Board and Staff

Finn Bondeson is a civil and environmental engineer interested in providing public, private, and municipal clients with solutions which improve the built environment for humans and for natural systems.  His initial interest in the human-environment interface, and his understanding of the important roles that small town Maine is gifted with, was borne from his first job on his parents’ farm and greenhouse business in Woodland, Aroostook County.  In his current role as project engineer with Acorn Engineering and previously with the Sewall Company (both Maine-based companies), Finn has been dedicated to ensuring Maine’s future, by virtue of its infrastructure and schemes of development, continues to be informed and built by those who call our wonderful state home.

Finn holds civil and environmental engineering degrees from The University of Maine (BS) and The University of Vermont (MS).  Through academic and career work over the past decade, Finn has served Maine and New England in the renewable energy, aviation, site civil, watershed analysis, infrastructure improvement, and agricultural research sectors.  It is Finn’s assertion that change and growth are best achieved through conversation, connection, and understanding of community identity and community needs.

When not at work, Finn can usually be found outside; on cross country skis, in running shoes, on most any type of bicycle, or in a kayak.  His favorite book (or at least the most worn out) is the Maine Gazetteer.  Finn currently lives in Bangor, enjoys visiting friends and family throughout Maine and beyond, and can make most anything in the King Arthur baking cookbook when he gives himself the time

Kirsten Brewer is a nonprofit professional with extensive experience in environmental sustainability and community development. Currently with the Cooperative Development Institute, she supports the Water Infrastructure Support Program to guide the pipeline of manufactured housing community infrastructure projects in Maine. Her past roles include service with USDA Rural Development, Volunteer Maine, and the Kennebec Land Trust.

Kirsten received her master’s degree from the UVM Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources and undergraduate degree from Pitzer College. She serves on the City of Augusta’s Bicyclist and Pedestrian Safety Committee and is a two-time AmeriCorps alumna.

Tony Carter is a Western Maine Native and currently the President of Pennacook Falls Investments LTD a holding company for Best Western Rumford Falls a new 63 room hotel that was opened in May of 2022. He was instrumental in bringing 29 local investors together in raising the capital required. Also employed by Oxford County Commission as manager of Oxford County Regional Airport and Manager of the Unorganized Townships of Oxford County. He has retired from the pulp and paper industry holding many managerial positions in multiple locations across the country. An entrepreneur with many additional businesses (e.g. Auto parts, rental properties, etc) in the past. Also past involvement in local government, growth councils and economic development.

Tony lives in Dixfield, and enjoys his place in Eustis as well with his wife. He has 4 children, 9 grandchildren and a new great grandson.

Jennie Franceschi is the Director of Planning and Code Enforcement for the City of Westbrook and has been in this role since 2015.   Prior to Westbrook, she was the City of Biddeford’s Planning Engineer for 13 years, worked for Cumberland County Soil & Water Conservation District as their District Engineer, and has held a variety of technical positions in the many facets of design and construction. Jennie has successfully worked at the local level in advancing Housing Forward land use policies to place density in locations supported by infrastructure while avoiding rural and natural resource areas.

She was selected as the Maine Association of Planner’s Co-Planner of the year in 2025 and served as Chair of MAP’s LPC 2024-25 Growth Management Sub-Committee.  Jennie is a graduate of the University of Maine where she received a BS in Civil Engineering and holds a Maine Professional Engineers license. Jennie grew up in Winslow, Maine and now resides in Westbrook with her husband Paul, son Ryan and 4-year-old golden retriever, Millie.  When not engaged in City Planning, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends in the most beautiful regions of our state.

Elizabeth Frazier grew up in and around her family’s Maine-based small business, working on all aspects of business growth and management. She has an intimate understanding of the realities and requirements of running a business in Maine. She focuses her professional practice on government relations, lobbying, business advocacy, and environmental and land use policy at Pierce Atwood LLP.

Elizabeth was engaged early with the work of the Maine Climate Council and has worked with clients from diverse sectors of the economy to navigate this emerging policy arena, including real estate and development; industrial and manufacturing processes; municipal land use; and energy infrastructure. As a former staff member of Maine’s First District Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, Elizabeth understands what resonates with Maine policy makers and how to shape a legislative strategy to achieve her client’s objectives.  

In her personal life, Elizabeth is active in Maine Democratic politics. She recently joined the Board of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce. Elizabeth also serves on the board of Maine’s Architecture, Construction, and Engineering (ACE) Mentor Program. Elizabeth resides in the heart of Portland’s Old Port – living and working on the waterfront.

Rhiannon Hampson is the Biden-Harris Administration’s appointed State Director for Maine, USDA Rural Development. She is also the Co-Owner of Grace Pond Farm, an organic (MOFGA certified) pasture based livestock and dairy farm in Thomaston, Maine on Wawenock Tribal Land. For several years Rhiannon has enjoyed working on, and supporting, policy relating to processing and financial support for Maine’s small farms, and continues to advocate for assisting in the sustainability of Maine’s farming community via thoughtful legislation.

Through previous volunteer opportunities, such as creating summer programming for children, facilitating performing arts events for rural residents, and coordinating the use of an historic building in downtown Machias, Maine, Rhiannon has been fortunate to create connections with people from diverse backgrounds, allowing her to deepen her commitment to facilitating cooperation among all of Maine’s citizens, new and old, regardless of socio-economic status. Equity and Inclusion are values that she holds at the center of the work she does.

Rhiannon is a former District Representative for Congresswoman Chellie Pingree with a focus on Agriculture, the Environment, Health Care, and the Arts. She is a graduate of the University of Maine at Machias where she earned a B.A. in Psychology and Community Studies and was a Public Policy Scholar through the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center.

Larissa Holland is an infrastructure sustainability professional with cross-sector experience in stakeholder engagement, community development, and project/energy management. In addition to working as an Aviation Sustainability Consultant with C&S Companies, Larissa serves as the Development Advisor for JustME for JustUS, a youth-led and rural-led nonprofit ensuring young people in rural Maine have their voices heard throughout our state, especially around issues of climate, environment, and economic opportunities. Larissa was the first in her family to attend college and has since graduated from Smith College with a degree in Environmental Science & Policy (ES&P) and Architecture. She thoroughly enjoys helping necessary projects become critical solutions to complex, urgent problems, as well as hosting dinner dress-up parties, riding her second-hand road bike, and hiking Maine’s coast.

Peter King serves as Chief Financial Officer at Island Institute, bringing over 5 years of experience in finance and seven years of dedicated service to the organization. As CFO, Peter oversees the organization’s financial operations, ensuring fiscal health and sustainability while advising on strategic financial decisions. He manages day-to-day finances, provides leadership with essential data on financial and human resource deployment, and contributes to shaping high-priority initiatives by aligning resources with the Institute’s goals and objectives.

Before joining Island Institute, Peter worked as a business and financial analyst in Denver, Colorado, with Clayton Fixed Income Services and Interthinx. He returned to Maine to serve as campaign coordinator for Craig Olson for Congress. Peter holds a B.A. in History from Colorado College and a Certificate of Graduate Study in Public and Nonprofit Management from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern

Jeff Levine, AICP, is an urban planner who has worked in New England for 25 years. Currently, he is the owner and principle of Levine Planning Strategies. He is a Lecturer in Economic Development & Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Jeff also serves on the Greater Portland METRO Board of Directors and was the Director of Planning & Urban Development for the City of Portland.

Prior to working in Portland, Jeff served as the director of Planning & Community Development for the Town of Brookline (MA.). He also worked in the City of Somerville (MA), where he focused on transit-oriented development in the new mixed-use Assembly Square district of the city. Jeff has a masters in planning from the University of Minnesota and a bachelors of arts from Wesleyan University. He lives in Portland, with his wife and two children.

Olivia Mora is an architectural designer with a Master of Architecture and a certification in Urban & Regional Planning from Roger Williams University. Her work focuses on community-based design, adaptive reuse, and interdisciplinary collaboration. At SMRT Architects & Engineers, Olivia works across various project sectors, and has a passion for designing spaces that foster connection, wellness, and opportunity.

Olivia’s background includes international study in Italy, a B.S. in Architecture with minors in Construction Management and Art & Architectural History, and hands-on experience from internships and academic partnerships with local governments. In her free time she enjoys hiking, fishing, playing guitar and checking out local events.

Danielle Moriarty is a Program Director for the Maine Arts Commission, where her work is focused on building better communities through arts and culture across the state. Danielle

previously worked for the City of Newton, MA as the Associate Director of Cultural Development. In this role, she was actively involved in arts and culture planning, supporting the local creative community, facilitating cultural events and programming, and cross-sector collaboration through the arts. Danielle’s dedication to connecting people to creative ideas and places has been a lifelong passion. She is a strong advocate for integrated cultural resources and programming and for fostering spaces for arts and culture in our communities. She is particularly interested in creative placemaking/keeping efforts, public art, and socially engaged art. 

Danielle lives in Bath and spends her time taking care of her houseplants, checking out local art and cultural experiences, trying new restaurants, or you might find her at a bakery searching for the world’s greatest almond croissant. Danielle holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Cultural Studies and a Master of Public Administration in Public Humanities and Arts from UMass Lowell.

Kevin currently serves as the Town Manager of Newcastle, Maine, where he brings a mix of strategic planning, fiscal know-how, and down-to-earth problem-solving to the job. His leadership style is rooted in curiosity, communication, and the belief that good governance starts with listening.

Before arriving in Newcastle, Kevin served as Town Manager in Bar Harbor and as City Administrator in Saco. In between those public service roles, he spent several years working in development with Hardypond Construction, gaining a private-sector perspective that continues to shape how he thinks about community growth, infrastructure, and getting projects done.

Kevin moved to Maine in 2015 after many years in upstate New York, where he served as Chief of Staff for the City of Ithaca and previously as Budget Coordinator for Tompkins County. Along the way he earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy from SUNY Oswego.

When he’s not helping communities thrive, Kevin is usually on the road visiting them—on a personal mission to find Maine’s best burgers, pizzas, and local brews. (He has strong opinions and a running list if you’re interested.)

At home, life is anchored by his wife, Kristin, who keeps him grounded—otherwise he’d probably float off into the clouds thinking about ways to solve community challenges. Their five-year-old son, Rex, keeps things interesting. When asked recently by his carpool buddy what his favorite holiday was, he answered with complete sincerity: “Groundhog Day.” Rex is also responsible for naming the family dog, Banana—a firm decision he made at the ripe old age of three.

Mark C. Wiesendanger has been the Director of Development for the Maine State Housing Authority since 2016. Before returning to his home state, Mark worked for several years at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Multifamily Programs, both in Seattle, WA, and Washington, DC. Previously, Mark also worked in the residential and commercial construction industry in Southern Maine and Washington State.

Mark received a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine, an MBA from Seattle University, and is a graduate of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) Program. He is a member of the Maine Development Foundation’s latest Leadership Maine cohort, and is currently serving on the Board of Row House Inc., Hallowell, Maine’s historic society, and on the City of South Portland’s Arts and Historic Preservation Committee.  

Mark is a 12th generation Mainer and lives with his wife and their Bernese Mountain Dog in South Portland. He greatly enjoys hiking, skiing, fishing, sailing, camping, canoeing, and eating his way through every nook and cranny of the Great State of Maine, visiting many friends and family members along the way.

One of the founding board members of GrowSmart Maine, Evan Richert began his professional planning career at GPCOG. Working with South Portland, he eventually left GPCOG to work full-time for the City. In 1981, he formed Portland Research and Communications and, shortly thereafter, joined with Mark Eyerman to form Market Decisions, Inc. (MDI). Together the team grew MDI into a premier consulting practice that bridged the gap between public planning and the development community. Anchoring planning, development, and public policy with direct market research and analysis, Evan demonstrated the importance of data in analyzing planning problems and identifying appropriate policies and strategies to address them.

In 1996, Evan became Director of the State Planning Office and led the State and its professional planners in developing a framework to understand and plan for Maine communities, regions and the state. Under his tutelage and using the that bully pulpit, Evan lead the State in a discussion and focus on the cost of sprawl, the importance and unique stresses of service center communities, and the importance of merging lines between land use, the environment, and the economy, He helped precipitate ongoing conversations about planning issues throughout the State from the Capitol to City Halls and neighborhood assemblies. Collaboration among the various sectors of the state — government organizations, chambers, NGOs, and professional associations – came together in unique ways that continue to affect how planners do business in Maine.

Reaching out to and inspiring professionals, as well as college and graduate students, Evan taught at the University of Southern Maine’s Muskie School for many years.

Over the years, Evan has received multiple awards that recognize his contribution to planning. To Maine’s planning community, Evan has been the “mind” of planning in Maine. He represents the analytical side of planning, reminding all that planning is immersed in facts, both hard statistics and scientific assessment, as well as in an understanding of cultural and social values. Evan’s gift is also the ability to translate complicated analysis in a way that not only informs, but touches the reader’s spirit.