elinor Goldberg
Development Committee Chair
Ellie has lived in Hope since 1971 and has spent most of her professional career advocating for children, youth and families. She retired as the founding executive director of the Maine Children’s Alliance. Ellie is trained as a social worker and has served on many advisor councils, including the Maine Children’s Cabinet and Maine Child Care Advisory Council and on the boards of Equity Maine, Dirigo Alliance, Belfast Area Childcare Center and Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare. She is now retired and enjoying her gardens.
Denise Breed
Secretary
Denise enjoyed a 20-year diplomatic career across Africa, the Middle East and Europe. She also worked for two years as the executive aide to the commander, U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany. Breed relocated to Rockport with her husband Jeff in the summer of 2019.
Frank Hackett
Treasurer
Frank and his wife, Mary Ann, relocated to Rockport in 2018 from the Hudson Valley. Frank has experience from his past roles as partner at a CPA firm, COO of a leather design firm, CFO of a lamp manufacturer and a consultant to many for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Frank has enjoyed vacationing in Maine for 40 years and continues to enjoy traveling, hiking, camping and skiing now that he is a resident.
Kristin Sidwell
Communications Committee Chair
Prior to her current position overseeing the marketing and communications at CedarWorks, Kristin worked in nonprofits for almost 20 years, including as Director of the Women’s Resource Center in Durango Colorado and more recently at the Children’s House Montessori School in Camden.
Locally, she has served on the Camden Budget Committee, The Maine Montessori Association Board of Directors, the Independent Schools Association of Midcoast Maine, and the Watershed School.
Chris Beebe
Chris is former owner of Steel Pro in Rockland, where he now serves as chairman of the board. He has been treasurer of the Farnsworth Art Museum and a board member at Pen Bay Healthcare.
Janice Gates
Janice has over 18 years of experience as an executive in retail operations in the Northwest, Intermountain West and Mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. She is the director of operations for the Farnsworth Art Museum. Gates and her husband Chris live in Camden.
Karyn Rizzo
Karyn spent many years at Sun Life’s U.S. headquarters in Wellesley, Massachusetts, leading the conference services department. Rizzo and her team managed meetings and incentive conferences for the company in the U.S., Canada and other countries. She and her husband Tom retired to Maine after her retirement in 2012. They reside in Owls Head.
Jim Povec
Jim currently is the CEO/Founder of Povec Leadership, an organizational development (OD) consulting company providing executive search, executive coaching, and leadership training. Jim founded the Midcoast Chapter of First Tee, a mentoring program to introduce youth to golf, now in its 21st year.
Melanie Frazek
Melanie moved to Belfast, Maine from Illinois in 2011. With Bar admissions in Illinois, Maine, and the U.S. Supreme Court, her law practice concentrates on estate planning. Additionally, she is an independent hearing officer for two Maine state agencies.
Amanda Cunningham
Amanda is a Belfast native who graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington and now serves as Executive Director for Our Town Belfast. Prior to that, she served as the Community Coordinator for five years at the Waldo County YMCA.