Jason joined Educate Maine in 2016 as the Project>Login Program Director and took on a variety of roles until he was named Executive Director in 2019. Jason worked as a teacher, college and career counselor, director of studies, and academic dean at Maine Central Institute (MCI) prior to joining Educate Maine. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine at Farmington in secondary education English, a master’s degree from the University of Southern Maine in educational leadership, and a doctorate in organizational leadership studies from Northeastern University. His dissertation focused on how leaders foster and support innovation at their schools. Jason is the past chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. He currently serves as a board member for the Maine 4-H Foundation, the advisory board of Live and Work in Maine, and the education advisory board of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
James has worked in and around education in many roles throughout the country. Prior to returning to Maine, he worked with AchieveMpls to raise funds to support the strategic priorities of Minneapolis Public Schools. James also lived and worked in Washington, DC, for nearly a decade, managing various programs at the Points of Light Institute and later working in the community relations department at Booz Allen Hamilton, an international consulting firm4. Prior to that, James taught high school social studies as a Teach for America corps member in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. James holds bachelor degrees from Boston University and a Master's in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. James and his family live in Portland, where his children attend Portland Public Schools.
Amanda handles the organization’s financial, human resources and operational functions, and provides programmatic and event planning assistance. She earned her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, and a Master’s in Public Administration, with a focus on nonprofit management, from the University of Southern California. Amanda enjoys the Maine outdoors with her husband and family.
Kate Howell has worked in Human Resources and leadership roles throughout her career. Prior to joining Educate Maine, Kate was HR Generalist at a biotech company in Portland focusing on recruitment, career development, and university relations. She led the national university relations program and brings a wealth of knowledge in the area of internship programming and university partnerships. Before moving to Maine, Kate worked in New York City and Washington, DC across a variety of industries and non-profit organizations. Kate holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Syracuse University and a SCP certification from the Society for Human Resources Management. Kate is a member of Rotary International and serves on the Board of the Kennebunkport club where she lives with her family.
Hannah leads the development of Educate Maine's sponsored registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs, and supports Maine Career Catalyst's Aquaculture Pioneers program and equity programs. She brings ample experience in the non-profit sector working on projects related to public engagement and communications, environmental education and workforce development, and marine science research. Prior to joining the Educate Maine team, Hannah was a Fellow at the Island Institute and worked in the education program at Downeast Institute. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science with minors in Public Policy and Public Health Studies from Wheaton College. Hannah brings extensive familiarity living and working within communities along the coast of Maine and currently resides in Bremen. Hannah enjoys reading, cooking, nature walks, and exploring.
Jonathan has been an educator, program coordinator, and community developer throughout his career both locally in Maine and internationally in Morocco. Before joining Educate Maine, Jonathan worked at Baxter Academy for Technology and Science, teaching American Studies and also serving as the Community Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator. In between two different stints teaching History at Edward Little High School in Auburn, ME, Jonathan served in Peace Corps Morocco from 2016-2018 as a Youth Asset Builder. Jonathan holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maine at Farmington in Secondary Education - Social Sciences and a Master of Science in Education: Teacher Leadership degree from the University of Southern Maine. In his free time, he loves to read, play soccer, follow the Premier League (go Spurs), and travel.
Angela brings a wealth of workforce experience and statewide relationships to her role with the Project>Login program. Angela is a former Workforce Development Specialist at Eastern Maine Development Corporation and Workforce Coordinator at the Tri-County Workforce Investment Board; and has worked on several jobs-related federal grant programs. She is past-chair of the steering committee for Building Bridges, a business and education partnership through the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, and a member of the 2018 class of Bangor Region Leadership Institute. She is passionate about matching students and adults with educational programs and quality job opportunities in Maine. Angela earned her BS in Business Administration from the University of Maine at Augusta and her Masters of Science in Organizational Communication from MSU. Angela is a member of Maine Technology Institute's IT Tech Board. She enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking across Maine.
Kaitlin Young has spent her career learning, teaching, and leading as an educator in Maine. She spent twelve years as a music educator within RSU #68 in Dover-Foxcroft working with PK-12 learners as well as taking on various leadership roles in the district. She holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Maine at Orono and a Master’s in Music Education from the Hartt School in Hartford, Connecticut.
In 2018, Kaitlin had the opportunity to serve as the Maine Teacher of the Year. She used her platform to share experiences from her classroom with an emphasis on connecting educational policymakers to practitioners, cultivating teacher leadership, and advocating for equitable access to arts education. She has taken on leadership roles within several educational organizations including the Maine County and State Teachers of the Year Association (MCSTOYA), Maine’s Teach to Lead, and the Maine Arts Education Partners in Leadership (MAEPL). In her free time she loves listening to podcasts, playing steel pan with Panstorm, and spending time at camp with friends and family.
Dolly started working in education advocacy in 1998 as the program director for the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education, the forerunner of Educate Maine. In addition to directing MTOY, she works with the Education Leaders Experience team. She is a proud University of Maine alumna – go Black Bears!—and she and her husband, Tom, are longtime residents of Bucksport. They have two adult children, Brian and Keely, two grandchildren Layla and Louie, and an Irish Shorty Jack Russell, Weezie.
Susan Friedburg joins Educate Maine with diverse not-for-profit financial management experience from her work with educational, hospital, physician, social work organizations. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her MBA in Health Care Administration from Boston University. Susan resides in Bedford, NH with her husband and teenage son. She is thrilled to be joining the Educate Maine team.
