Board of Directors

HCA, Inc. is a Maine not-for-profit corporation and has applied for its 501 (c) (3) status as a tax-exempt organization under the Internal Revenue Code. An experienced and accomplished Board of Directors governs HCA. The Board exercises financial and legal authority, elects officers, and establishes committees for direction and oversight, while ensuring that the school has sufficient resources to flourish.

Officers:

Joe Grady, Chair

Owner, Two Coves Farm. Formerly humanities teacher at Casco Bay High School; Executive Director at Mount Washington Valley Children’s Museum; Farm Manager and Dean of Students at The Meeting School, Rindge, NH.

Jeff Slocum, Vice Chair

Owner of Slocum Chiropractic “A Creating Wellness Center” in Brunswick, Maine. Harpswell native. Co-creator of Learning Curves ™ and The Legion of Chiropractic Warriors, and the annual Purposeful Connections seminar and the developer of the highly successful personal and professional training company, Advanced Leadership Solutions.

Erin Pelletier, Treasurer

Executive Director of Gulf of Maine Lobster Foundation. Formerly Associate Director and Controller of The Environmental Schools, Ocean Park, Maine, Program Director and Naturalist, Ocean Park Environmental Site, and environmental educator.

Sharon Whitney, Secretary

Owner, Eartheart Gardens, Harpswell, Maine, specializing in developing iris cultivars. Previously an elementary school teacher; co-founder of Collins Brook School in Pownal, Maine; has devoted 30 years to helping people of varying ages and abilities learn to swim.

Directors:

Victoria Larson

Vice President, Program Manager, Infrastructure Auditing, TD Bank North, Lewiston, Maine. Board member of Maine Maritime Academy, Castine, Maine and 20 year veteran of the United States Navy.

Sally Mackenzie

Associate Professor of Educational Leadership, University of Maine. Co-Facilitator of the Maine Principals Association New Principal Mentoring Program. Formerly: instructor and administrator in teacher preparation programs at Bowdoin, Colby, and Bates; Leadership program facilitator and coach (Maine School Leadership Network, Team Development Collaborative); American Studies teacher and Librarian at Freeport High School and English teacher at other Maine High Schools.

Will McClaran

Public Relations Account Executive at Kemp Goldberg Partners in Portland,Maine. Former Harpswell resident, having spent childhood and adolescence growing up on Great Island.

Peter Rosenberg

Attorney and nonprofit consultant, certified in Nonprofit Supervision and Nonprofit Development. Founding Board Member of Maine Hands & Voices; past Legal Commissioner and Legislative Subcommittee Chair on the Governor’s Commission on the Deaf, Late Deafened and Hard of Hearing; High School sailing coach.

Scott Ruppert

Father, husband, retired fighter pilot, commercial airline pilot, freelance writer, small business owner, entrepreneur, and vintner. Goes to bed excited about waking up in the morning because of what morning brings. He loves life’s adventures and all the strategy and logistics it takes to make them happen and seeing teens and young adults develop their vision, direction, discipline, and passion.

Design Team

HCA, Inc. is grateful to a small group of Harpswell citizens whose visionary thinking formulated the foundation for Harpswell Coastal Academy.

Tom Allen
Bob Anderson
John D’Anieri
Joe Grady
Scott Ruppert

Advisory Committee

The HCA Advisory Committee and its members operate under the guidance of HCA’s Board of Directors. Its mission is to build strong community relationships that generate the resources (financial and otherwise) HCA needs to open and operate a public charter school in Harpswell.

Members:

Tom Allen
Sam Alexander
John Anthony
Bart Beattie
Elizabeth Bouve
Elizabeth Davis
Shelly Dean-Shaw
Phil Fuller
Paul Hickey
Sean Kelley
Rob Logan
Dan McMahon
Jennifer Nadeau
Tom Ring
Rob Roark
Amber Skinner

If you are interested in serving on the HCA Advisory Committee, please contact: Sharon Whitney, Secretary of the HCA Board and Advisory Committee Liaison at sharon@eartheartgardens.com.

Founders Campaign Cabinet

Tom Allen
Bob Anderson
John D’Anieri
Shelly Dean-Shaw
Joe Grady
Peter Rosenberg
Scott Ruppert
Tom Shepard
Jeff Slocum
Sharon Whitney

Professional Advisors

School Design and Curriculum: John D’Anieri
Legal: Michael Mahoney
Fundraising and Marketing: Ronnie Weston