The Maine Community Foundation Board of Directors has elected three new members: Tihtiyas (Dee) Sabattus of Princeton, Brian Bernatchez of Waterville, and Brooke Parish of Castine and New York City.
Sabattus is a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and director of the Passamaquoddy Health Center at Indian Township. She worked for the United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), an intertribal organization in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2016 she received a National Service Award from the National Indian Health Board for her work to advance the health care of American Indians and Alaska Natives. Sabattus received her degree in business management from Thomas College.
Bernatchez is the founder and managing principal of Golden Pond Wealth Management. A graduate of Thomas College, he has been a financial advisor since 1989 and a Certified Financial Planner since 1996. Bernatchez serves on the Thomas College Board of Trustees and the Investment Advisory Committee of Jobs for Maine Graduates, and is vice president of the Founders Club at the Alfond Youth Center in Waterville.
Parish is head of U.S. operations at G Squared Capital LLP. He has served as a trustee of The Calhoun School in New York City and Montclair Cooperative School in Montclair, New Jersey. He is on the board of directors of Blue Hill Heritage Trust and a member of College of the Atlantic’s investment committee. Parish is a graduate of Hobart College.
“Dee’s health care expertise, Brian’s wealth management experience, and Brooke’s investment knowledge will help the foundation move forward in its community-building work,” said Karen Stanley, MaineCF Board Chair. “We welcome their commitment to improving the quality of life for all Maine people.”
How has your background informed what community means to you and how you define it?
My background in health care program implementation has helped add to what I feel community is, but it was growing up in my Tribal community that truly defined what community is for me. The sense of community is rooted in you at a young age.
Our people have persevered for thousands of years, due in part because the Tribe banded together to share in culture and traditions rich in values, strength, and language. As a child I was enamored by how we all came together, whether in sadness or joy. We have always had our songs, dance, and ceremonies to get us through the most trying times.
So, for me personally, community means a group of people who come together and who care about one another.
— Dee Sabattus
Community was defined for me at a young age. I grew up in Belgrade, home of Hammond Lumber. As a young child, nearly every sports uniform I wore had the Hammond Lumber name on it, thanks to the generosity of Skip Hammond and his family.
Belgrade was also the summer home of Harold Alfond, who supported local hospitals, colleges, conservation groups, and youth organizations – and continues to, through the Alfond Foundation. Importantly, he challenged his community to invest in itself by frequently matching contributions dollar for dollar.
Community also means Walter Simcock, who allowed me to work as many hours as my schedule allowed at Colonial Distributors as I worked my way through Thomas College.
Community is Jerry Tipper, former owner of Cascade Woolen Mills, who taught me about the art of personal fundraising for the Belgrade Lakes Conservation Corps and the Alfond Youth Center. Community is Maggie Shannon, whose passion for lakes conservation has been crucial to protecting the quality of the Belgrade Lakes watershed.
For me, community is about reinvesting time, talent, and resources in the community I grew up in to help clear the path for others. In doing so, I try to live up to the example set by so many passionate, selfless leaders who helped create opportunities for my family.
— Brian Bernatchez
In my opinion, the key to success is listening to, and learning from, others. My background includes living and working in many parts of the country and working with people from various backgrounds and perspectives, united in pursuit of common goals and purpose. In the many towns and cities where I’ve lived, I welcomed volunteering as an active community member. I have held volunteer board positions in my children’s schools and coached my daughters’ youth soccer teams. I’m a volunteer member of two Maine nonprofits and serve on the executive committee of a New York City institution whose purpose is to promote literature and art in the community.
A shared objective is often enough to coalesce a group into taking positive steps forward. Diversity of thought, the act of giving, reliance on others: these define my understanding of community.
— Brooke Parish
New MaineCF Board members Brooke Parish, Dee Sabattus, and Brian Bernatchez visit downtown Ellsworth. Photo Ashley L. Conti
