Peter Dugas (Cheverus class of 1993) serves as the Northeast Regional Director for Citizens Climate Lobby and serves as the Maine State Coordinator, Portland chapter co-leader and as co-liaison to the office of Senator Angus King (I-ME). Peter has been concerned about anthropogenic climate change since earning a degree in Physics and Engineering from Brown University, is a first generation accredited EN-ROADS Climate Ambassador from MIT’s Sloan School of Management and won the 2021 Maine Sunday Telegram Source Award for his work building bipartisan support for effective and equitable climate policy at the highest levels of policy-making. Peter is also a working musician, an avid winter sports enthusiast, and stays busy rehabbing his historic building for energy efficiency in downtown Portland, Maine where he lives with his wife and daughter.

Abigail Hayne is a marine scientist and youth climate engagement coordinator at the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. She works to create opportunities for young Mainers to engage with climate action at state, regional and local scales, particularly with the Maine Climate Council and the state’s climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait. Abigail holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in marine science from the University of New England.

Louise is an Environmental Hydrogeologist with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. In her position with the DEP she works to protect Maine’s groundwater by evaluating and cleaning-up sites with a wide variety of contaminants, including petroleum, PFAS (‘forever chemicals’), and chlorinated solvents. She completed a bachelor’s degree at Hamilton College in Geosciences and a master’s degree in Oceanography at the University of New Hampshire. She is a Maine native and spends time coaching ice hockey with various programs throughout the state.

Civic-minded, understanding, generous, and thoughtful, Mufalo is gifted with a tremendous ability to relate across all ethnic communities no matter how different their experiences or needs may be. As an immigrant community leader representing 100+ members and partner organizations including immigrant constituency and advocacy groups as well as direct service and grassroots community organizations, Most recently was recognized as Spurwink’s 2023 Humanitarian of the Year and 2022 Maine Biz Women to Watch honoree for her work as an immigrant advocacy leader at Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition (MIRC). Mufalo works to elevate the voices of new Mainers as they find their way and cultivate a more diverse and inclusive Maine for future generations of immigrant children to come.

Caitlin Eldridge is the Director of the Social Work program at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, ME. Caitlin holds a BA in English from Bates College and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of New England. She has worked in various sectors of the social work field, including case management, international adoption, HIV/AIDS care, and program management. Caitlin is now a social work educator and she is passionate about helping people find ways to serve their communities and become strong advocates for themselves and for others. 

Dr. Peter ODonnell is a Doctor of Nursing and Family and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, currently serving as a psychiatric provider at the Veterans Health Care Administration. With extensive experience in treating Veterans with mental health disorders, Dr. ODonnell is passionate about promoting mental health awareness and providing compassionate care. Their expertise and commitment to mental health make them a valuable advocate and educator in the field.

Mayor Mark Dion is a native of Lewiston, ME. He later earned a B.A. in criminology at the University of Southern Maine, an M.A. in human services administration from Antioch University New England, and a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law. He has also completed the Senior Executive Program for State and Local Government at the JFK School and the Mayoral Orientation Program at the Bloomberg Institute for Cities. A Democrat, Dion was elected for three terms as Sheriff for Cumberland County, Maine, in 1998. In 2010, he successfully sought a seat in the Maine House of Representatives. He was later named Chair of both the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee as well as the Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Technology. In 2016, he was elected to the Maine Senate, where he served one term. Dion was first elected to the Portland City Council in 2020 and won the election for Mayor on November 7th, 2023.