Abbie Yamamoto, center, oversees a vaccination and testing clinic held by the Maine Association of New Americans. Yamamoto says MaineCF’s Investing in Leaders of Color program was invaluable for her professional development. Photo Jill Brady
Abbie Yamamoto began her work with the Maine Association of New Americans (MANA) shortly after her move to Maine in 2017. What began as a volunteer board position quickly evolved into a leadership role as executive director.
Yamamoto, a native of Japan, is a former academic, translator, and cross-cultural consultant who moved to the U.S. in 1997. After earning her doctorate, she spent four years as a professor before becoming a full-time interpreter.
During her time on the MANA board, the volunteer-run organization with no budget focused its mission on building connections for social and personal empowerment for
immigrants and refugees. But once the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, organization leaders realized they needed to shift course to address growing needs.
That’s when Yamamoto and MANA looked to MaineCF. Yamamoto found support through MaineCF’s Investing in Leaders of Color (ILOC), which provided her training to oversee the fast-growing organization. ILOC includes one-on-one coaching, networking, a stipend for professional development, and grants to improve organizations.
Under Yamamoto’s leadership, MANA has expanded since 2020 to seven staff members and a $400,000 budget. MANA provides free transportation to COVID-19 vaccine and testing clinics with drivers who speak passengers’ native languages. The organization also holds peer support groups focused on trauma response and connects immigrants and their families to needed resources.
“Having the ILOC funds helped me look for opportunities I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Yamamoto said. “So much of this program is about opening up the minds of leaders who can get so buried in everything. It teaches you to look for ways to grow ourselves that ultimately grows the organization in a way that’s sustainable.”
Above: Abbie Yamamoto, center, oversees a vaccination and
testing clinic held by the Maine Association of New Americans.
Yamamoto says MaineCF’s Investing in Leaders of Color program
was invaluable for her professional development. Photo Jill Brady
