What is Resilience?

“It has been inspiring to see local governments, small businesses, and not-for-profits in Lincoln County assist each other, adapt and now emerge from this most difficult period. Yankee ingenuity, grit, and collaboration have been in full display as hurdle after hurdle have been overcome. The new normal for the mid-coast is different in many ways and hopefully fortified to adjust to future adversity.”

Mark and his family split their time between Boothbay and New York City, where he works for a leading global bank. Having spent 30-plus years in the markets, Howard feels privileged to share his experience, insights, and professional network as chair of the MaineCF Investment Committee. Howard received a Master of Business Administration in finance from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Colby College.

“The community of Dover-Foxcroft is a unique place, sparsely populated and far off the beaten path. In normal times, it faces challenges that many poor, rural communities face. With the onset of the pandemic, those challenges increased. My community has shown tremendous resilience over the past year, from increasing food distribution to needy families and children, assisting seniors with grocery shopping, shifting community dinners to takeaway meals, and helping seniors to winterize their homes. My community is small but filled with individuals and organizations willing to work together to respond to changing needs.”

Mallett is pictured with her daughter Annie in her favorite spot, The Narrows on Sebec Lake. She’s proud of her work representing Maine’s most vulnerable older residents as an attorney for Legal Services for the Elderly in Bangor and is active in Dover-Foxcroft’s Center Theatre and Piscataquis YMCA youth activities. She is a graduate of Colby College and the University of Maine School of Law.

“The efforts locally to support working from home through broadband expansion and being kind and compassionate to our neighbors across the state is huge in my mind. Giving to food banks to feed the communities, driving older people to medical appointments and/or shopping ... Taking account of actions needed in the community that we may not have been aware of or had taken for granted are all part of resilience over the past year. If we look forward with courage, determination, and energized hope for tomorrow, today will be better for all."

Pew lives in Seal Harbor and learned about philanthropy and the power of partnerships from her family, especially her father Andy Pew, who chaired Pew Charitable Trusts for a quarter-century. The Harvard College graduate is a full-time volunteer member of MDI Search and Rescue and also serves on boards of Friends of Acadia and College of the Atlantic. She’s pictured here bicycling in Acadia National Park.

"The community worked so hard to live through the pandemic. My community is comprised of essential workers in the health care, manufacturing, and other industries that couldn’t afford to shut down during the lockdown. They survived despite not having enough protection during the time when 30 percent of the Maine cases were from people of color, even though they make up 1.4 percent of the entire Maine population.”

Rwaganje is proud of his accomplishments as a New Mainer and community trust that led to his election as a Westbrook city councilor. He is the founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization ProsperityME and learned through his own immigration experience that financial stability is essential to building a new life in the United States. He holds a Master of Business Administration from University of Phoenix.

"For all the talk about how COVID-19 and our collective response to it has divided us, I’ve seen incredible examples of the good in people – helping older neighbors with grocery shopping, taking care of one another’s children with schools closed and limited child care, or just being more compassionate. We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world, and during the pandemic it has been one of the safest. As communities found ways to help people better enjoy the outdoors, residents and visitors alike have enjoyed all that Maine has to offer, even during these challenging times.”

Sprague and his wife live in his hometown of Bangor, where he was photographed on Election Day with their children. He graduated from Harvard University and is a vice president at First National Bank. The former city council member and two-term mayor also serves on the board of Good Shepherd Food Bank and founded Erin’s Run, a road race that supports local domestic-violence resources and the Bangor YMCA.