MeHAF Board of Trustees
MeHAF’s statewide Board of Trustees oversees the work of the foundation and its members serve as responsible stewards for the foundation’s resources. The Board brings a wealth of expertise and experiences from leaders who represent the diversity of Maine.
Beth Bordowitz, JD
Beth Bordowitz (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Maine Retirement Savings Board. She has previously served as the Vice President, Legal and Administration for the Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation from its inception in 2014 through 2018. She is a certified mediator on the Maine Courts family matters roster. Beth served as a Community Development Volunteer in North Macedonia from 2018 to 2020. Beth served as the CEO of the Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) from 2007 to 2014 after serving as General Counsel to FAME. While at FAME, Beth was instrumental in the development and implementation of numerous programs, including the State of Maine’s venture capital fund and the state’s College Savings Program, the NextGen College Investing Plan. Beth has served and held leadership roles on numerous nonprofit and governmental boards of directors including the Portland Public Library, 2009 - 2018, Alfond Scholarship Foundation, Maine Development Foundation, Portland Zoning Board of Appeals, Family Crisis Shelter, Board of Directors. A New Jersey native, Beth earned a bachelor's degree from Rutgers College, a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics of Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law-Camden.
Barbara Crider, JD
Barbara Crider (she/her) is the Executive Director of York County Community Action/Nasson Health Care, an organization providing health and human services across predominantly rural York County, Maine. YCCAC/Nasson is one of only a handful of organizations across the country that is both a designated Community Action Agency and a HRSA funded Federally Qualified Health Center. As such, Barbara leads a team of health and human services professionals in providing high quality, inter-disciplinary care, paying particular attention to the access barriers and the resulting health disparities that many rural dwellers experience. Barbara and her team understand that poor health and poverty are inextricably linked, and can only be effectively addressed by a delivery system that integrates the provision health care with social supports. Barbara has lived in Maine since 1981, when she moved from her home state of Minnesota, seeking a more temperate climate. She is an earnest, if only marginally successful gardener, and enjoys living in rural Acton, Maine.
Christy Dagget, MPP
Christy Daggett, MPP (she/her), is Aroostook Mental Health Center’s Chief Financial and Administrative Officer. As the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, she is responsible for providing leadership for the financial and administrative systems of the organization. Prior to joining AMHC, she has worked in public service in Maine for close to a decade, holding program-oriented and leadership roles at MCD Public Health, the Maine Center for Economic Policy, and the Aroostook County Action Program. She has served as Board President of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Maine Affiliate, President of the Aroostook Training and Education Coalition (ATEC), and Board Member of the Maine Children's Alliance. Christy is Chair of the Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, and was confirmed by the Legislature to serve on the Office of Affordable Health Care Advisory Board. A native of Presque Isle, Christy earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Maine and her master's in Public Policy and Management from the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. She has testified as an expert on rural public policy issues before the Maine Legislature, and her pieces have been published in many statewide and national forums, including health policy research on Medicaid expansion, health care price transparency, cancer screening access for rural Mainers, and the correlation between school-based health clinics and better graduation and attendance outcomes for K-12 students.
Gia Drew
Gia Drew (she/her): Gia Drew is the Executive Director at EqualityMaine, whose mission is to protect and advance full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Mainers by creating an inclusive and intersectional movement through political action, community building, education, engagement, and collaboration. Gia has been with EqualityMaine since starting as a volunteer during the 2012 marriage equality campaign. She serves on multiple committees and boards, including the Maine Advisory Board to the US Commission on Civil Rights and on the board of directors of Equality Federation, a national advocacy accelerator rooted in social justice, building power in a network of state-based LGBTQ+ organizations. Born and raised in the Boston area, Gia was previously a high school teacher and coach for 20 years, and has called Maine home for more than 22 years. She currently resides in Portland.
Richard Evans, MD
Richard Evans, MD (he/him): Richard A. Evans MD is a highly accomplished and respected figure in the field of medicine and surgery, military service, and community leadership. Originally from Houston, Texas, Dr. Evans has resided in Maine for the past 30 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Microbiology with a minor in chemistry from Howard University, Washington, DC. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lt in the USAF Reserves at the time of graduation. Dr. Evans earned the degree of Doctor of Medicine at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA. After an intensive 5-year Residency Program in General Surgery, he entered active-duty military service with his first assignment being at Loring AFB, ME where he served as Chief, Surgical Services and Chief, Hospital Services. Following his assignment at Loring AFB, Dr. Evans went on to serve as Chair, Department of Surgery at Offutt AFB, NE and later as Hospital Commander, Whiteman AFB, MO, and as Medical Group Commander at Ellsworth AFB, SD. He also attended the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine and earned his Flight Wings to become a Flight Surgeon. He completed his military service as Director of the Congressional Efficiencies Project at Offutt AFB, NE. During his Air Force tenure, Dr. Evans was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for Distinguished Service, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award. Dr. Evans returned to Maine as a general surgeon at Down East Community Hospital in Machias, ME and also served as President of the Medical Staff and as a member of the hospital’s Board of Trustees. He then elected to enter into solo private practice in Dover-Foxcroft, ME where he also served as Chair, Department of Surgery and President of the Medical Staff where he has practiced for the last 20 years. Dr. Evans is also a Past President of the Maine Medical Association (MMA), and was awarded the MMA’s highest award, the President’s Award for Distinguished Service. Dr. Evans is currently Maine’s Senior Delegate to the AMA, and Past Chair of the New England Delegation to the AMA. Dr. Evans is currently the President of the national Organization of State Medical Association Presidents (2023-2024), and a current member of the Board of Trustees of Maine Consumers for Affordable Health Care. In 2020, Dr. Evans became the first Democrat in 30 years to be elected to represent Maine House District 120, becoming only the fifth Black lawmaker in Maine’s 200-year history. Dr. Evans was recently named as a recipient of the 2024 American Medical Association Award for Outstanding Government Service in the category, Member of a State Legislature.
Tracey Hair
Tracey Hair (she/her) is a Community Partner at the Maine Community Foundation and is the former Executive Director of H.O.M.E. Inc. which provides services to low-income and homeless families in Hancock County. Tracey has volunteered in partnership with H.O.M.E. Inc. at a homeless charity located in Harlem, NY, where she and her partner worked doing street outreach. In addition to street outreach, Tracey taught basic computer skills to low-income families in the Bronx and has spent time advocating for LGBTQ+ families. Tracey recently served on the Statewide Homeless Council and is the former Co- Chair of the Region III Homeless Council. Tracey holds a lifelong passion for helping underserved populations. She lives in Bucksport where she enjoys gardening and tending to life in her little cottage.
Michael Lambke, MD
Mike Lambke (he/him) is a practicing family medicine physician offering family centered, community based medical care in Skowhegan since 1998. He is recognized as a medical staff leader, one time medical director and a current board member at Redington-Fairview General Hospital. Aiming to improve the health of the population of Somerset County and central Maine, he has collaborated with local organizations, Skowhegan Farmers Market, Skowhegan Maine Street, Somerset Public health, and Maine Grain Alliance on topics of childhood obesity, worksite wellness, community and family development. Work with these organizations and Connecticut-based Wholesome Wave yielded substantive additions to the federal Farm bill improving access to healthy local produce for SNAP recipients in urban and rural areas. To improve access to high-quality healthcare and medical education, he is actively engaged with the Tufts University School of Medicine-Maine Medical Center longitudinal integrated curriculum since 2010. This novel educational process focuses students on individuals and families as they engage with healthcare in rural areas improving the longevity of practicing physicians and the humanity of physicians in training. While always appreciative of learning, he has grown increasingly grateful for a humanities education at Loyola University Chicago and clinical medical education at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. Residency at Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency, subsequent professional practice and the stories of our community members now weaves a complex tapestry of life from this formative fabric of ideas. In 2008, he was recognized as the Maine family physician of the year by the Maine Academy of family physicians and has received several teaching awards from Tufts medical students.
Kevin Lewis
Kevin Lewis (he/him) is the President & CEO of Community Health Options, a non-profit health insurer with qualified health plans on and off the Health Insurance Marketplace for both individual and group markets throughout Maine. Health Options partners with consumers, businesses and providers for Triple Aim achievement. Prior to co-founding Health Options, Kevin was the CEO of the Maine Primary Care Association (MPCA). Currently, Kevin serves on several boards including HealthInfoNet, Health Plan Alliance, the Maine Association of Health Plans, the Maine Guaranteed Access to Reinsurance Association, and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. Kevin earned his Bachelor's from Dartmouth College (1991), a Master's in Public Policy from the University of Michigan (1995), and is an alum of Leadership Maine (2002), the Health Leadership Development program (2008) and the UCLA Johnson & Johnson Health Care Executives Program (2009). Kevin lives in central Maine with his wife and daughters and many four-legged rescues.
Grace Odimayo, DMD
Dr. Grace Odimayo, DMD, (she/her) is a general dentist providing preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental procedures in Farmingdale. She received her dental training at Tufts School of Dental Medicine, graduating in 2003. Dr. Odimayo came to the United States in 2002 from Nigeria where she had training, and practiced dentistry in Nigeria and in Great Britain prior to coming to the US. As a general dentist, she sees firsthand the importance of preventive and restorative services for children, young adults, and older adults relative to their general health and nutrition, as well as their ability to work, attend school, and maintain full and healthy lives. Her approach to practice is to listen to patients and understand the context of their lives as a way to inform the care she provides. In her practice she sees pre-school children with MaineCare coverage, and provides pro-bono services for the Head Start program. She will bring her perspective as a dental professional and the perspectives and experiences of her patients to MeHAF’s Board.
Susan Roche, Esq.
Sue Roche (she/her) is the Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project (ILAP) and been at ILAP since she joined as the organization’s first staff attorney in 2000. Located in Portland, ILAP is Maine’s only statewide immigration legal aid organization. ILAP helps Maine’s immigrants keep their families together, gain protection from persecution and domestic violence, attain residency and work authorization, and become proud U.S. citizens. ILAP builds stable families and improved opportunities, allowing Maine’s immigrants to contribute to their communities for generations to come. Sue has specialized in family based immigration, remedies for noncitizen domestic violence and crime victims, and removal defense. She has been an invited presenter at regional and national conferences of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Sue received a B.S. in Business Administration and International Affairs from the University of New Hampshire, and she received her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She is admitted to the Maine Bar.
Anita Ruff
Anita (she/her) has been the Executive Director of the Oasis Free Clinics, a free primary care medical and dental clinic for uninsured adults with low incomes in Midcoast Maine since 2016. Prior to joining Oasis, Anita was the Community Education Program Director at MaineHealth, overseeing health education and health literacy initiatives. Anita also served as the Deputy Director for the Center for Psychiatric Research at Maine Medical Center, overseeing the community outreach and administration for a national research study on the early intervention of psychotic illnesses in adolescents and young adults. Anita came to Maine as a Public Health Advisor for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, working on programs to reduce the impact of cancer. She is a member of Leadership Maine’s Allagash Class and the Hanley Center’s Health Leadership Development Program. Anita has a Master of Public Health degree from the University of Tennessee and is a Master Certified Health Education Specialist.
Clarissa Sabattis, RN
Clarissa Sabattis (she/her) is the current Chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and Native of Houlton, Maine. She is a Registered Nurse and prior to her current post, spent most of the past seven years working as part of a team to establish a Public Health Infrastructure for the Wabanaki Tribes in Maine. Clarissa is passionate about the health and well being of her people, and her focus is to improve conditions that impact their overall health status.
Ellen Seidman
Ellen Seidman (she/her) is a nonresident fellow in the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute. She is a member of the boards of the Financial Health Network, Friends of the Strand Theatre and Luminato Condominium Association. From 2012 to 2016, Seidman served on the inaugural Consumer Advisory Board of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. From 2012 to 2014, she was a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, where she edited Investing in What Works for America’s Communities; What Counts: Harnessing Data for America’s Communities; and What It’s Worth: Strengthening the Financial Future of Families, Communities, and the Nation. She was the 2013–14 New York University Stern–Citi Leadership and Ethics Distinguished Fellow. From 2002 to 2010, Seidman held various positions at ShoreBank Corporation, and from 1997 to 2001, she directed the Office of Thrift Supervision. She also sat on the board of directors of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and chaired the board of directors of NeighborWorks America. Seidman was senior counsel to the Democratic staff of the House Financial Services Committee, was Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and held senior positions at Fannie Mae and the US departments of Transportation and the Treasury. Seidman received an AB from Radcliffe College, an MBA from the George Washington University, and a JD from Georgetown University. She lives in Portland and Spruce Head, Maine.
Toho Soma, MPH
Toho Soma (he/him) is a Senior Research Associate for the Center for Excellence in Public Health at the University of New England, where he evaluates a range of public health projects. Prior to this he was the Public Health Director for the City of Portland. Toho holds an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of California at Berkeley, and an MS in Health Informatics from UNE. He and his husband Jason live in Portland.
Ian Yaffe
Ian Yaffe (he/him) is the Director for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (Maine CDC) Office of Population Health Equity (OPHE), a newly established office devoted to identifying and addressing health disparities throughout Maine. Ian is on leave through 2021 from his position as Executive Director of Mano en Mano where he joined the staff in 2010 after working in several seasonal jobs in Massachusetts and Colorado. He graduated from Bowdoin College in 2009 with a degree in Latin American Studies and Education and spent a semester at the Universidad de La Habana in 2008. Outside of Mano en Mano, Ian is a Chief Boatswain’s Mate in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve and serves on the Boards of Directors of CEI and the Maine Philanthropy Center.