About Us

Prior to joining the Institute for Family-Owned Business (IFOB) in 2014 as its executive director, Catherine was the executive director of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce where she oversaw the 50th Anniversary of Windjammer Days, developed the Claw Down lobster bite competition, and annually produced the region’s definitive travel guide. She is a graduate of the Maine Association of Nonprofits’ Executive Leadership Institute.

Catherine’s prior experience includes 20 years in the travel industry, at Hewins Travel, as director of marketing, and Hurley Travel Experts, as director of sales. A graduate of Bates College, she has served on dozens of boards including the Advertising Club of Maine, the World Affairs Council of Maine, MidCoast Chamber Council, Mobilize MidCoast Maine leadership committee, Rotary, Maine Sports Commission, the Amputee Association of Maine, the Advisory Board for the MWM Maine Women Magazine and the Boothbay Sea and Science Center. She currently servers on the mdf Maine Development Foundation Board. She lives with her husband in the MidCoast, is an avid boater and outdoor enthusiast with a love of great food and local crafts.

Email: catherine@fambusiness.org 

Phone: 207.798.2667

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinewygant/

Before starting with the IFOB, Brooke had spent the last 5 years traveling the U.S. with her own family-owned business. Carrying the role as race team manager for her and her husband’s professional supercross team, Ronnie Stewart Racing, Brooke was one of only two female managers at the professional level. Aside from the 29 races, Brooke put on 26 unique special events including dealer signings, athlete and team appearances, and track ride days. 

She also worked with the Friends of Jaclyn non-profit organization where her team would “adopt” a child battling pediatric brain tumors and other childhood cancers, hosting multiple families as they traveled, and bringing awareness to the organization. She holds a BS in Sport Management from Southern NH University with certifications in athlete and motorsport management.

Today she continues to stay involved in the motorsports industry by putting on education schools. She is a certified coach along with her husband Ronnie; together they train current and beginner riders the secrets to safety, longevity and results in their sport. She has returned to her home state with the long-term vision of owning another family-owned business in Maine. 

Brooke has extensive experience in sponsorship development and management, public relations, marketing, consumer activation, media communications, and VIP hospitality. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, hiking with her dog Mya, and cooking a meal that brings family together.

E-mail: brooke@fambusiness.org

Phone: 904-337-9577

Capozza Floor Covering Center  

Chair

Elite Partner
Joe is President and part of the 3rd generation now managing Capozza Floor Covering Center.  He also oversees the operations of its Commercial Projects Division.  Joe graduated in 2005 from Bryant University with a BS in Business Administration.  From 2006-2009, he worked for Bentley Prince Street, a Commercial Carpet Manufacturer, as a Sales Representative in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  In 2009, he joined the family business as a Commercial Project Estimator & Project Manager, he was named Vice President in 2014 and President in 2022.

Chalmers Insurance Group

Past Chair
Dottie is a 4th Generation Owner of Chalmers Insurance Group. Daughter of Bill Chalmers, she is from Bridgton and is a 2003 graduate of Bowdoin College.  She joined the agency in 2005 and is a licensed Maine Property & Casualty Insurance Agent. Along with being an Agency Owner, Dottie is Vice President of Operations, overseeing 95 employees in the areas of commercial lines, personal lines, and agency assistance. Dottie has a passion for increasing awareness about insurance as a career in hopes of attracting more young professionals. She works with local area high schools and colleges to promote Project InVEST and is responsible for the establishment and recruitment of Chalmers’ successful Insurance Immersion Internship Program. Other interests include skiing, spinning on her Peloton bike, traveling, and spending time with her husband and three young children.

Hardypond Construction

Vice Chair
Deirdre began learning the construction trade in third grade when her father, founded Hardypond Construction. In 2006, after graduating with a BA in Economics from the University of Denver and completing a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA, Deirdre began working at Hardypond full-time. Deirdre took over as President in 2015. In addition, Deirdre has an MBA with a focus on Sustainability from Green Mountain College and is a LEED Accredited Professional. In her spare time, Deirdre volunteers on boards for several nonprofit organizations, is an avid skier and triathlete, and enjoys spending time with her family.

Opus Consulting

Treasurer
Jacques Santucci is the President of Opus Consulting, a business performance management firm based in Portland, ME. He also serves as the President of Nucleus One Consulting, a division of Opus Consulting, specializing in the legal cannabis industry. Jacques’s expertise lies within business strategy and management, new business ventures, due diligence, accounting, process improvement, financial systems, planning and analysis, and creating strong relationships with financing partners and major vendors, all with a cross-functional approach to innovation and performance. Jacques brings years of leadership experience in the entertainment, tourism, financial services, and technology industries. Prior to founding Opus Consulting, Jacques worked at Ernst & Young and Universal Pictures in Paris, France as well as in charge of the US operation of an international yacht charter company and CFO of a Maine-based private lender. Jacques holds a degree from EDHEC School of Management in Lille, France with a concentration in Finance. He lives in Falmouth with his wife and two daughter. A music fan, he also enjoys spending time skiing or on his motorcycle.

Messer Truck Equipment

Secretary

In 2003, Jeffrey Messer, joined Messer Truck Equipment becoming the fourth generation in the family business. A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Ocean Engineering, Jeff served in the U.S. Navy for five years as a Surface Warfare Officer and Nuclear Power Engineer before returning to Maine and the family business. He has worked in various areas of the business, including service, parts, and sales, in an effort to learn the business from the ground-up. In 2008, he was named company president after his father’s untimely passing. He is active in the IFOB and participates in the CEO Central I and Next Gen Executive I group.

CMA Career Management Associates

HR Liaison
David Ciullo is the CEO of Career Management Associates, www.cmacareer.com, a 27+ year New England HR services company. He is also a HR thought leader, speaker and emcee as well as the talk show host of the HR Power Hour national radio show HR Power Hour at www.hrpowerhour.com.  David currently serves as a Member of the Maine State Civil Service Appeals Board, President of HRASM (Human Resource Association of Southern Maine), and serves as Vice President and on the Board of Directors of NNEAPS (Northern New England Association of Personnel Services). Prior to CMA, David has over 25 years of experience as an executive for large retail corporations including American Eagle Outfitters, Pacific Sunwear, and Designs/Levi Strauss. David graduated from Norwich University with a BS degree in Business Administration, a minor in management, and had four years of ROTC in the Norwich Corp of Cadets. David is also certified in Creative Training Techniques, is an Eagle Scout, and a Black Belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. David enjoys giving back through donation of time to help students with their career goals.

Malone Commercial Brokers

Mike became part of the Malone Commercial Brokers family in 2016 and is an active commercial real estate and business broker in the State of Maine. Since acquiring his broker license in 2007, Mike has focused on fostering trust, transparency, and knowledge, earning recognition for his dedication. Mike is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Maine Commercial Association of Realtors (MCAR) and holds a B.S. from the University of Maine. He resides in Gorham with his wife and three children and actively supports and is involved with his community. When he’s not working he enjoys hiking the biggest mountains Maine & New Hampshire have to offer, golfing, running and really anything that requires physical and/or mental exertion. Above all, he enjoys quality time with his friends and especially his family.

The Breakwater Group at Morgan Stanley

Elite Partner

Gary is the founder and Managing Partner of The Breakwater Group. He works closely with successful individuals, families and private business owners, helping them address life’s challenges so they may enjoy the financial freedom they deserve and leave the legacy they desire. Gary’s client-focused process and outstanding service have earned him national recognition from 2019-2022 as Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Advisors for Maine.

A commitment to lifelong learning and providing clients with the most modern strategies has allowed Gary to earn elite level credentials. His advanced studies at Yale University prepared him to become a Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), a designation that enables seasoned advisors to address the sophisticated needs of clients with a minimum net worth of $5 million. As a Family Wealth Advisor, Gary is among a small percentage of Morgan Stanley Financial Advisors recognized as having the skills needed to deliver comprehensive, family-centric wealth management. He is also a Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist SM (CRPS®) and a Qualified Plan Financial Consultant, bringing sophisticated knowledge to the team’s corporate retirement plan work. Gary’s designations are indicative of the knowledge and skills he brings to address the complex financial, interpersonal and multi-generational dynamics of successful families and private businesses.

Clark Insurance

Founding Sponsor
Josh, a resident of Falmouth and a graduate of Ithaca College, is the development chair for the board of the American Red Cross Southern Maine chapter. He is active in the construction market and is involved with the Associated Builders and Contractors and CFMA. He has earned the certifications Construction Risk Insurance Specialist, AIC, and CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor). Josh is active in the Biddeford-Saco community; he graduated from Thornton Academy and works from the Saco office one day a week.

MEMIC

Founding Sponsor
Shae-Li began her career in insurance when she joined MEMIC in 2013 after graduating from Hofstra University with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Shae-Li’s leadership as the manager of MEMIC’s Underwriting Analyst team has helped The MEMIC Group achieve its customer and agency service goals.  Shae-Li has earned her Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and Workers’ Compensation Professional designations. She is currently continuing her education by pursing her master’s degree in Business Administration from Husson University.  Shae-Li was a Maine Insurance Agents Association (MIAA) Young Agents Committee Member for four years. She volunteers for the Special Olympics, United Way, Make-A-Wish, and Partners for World Health. She enjoys cooking, skiing, and learning to golf in her free time.

Richard Brothers Financial Advisors

Founding Sponsor

Laura Linscott is the Director of Internal Operations at Richard Brothers Financial Advisors. She works with high net worth individuals and families to help them achieve their retirement and financial goals through RBFA’s Whole Picture approach to financial planning. There is nothing more fulfilling in her work than seeing clients accomplish milestones and succeed in doing what is most important to them.
In addition to working with clients, Laura sits on the Investment Committee, supervises the Operations Team, and supports the firm in maintaining regulatory compliance obligations.
Laura joined the firm in March 2015. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, and holds the Series 7 and 66 licenses. She graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Financial Planning.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, trying new restaurants, and spending time with friends and family.

Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty

Originally from Andover, MA and a graduate of Bates College, Chris spent the first half of his working life on Wall Street. At 31 years old, Chris became one of the youngest Managing Directors in his field. Chris ultimately managed a 400-person team on three continents with revenues exceeding $500 million. Moving to Maine at 40-years old with his young family, he tapped into his Wall Street brokerage experience to found Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty which is now Maine’s largest luxury property company.

Words@Work

Paula has helped countless clients identify the key elements of their vision and brand, providing concept and direction for QVC, collectiblestoday.com, WebMD, Schiavi Home Builders, United Insurance, UNUM, and the Town of Falmouth. Sometimes, ideas take unique form like the Work for VNA Homehealth Hospice resulted in the award-winning Ask for VNA campaign. For the Town of Falmouth, she created Very Merry Falmouth – a three-day celebration attracting shoppers to Route One. Paula is a board member of the Falmouth Cumberland Chamber and Dancing with the Dentists. She stays busy golfing, skiing, romping with her Black Lab and observing the behaviors of her millennial children. Her company was a 2017 MFBA finalist.

TD Bank

Founding Sponsor
Shauna Miller is a Senior Commercial Lender and Vice President at TD Bank in Portland, Maine. Shauna’s expertise in small business and commercial financing is in line with the Institute’s mission of serving our growing community. Shauna provides exceptional service with proven business development, while focusing on what her customer wants and needs. Shauna lives in South Portland with her husband and two boys.

M&T Bank 

As Charitable and Community Relations manager, Katie works to support Maine organizations. Katie’s previous job experience was a Relationship Manager Business Deposits at Northeast Bank and seventeen years in non-profit raising funds for the American Heart Association’s research, educational programs and advocacy. For hobbies and fun – reading, hiking, water activities plus alpine and Nordic skiing in the winter with her two boys and husband fill any remaining free time.

Verrill 

Founding Sponsor
Chris Smith is a partner in Verrill’s Corporate Governance, M&A and Securities practice group in Portland. Chris serves as counsel to individuals and family-owned businesses, as well as other business and nonprofit clients, representing them in mergers and acquisitions, board governance, shareholder relations, and other compliance and transactional matters. A former chair of the Business Law Section of the Maine State Bar Association, Chris also has served on the boards of several area organizations, including Waynflete School, an independent day school in Portland. To learn more about Chris and his practice click here.

Steamboat Road Consulting

Lydia Swann is a seasoned project manager with a decade of experience leading successful cross-functional projects across various industries including higher education, financial services, and nonprofits. Her strategic planning experience, implementation skills, and collaborative approach to stakeholder engagement ensure consistent achievement of timely and effective project completion.

Lydia recently earned her M.S. in Project Management at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University, where she gained additional skills and expertise to deliver complex and innovative projects on time and within budget.

Broadreach Public Relations

Nationally accredited in public relations, Linda Varrell founded Broadreach Public Relations in 2006 as a way to help businesses and organizations raise their profiles. A 25-year veteran of the financial services industry, Linda has a track record of initiating and leading high-impact growth and improvement strategies for diverse organizations and has demonstrated her expertise in strategic planning, brand development, media relations, community and employee relations, crisis communication and project management. Linda holds a master’s of science in organizational leadership and often speaks at c-level events. She is active in the community and serves as the Chair of USM Corporate Partners and President of the Maine Public Relations Council and is on the board of the Maine Press Association. She recently started a new company, WordLab, a nationally recognized apprenticeship program providing communication and PR services to small businesses and nonprofits.

Sea Coast Management Co.

Chris has been working with his father at Sea Coast Management Company for over 25 years.  Chris specializes in Real Estate Development project management, approvals, and design-build construction. Sea Coast Management develops, owns and operates OceanView at Falmouth, Cumberland Crossing by OceanView in Cumberland, and Highland Green in Topsham. Chris’s latest project in partnership with his father, John Wasileski, Cumberland Crossing by OceanView, is an ecologically sustainable satellite community around 5 miles away from OceanView’s main campus in Falmouth. Similar to OceanView’s successful Schoolhouse Cottages project, Cumberland Crossing will offer standard Solar Electric Panels, Generators, along with many energy efficient features in a natural setting.  OceanView won the HUB/ Norton Insurance & Financial Services Environmental Leadership Award in 2017 and Chris has served as a judge for the IFOB awards several times.  Chris and his wife Amy have a seven year old daughter named Haley.  Chris enjoys coaching club travel soccer, playing men’s league soccer, ski instructing, and waterskiing in his spare time.

BerryDunn

Founding Sponsor
Since joining BerryDunn in 2007, Seth has brought his combination of valuation, consulting, and operations skills to bear for his clients, helping them navigate challenging issues related to business valuation. As head of the Valuation Group, he leads a diverse team of valuation experts that draw on the deep resources of BerryDunn to help clients address their needs. Seth is heavily involved in working with clients to define and execute transition plans, including valuations relating to ESOPs, management buyouts, sales, and gifting. He also provides expert witness services to clients and attorneys on business valuation, economic damages, and lost profits. Seth holds an MBA, as well as numerous credentials (CFA, CEPA, CVA, ASA, CBA) all focused on gaining knowledge to help his clients answer difficult questions related to value and succession planning. His prior experience included management and consulting experience including several years with Deloitte Consulting in Boston and Detroit. Seth holds a MBA from the University of Virginia, Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and a Mechanical Engineering degree from Cornell University. He has recently joined the Board of the IFOB.

Beauregard Equipment

A graduate of Champlain College, John and his brother Carl now run their family business. Beauregard Equipment was founded in 1968 by Bob Beauregard, as a Family-Owned and Operated business, providing construction equipment products and support services. Groomed from childhood and cross-trained in sales and rentals, service and parts, John can answer most questions on the spot. The company has full service locations in Colchester, VT; Concord, NH and Bangor, Caribou & Scarborough, ME. Together, the brothers share a memory of Beauregard Equipment, maintain its character and values, and are proud to see it flourish in their generation. As they grow, they pass on their knowledge and family values to all employees who in turn, carry the personal Beauregard touch to all of their customers. As a family-owned and operated business, they put people before their machines, literally.

DMM, Inc.

Theresa is a Managing Partner with two sibling’s partners at DMM, Inc. a privately held manufacturing company her father founded in 1983 based in Scarborough, ME. The company specializes in digital document and direct marketing solution’s and in 2010 was named a Xerox Global Service Provider. Theresa is responsible for the marketing and customer experience as well as board governance. She has a BA in Psychology and Marketing from the University of Southern Maine and a Master’s in Educational Psychology from Boston College. Theresa was recently named the 2015 recipient of the Crystal & Company FFI GEN Scholarship in Family Business from The Family Firm Institute in Boston. A graduate of USM’s FastTrack Program for entrepreneurs, she also serves on the board of the New England Direct Marketing Association and a member of the MyPlaceTeen’s 500 Club.

Career Coach for the Next Generation, Cole Cross Connections, LLC

Janet is passionate about advocating for and mentoring the Next Generation (young people of all ages) to help them develop and reach their personal career goals. For all students she helps them to connect to job shadows, internships and community service experiences. Within family businesses, she works with the next generation to mentor and guide them to advocate for themselves in their personal career journeys. She brings a unique career path that includes working for a large corporation; then entering her own family’s business, as a third generation Owner/Executive and Consulting family businesses. She was a founding Board member of the IFOB and has been involved since its inception in 1994. Recently, she created and facilitates 3 Peer Advisory Groups where the Next Generation learn and grow from each other.

AMG Associates

Maddy Corson is known for actively working to preserve the unique legacies of family-owned businesses. As the Chairman and Publisher of the former Guy Gannett Communications, a Portland-based, family-owned media company, Maddy successfully translated into business the skills she had gained from her extensive leadership work for Maine non-profits. After fifteen years of service to the Institute board, Maddy enjoys being on the Advisory Board.

Quad Group

Maureen Costello Wedge is a partner at Quad Group with over thirty years of successful experience in family business management.  Maureen’s passion for family business can be traced back to her early life experiences visiting her Dad at the newspaper and being in awe of the massive printing presses.   As a fourth-generation owner and operator of Sun Media Group, Maureen led the creation of a positive workplace culture, reorganizing the business of a maturing industry, working through the crisis management plan after the patriarch’s passing and the transition of the business through a successful sale of the company.  Maureen specializes in human resources, family governance structures, employee relations, performance management and facilitation.  She has been extensively involved in creating and instituting an outside board of director’s, family participation guidelines, rules for conflict management, defining roles and responsibilities, developing compensation strategies, crisis management and strategic planning.

Hussey Seating Company

Thomas Hussey is the Perma National Sales Manager and part of the sixth generation ownership of Hussey Seating Company, which was founded in 1835 and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of spectator seating. Thomas came to work at Hussey Seating Company in 1997 after working in the financial industry and management of sports arenas. In his 21 years at Hussey Seating Company, he has gained extensive knowledge of managing a family business and how it differs from other businesses.

Lee Auto Malls

John A. Isaacson, past chair of the board of directors of IFOB, is the CEO, an equity partner and a board member of Lee Auto Malls. He started with the company as a salesperson in 1983 and held various management positions within the company before obtaining his current position in 1996. John has held a variety of leadership roles, including board chair and chair of numerous key committees, for St. Mary’s Health System in Lewiston. He also serves on the boards of directors of Community Clinical Services; Covenant Health Systems (board chair); Greater Atlantic Insurance Company; Key Royal Insurance; Covenant Health Systems Insurance Limited and is a founding trustee of the Maine Auto Dealers Health Insurance Trust. John grew up in Lewiston, Maine, where his family has lived for over 115 years. He is a 1980 graduate of Lewiston High School and a 1984 graduate of Dartmouth College (cum laude). He lives in Cumberland, Maine with his wife and 2 children. To learn more about John click here.

CLMC Business Advisors

After many years working for large public companies, Colleen has been fortunate to spend 26 years working as a non-family member President and CEO of two well-known family businesses in Maine, Thos. Moser Cabinetmakers and Planet Dog. In these leadership roles, Colleen successfully oversaw all functional aspects of the business as well as developed the future growth plans for business success. With a strong financial acumen, Colleen led the successful implementation of several ERP systems as well as a “lean manufacturing” program at Thos. Moser.

Colleen also successfully led Planet Dog through a significant growth period from 2013-2018 resulting in a 75% improvement in bottom line results. From 2018-2019, Colleen completed the sale and transition of both the Planet Dog Wholesale and Retail businesses to a private equity firm. Desiring to share her expertise and work experiences with many other companies, Colleen became a private Strategic Business Advisor in 2019. Colleen has served as Board member and Board Chair for the Institute for Family-Owned Business for many years and currently serves on its Advisory Board. Colleen also serves as a member of CEO Central, a group she helped create with Tim Hussey. As a strong advocate for education, Colleen also serves as the Vice Chair of the Board for Junior Achievement of Maine.

CPA/ABV, CVA, Hunts Point Advisors

Francis O’Shea worked as a tax principal with the accounting and business consulting firm of BerryDunn. Over his 35 year career, Frank has counseled many closely-held and family business clients on the technical and non-technical issues related to income and estate tax planning, as well as business succession and valuation. Formerly a Principal with Cloudhawk Management Consultants, LLC and a tax partner with Coopers & Lybrand, LLP, he brings a broad perspective to assisting his clients in successfully developing and implementing tax savings strategies and plans for the transition of their business enterprises.

Gifford’s Ice Cream

Lindsay Skilling is a fifth-generation ice cream maker and CEO of Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream. With a staff of 45 year-round employees and sales of 2.2 million gallons of ice cream a year, Lindsay’s role includes oversight of operations, staff, five seasonal ice cream stands, and a thriving ice cream factory, which produces more than 100 flavors and distributes to hundreds of large and small retail locations from Maine to South Carolina. Lindsay received a business degree from Bryant University. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, hiking and snowmobiling with her husband and two young children.