On Tuesday, January 24, the Camp Susan Curtis Board of Trustees held their Annual Meeting, where they acknowledged trustees – past and present – for their dedication to uplifting the mission of Camp Susan Curtis and ensuring that Maine children facing economic hardship can continue to have life-changing experiences at camp every summer. 

We are grateful to have benefited from the service, expertise, and commitment of outgoing trustees Rich Emerson (2006-2022), Bob Nadeau (2016-2022), Benji Borowski (2016-2022), and Matthew Cyr (2015-2022).  

The Board also recognized Kylie Mason for her outsized contributions as Board Chair (2021-2022). Among her lasting legacies include: rich and engaging board meetings with dedicated time for mission moments and deep discussion about the camp program; a willingness to ask tough questions and try innovative approaches to address age-old issues and advance our work; and a commitment to carve out frequent and regular time to strategize with and support the Executive Director.    

Officer Appointments

The Board was also pleased to congratulate Nolan Reichl for his appointment as Board Chair and Elyse Corbett for her appointment as Board Vice Chair. 

Nolan Reichl is a partner in Pierce Atwood’s Litigation Practice Group, where he focuses his practice on civil litigation and appellate matters, including commercial disputes and challenges to administrative actions. Nolan represents institutional clients in a range of industries and has represented some of the largest institutions in the United States and Maine, including Central Maine Power Company, J.P. Morgan, Verso Corporation, Bank of America, and Eli Lilly and Company.  Nolan has served on the Camp Susan Curtis Board since 2018.  His term as Board Chair began in January 2023, following a term as Vice Chair.  Nolan resides in Cape Elizabeth with his wife and two children.  

Dr. Elyse Corbett is a licensed psychologist and owner of Bella Vita Consulting located in Portland.  She is also a Camp Susan Curtis alum.  Elyse graduated with her doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. She completed her doctoral internship and post-doctoral fellowship at University of New Hampshire Counseling Center.  Elyse specializes in reproductive health psychology, working with women and couples dealing with the many challenges and transitions that come with having a family.  Elyse has served on the Camp Susan Curtis Board since 2017.  Her term as Board Vice Chair began in January 2023, following a term as Board Development Committee Chair. 

In addition to these new Officer appointments, the Board was excited to recognized Rich Emerson for his outstanding contributions by electing him to the role of Honorary Trustee. The title of “Honorary Trustee” is an honor accorded to individuals who have contributed significantly to the organization and remain committed to the work of Camp Susan Curtis.   

Rich became a Trustee of Camp Susan Curtis in 2006. He was recruited by the Executive Director at the time, who was his classmate in Leadership Maine. What inspired Rich to join the board and what continues to inspire him today is that Camp Susan Curtis shows kids there are opportunities for them; that there’s a chance; they just have to reach out and grab it. Rich served as Board Chair from 2011-2013. He formerly served on the Investment, Board Development, and Finance Committees, including a term as Treasurer. As a CPA, Rich has been an invaluable resource to the organization, particularly in helping to mitigate the financial impact of the pandemic. A Managing Shareholder of Purdy Powers, a tax and accounting firm in Portland, Rich has facilitated the in-kind donation of annual tax filing services. He has also made himself personally available to the staff to provide advice and guidance to prepare for the audit, assist with proper classification of donor restricted gifts, and recruit teams and steward relationships for the annual Susan Curtis Golf Classic. Purdy Powers will continue to support Camp Susan Curtis with representation on the Finance Committee and Rich is committed to continuing on the Golf Committee in a volunteer capacity.   

New Trustee Appointments

And last, but certainly not least, Camp Susan Curtis is thrilled to announce the addition of three remarkable community leaders to its Board of Trustees. 

Kini-Ana Tinkham is the Executive Director at Maine Resilience Building Network (MRBN). MRBN’s mission is to promote resilience in all people by increasing the understanding of the impacts of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and the importance of building resilience through protective factors such as positive relationships. MRBN, a public health nonprofit works statewide promoting resilience through education, trauma responsive community and organization systems change, and primary prevention strategies to support positive youth development, health and wellness, and advocacy. Kini also has a background in healthcare leadership and maternal and child health. She has worked in family planning, school nursing and a school-based health center supporting middle and high school students. Kini brings to Camp Susan Curtis a passion for promoting positive experiences and supports to lift up Maine youth.  Camp Susan Curtis is a member organization of MRBN. Kini currently lives in Central Maine.   

Ted Hall retired in June as a Senior Associate at the Great Schools Partnership (GSP). The mission of GSP is to support, challenge, and collaborate with educators and communities to achieve educational excellence and equity. He joined the organization as a coach working in schools across Maine and New Hampshire after working in public education for close to forty years first as a science teacher, then as an administrator. Ted was principal of Souhegan High School in New Hampshire for seven years and most recently was principal of Yarmouth High School in Maine.  Currently, Ted serves as the Board Chair of Teens to Trails, a Maine-based organization that works with schools to build meaningful relationships between students, caring adults and the natural world while sharing fun outdoor experiences.  In addition to his vast experience in education, Ted brings nonprofit governance expertise and a strong camp background to Camp Susan Curtis. Ted lives in Yarmouth.   

Colin O’Neill is the Chief Clinical Officer at Tri-County Mental Health Services (TCMHS). The mission of TCMHS is to offer hope and healing to the people of Maine by providing trauma-informed, integrated services that promote whole health and wellness.  Prior to joining TCMHS, Colin served as the Associate Commissioner for the Maine Department of Corrections. He also has experience working as a behavioral health treatment provider and administrator at Long Creek Youth Development Center. In addition to his relevant social work background, Colin’s experience working within different systems to support children and families is a tremendous asset to Camp Susan Curtis.  TCMHS is a current partner for camper referrals.  The tri-county service area includes Franklin, Oxford, and northern Cumberland counties.   

Our new trustees bring significant expertise and leadership from their respective roles to the Camp Susan Curtis Board. With their support, as well as the leadership of our new Officers, we look forward to dig into the hard work of our mission: to provide transformative camp experiences to Maine children facing economic hardship.