Networking Event at the Calumet Club

Registration Opens & Breakfast with Exhibitors

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• Pender Makin, BA, MS Maine Department of Education
  

  Maine's Commissioner of Education, Pender Makin, has devoted herself to the mission of public education for nearly 30 years. She served as a middle school teacher before assuming the role as principal of The REAL School on Mackworth Island in Falmouth. At The REAL School – a regional, experiential learning school for students who have struggled in traditional school settings – Makin and her team supported high-risk students from 28 sending districts through innovative, project-based programming. Prior to accepting her appointment as Commissioner, Makin also served as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brunswick School Department.

  For several years, Makin served as a member of Maine's Juvenile Justice Advisory Group, and she co-founded Collaborative for Perpetual Innovation, a professional development, technical assistance, and consulting company for educators, school and district leaders, and counselors.

  She has provided educator trainings, workshops, and keynote addresses at multiple state and national conferences on topics such as restorative justice, cognitive neuroscience, dropout prevention, organizational culture, and leadership.

  Makin was named the 2013-2014 Maine Principal of the Year by the Maine Principal’s Association and was a recipient of the Milken Educator Award, a national distinction bestowed upon educators for exceptional educational talent, exemplary educational accomplishments,

  and an engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students. Makin and her students also won MTV's Local Heroes Award for their work on a violence-prevention public service video.

  Makin is charged with leading the state agency that administers both state education subsidy and state and federal grant programs; coordinates the authoring of the rules for Maine State education statutes passed by the Maine State Legislature; provides professional development, information, supports, and resources, as well as a system for educator credentialing; and leads many collaborative opportunities and partnerships in support of local schools and districts.

  Makin grew up in Saco, attended local schools, and graduated from Thornton Academy. She worked as a mate and deckhand on her father's deep-sea fishing charter boat every summer beginning at age eight. She earned her B.A. in English Literature and her M.S. in School Leadership from the University of Southern Maine.

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• Nirav Shah, MD, JD, MPH

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• Alyssa Goodwin, MD Stellar Pediatrics
• Shawn Lambert

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• Michele LaBotz, MD
• Brian Parker Hooton Foundation

Lunch

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• Marc Minkler, EMS-C Maine EMS for Children
  

  Marc Minkler is an EMS clinician and has been a paramedic for over 35 years. He is the current Maine State EMS for Children Program Manager and a Paramedic instructor. He is the immediate past chair of the United States Pediatric Emergency Care Council, is the co-lead for the Maine State Perinatal Quality Collaborative, and a member of the Maine Child Death & Serious Injury Review Panel, and the Maine Maternal, Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel. He has been the Training Officer and citywide EMS supervisor for Portland Fire Department, faculty at Southern Maine and Eastern Maine Community Colleges, Chief of EMS for a large private ambulance service, and a paramedic in the Metro Washington DC area. He presents frequently to state and national forums and conferences.

• Ashley Moody, MSN, FNP-C, EMT-P
  

  Ashley Moody has an extensive background in healthcare and public service. She is a licensed registered nurse, family nurse practitioner (FNP), and firefighter/paramedic. She received a degree in paramedicine from Southern Maine Community College, a Nursing degree from the University of Maine, and a Master's degree in Nursing from Walden University. She has spent many days, nights, weekends, and holidays, caring for Mainers as an emergency room nurse, school nurse, and a career firefighter/paramedic.

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• Erin Flynn, MD
• Sarah Harlow, MA, PS-C
• Teddy Lyman

Break and Exhibit Viewing

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