Board of Directors

Sweetser’s Board members represent a variety of professions and many have first-hand experience with children who have special needs. All are committed to our mission and actively serve as committee members, fundraisers, volunteers, and advocates.

Chair: Jessica A. Demers, Falmouth

  • Board member since October 2014
  • Occupation: Lawyer
  • Committees: Board Chair & Ex-Officio, serves on all Sweetser Committees with the exception of Governance Committee
  • Education: BA Ursinus College; MA Converse College; JD University of Maine School of Law
  • Affiliations: Maine State Bar Association, American Bar Association and Parish of the Holy Eucharist

 

Vice Chair: James A. Nylund, Portland

  • Board member since October 2017
  • Occupation: Partner/Vice President at GoodNylund-Wealth Management of Steward Partners
  • Committees: Executive Committee, Finance Committee and Chair of the Investment Sub-Committee
  • Education: BA Liberal Arts, Bowdoin College

 

Treasurer: William J. Zafirson, Saco

  • Board member since May 1994
  • Occupation: Senior Vice President – Chief Lending Officer at Bellwether Community Credit Union
  • Committees: Board Treasurer, Auction Sub-Committee, Audit Sub-Committee, Executive Committee, Chair of the Finance Committee
  • Education: BA Bates College; MBA University of Southern Maine

 

Secretary: Michele C. Del Tergo, Falmouth

  • Board member since February 2020
  • Committees: Board Secretary, Investment Sub-Committee, Executive Committee, and Finance Committee
  • Education: BA/BS Boston University; MBA Northeastern University
  • Affiliations: American Bankers Association, CAIA Association, CFA Institute, Investments and Wealth Institute, and Maine Audubon

 

Craig Alie, Portsmouth, NH

  • Board member since November 2022
  • Occupation: Retired (Chief Revenue Officer Computershare)
  • Committees: Development Committee, Executive Committee, & Chair of the HR Committee
  • Education: BA Colby College
  • Affiliations: Agassiz Village (Poland, ME) Board Member, including VP & Chair of Development Committee; SEED (Dover, NH) Board Member; Gather (Portsmouth, NH) Strategic Advisor

 

Robert Davis, Kennebunk

  • Board member since December 2025
  • Occupation:Principal, Client Advisor, RM Davis
  • Committees: Governance Committee
  • Education: B.S. Elmira College, Certificate of Advanced Study in Financial Planning – Merrimack College

 

Anna-Marie DiPasquale, Biddeford

  • Board member since November 2022
  • Occupation: Retired Social Worker, Concord High School
  • Committees: Quality Oversight Committee
  • Education: BA in Psychology, New England College; MA School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago
  • Affiliations: Active Volunteer with Foundation AHLE, an orphanage in Honduras

 

Diane H. Donaldson, Portland

  • Board member since October 2017
  • Occupation: SVP, Commercial Banking Team Lender at Bangor Savings Bank
  • Committees: Executive Committee, HR Committee and Chair of the Governance Committee
  • Education: BA English Literature, Wheaton College
  • Affiliations: Genesis Fund Board Member and Finance Committee Member

 

Joyce McCreight, Harpswell, ME

  • Board member since October 2023
  • Occupation: Retired from Maine Legislature
  • Committees: Executive Committee & HR Committee
  • Education: BA in Counseling, College of Wooster; MSED in Counseling, USM – Gorham
  • Affiliations: Town of Harpswell Resiliency & Sustainability Committee, Midcoast Council of Governments Economic Dev Steering Committee and Harpswell Aging at Home Steering Committee

 

Gregory R. Prince, Gorham

  • Board member since May 2002
  • Occupation: Retired (Account Manager, Franklin Printing)
  • Committees: Golf Sub-Committee and Chair of the Development Committee
  • Education: Business and Marketing – Plymouth State College

 

Daniel Puhlman, Orono

  • Board member since December 2025
  • Occupation: University Faculty, Assistant Professor of Family Studies
  • Committees: HR Committee, Governance Committee
  • Education: PhD in Marriage & Family Therapy – Florida State University, MA in     Marriage & Family Therapy – Seton Hill University, BS in Psychology Allegheny College         
  • Affiliations: National Council on Family Relations, past member of American Association of Marriage, Maine Jr. Blackbears Youth Hockey Board Member, Maine Resilience Building Network           

 

Brynn Riley, Scarborough

  • Board member since October 2015
  • Occupation: Clinical Quality Director at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield
  • Committees: Chair of the Quality Oversight Committee
  • Education: Masters of Health Policy and Management, University of Southern Maine
  • Affiliations: American Society of Quality Improvement

 

Dr. Margaret A. Shepp, Scarborough

  • Board member since October 2011
  • Occupation: Retired Physician
  • Committees: HR Committee, and Quality Oversight Committee
  • Education: Radcliffe College, Thomas Jefferson School of Medicine
  • Affiliations: American Medical Association, Maine Medical Association, Volunteer for “In Her Presence”, University of Medical and Health Sciences-St. Kitts (teaching)

 

Ludmila Tutunaru, Cape Elizabeth

  • Board member since October 2019
  • Occupation: Retired, CFO Volunteers of America NNE
  • Committees: Chair of Audit Sub-Committee, Finance Committee, and Governance Committee
  • Education: Nicolae Balcescu University Bucharest, Romania
  • Affiliations: Board Member VOA NNE

 

Interested in becoming a board member? Complete the application and email to Lynn Leland.