Why I Serve:
I joined the board at LearningWorks because I am passionate about alternative education and meeting students where they are when the traditional approach doesn’t fit. LearningWorks is a phenomenal organization that serves this significant community need. I am so energized to hear the stories that students tell about their life-changing experiences at LearningWorks. I am incredibly proud to be a part of this amazing group.
Bio:
Sarah is responsible for developing strategic programs to drive revenue growth and partnership for WEX’s largest Corporate Payments accounts. Before joining WEX, Sarah spent 11 years at Unum in a variety of areas such as Underwriting, Finance, Enrollment and Operational Effectiveness. Sarah is a member of the Brick and Beam Society of the United Way of Greater Portland and chairs the Impact Investing Committee and sits on the Steering Committee. Sarah is a native Mainer and spends off time with her family exploring new cities as well as enjoying all that the Portland area has to offer.
Tara A. Walker, Vice Chair
Attorney, Bernstein Shur
Why I Serve:
I joined the Board because with inclusive, free, and open programs, LearningWorks gives the students who really need it the chance to level the playing field. By reaching in where schools cannot and providing alternatives, it gives students a unique opportunity to learn and improve their lives. I feel fortunate be involved in and support LearningWorks’ noble work, and to invest in Maine’s most precious resource and its future--our children.
Bio:
Tara practices all aspects of labor and employment law in the state’s largest law firm in Portland—Bernstein Shur. She is an active litigator and represents clients before several state and federal agencies. Before joining Bernstein Shur, Tara was the Legal and Policy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska where she fought for Alaskans’ constitutional rights in the courts and in the legislature. From childhood, Tara has called both Maine and Alaska her home, and spends as much of her free time in the beautiful Maine outdoors as she can.
Eben Jose, Treasurer
Investment Director, Spinnaker Trust
Why I Serve:
I am proud to serve as a member of the LearningWorks board because I believe everybody deserves an opportunity to get an education that will help him/her live a happy and fulfilling life. LearningWorks programs do just that as they offer those who have not found success in traditional educational environments an alternative way to succeed. It is critical for our community to embrace, celebrate and expand these programs so that everybody who seeks to better themselves through education is provided the tools do such.
Bio:
Eben is responsible for managing all aspects of Spinnaker’s public and private alternative investments as well as formulating the firm’s fixed income investment strategy. In addition, Eben evaluates new and existing equity investments for Spinnaker’s two stock portfolios. Prior to joining Spinnaker, Eben worked in Boston as an analyst at Santander Bank where he helped oversee the bank's commercial lending portfolio. Eben is a member of the Investment Committee and the Marketing Committee at Spinnaker.
A native of Boothbay, Maine, Eben lives in Freeport with his wife and son. He is a member of the Maine CFA Society and serves as a board member at the Friends School of Portland.
Richard Price, Secretary
Portfolio Manager, H.M. Payson
Bio:
Richard recently relocated to southern Maine to join the team at HM Payson. Prior to that, he held the position of Portfolio Manager at First Advisors in Damariscotta for three years and was a Financial Services Representative at TD Bank before that. Richard holds an MBA from Husson University, where he also earned his B.S. in Accounting. He is currently enrolled in the College for Financial Planning education program and will be taking the CFP exam upon completion of the education requirements. When he's off the clock, Richard enjoys traveling with his wife, volunteering in his local community, cooking, golfing, fishing, and spending time on the water with friends and family.
Nirupama Aggarwal, OD, At Large
Maine Eye Center, Optometrist
Bio:
Dr. Nirupama Aggarwal is an experienced optometrist who has been caring for patients at Maine Eye Center since 1984. She specializes in routine eye care, contact lens fitting and evaluation, and the non-surgical treatment and management of ocular disorders. After receiving her undergraduate degree from Penn State University, Dr. Aggarwal attended the New England College of Optometry where she was awarded her optometric degree. She managed the contact lens clinic at Yale New Haven Hospital where she was also an instructor of contact lens science. Dr. Aggarwal then moved to the Portland area and joined Maine Eye Center. In addition to her practice at Maine Eye, Dr. Aggarwal donates her time participating in eye care missions abroad. She travels with other eye professionals to underprivileged countries, providing much needed eye care to the people living there. At LearningWorks, Niru is a long time volunteer in our Youth Building Alternatives and English Language + Literacy programs.
Heather Davis
LearningWorks Executive Director
Bio:
Heather joined the LearningWorks team in September 2016. Prior to LearningWorks, Heather was the executive director of The Telling Room, a community writing center in Portland, for five years. Heather earned a BA from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM, where she studied philosophy, literature, and the history of math and science. She earned an MA from Goddard College, where she designed an individualized program that combined coursework on youth development, arts education, and creative writing with a practicum as a writing teacher at TRUCE, the Harlem Children’s Zone’s afterschool arts and education program. Heather relocated to Portland in 2008 from Austin, TX, where she co-founded a youth writing center called Austin Bat Cave and served as the senior grant writer for Creative Action, a nonprofit arts education organization. She is a member of the Institute for Civic Leadership’s Upsilon class, where alongside peers from the nonprofit, public, and private sectors, she studied a facilitative leadership model designed to foster deep collaboration in the workplace. Her professional accomplishments have been recognized by a St. John’s College Award of Merit, which is given to outstanding alumni in recognition of their achievements within their chosen field; the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, which presented a National Arts and Humanities Youth Program award to Young Writers & Leaders, a literary arts program for refugee and immigrant youth that she designed and launched at The Telling Room; and the 2018 Metamorphosis Visionary Leader Award. She is a 2019 Maine Network Partners Fellow. Heather lives in Portland with her husband Matt and two children, Nora and Arlo.
John P. Griffin MD, At Large
Medical Director, New England, Advantage Surgical and Wound Care & University of New England Physician Assistant Program
Bio:
Coming Soon
Jessamyn Norton, At Large
Principal + Chief Investment Officer, Spinnaker Trust
Why I Serve:
While I have been given every opportunity in life, I come from a part of Maine where that is not necessarily the case for everyone. I serve because I believe that the concepts of learning and success are not "one size fits all." I have seen the power of mentorship and customized learning for youth and adults alike, and it is important to me to advance and promote the programs offered by LearningWorks in my home state.
Bio:
Jessamyn is currently the Chief Investment Officer and a Principal at Spinnaker Trust in Portland. Spinnaker is a wealth manager for individuals, families, and endowments with a specialty in trust and estate planning and trust administration. Jessamyn directs the firm's investment efforts, managing three distinct, centralized investment strategies and a team of analysts.
Before joining Spinnaker in 2011, Jessamyn managed Emerging Markets equities at Fidelity Management and Research and was a research associate covering European and International small-cap equities at Wellington Management Company, LLP. She earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in economics and writing from Wheaton College (MA). Jessamyn is also a CFA charter-holder and a director of the CFA Society Maine.
A native of Hollis, Maine, Jessamyn lives with her husband and two young daughters in Falmouth.
Brice Ndayisenga, At Large
Pendulum Trust
Why I Serve:
I believe education is a core necessity in ending global poverty and promoting social justice around the world. Education is a fundamental human right and an indispensable basis for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable society. LearningWorks promotes innovative, alternative and inclusive education to build a thriving community in which ALL learners realize their potential. I feel great joy giving back to our community through Learning Works’ programs.
Bio:
Brice Ndayisenga was born in Burundi, a small landlocked country in central-east Africa and grew up on the sunny shores of Lake Tanganyika. Right after finishing high school in Burundi in July 2012, he received an Andrew Young International Scholarship to attend Morehouse College, a historically black institution in Atlanta-Georgia, famed for producing great leaders in African-American communities. During college, he interned at Comcast as a Salesman in Atlanta and at JP Morgan & Chase as a Wholesale Loan Operations Analyst in New York City. He earned a Business Finance and Economics degree in May 2016. In May 2017, Brice moved to Portland-Maine to rejoin his younger brother, Eloi. From August to December 2017, he volunteered at LearningWorks as a Front Desk Receptionist and an Assistant English Language Teacher. He currently volunteers at the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center and serves on the Boards of Amjambo Africa Newspaper and Welcome the Stranger, as well as on the board at LearningWorks. Brice worked at Bank of America as a Relationship Banker from January 2018 to January 2019 before moving on to cPort Credit Union as a Member Service Representative. He now works for California based venture capital firm Pendulum Trust. In his free time, Brice enjoys hanging with friends, playing guitar and attending Church activities.
Thomas R. Doyle, At Large
Retired Partner, Pierce Atwood LLP
Why I Serve:
Over the course of my life, I have been blessed with incredibly supportive parents and mentors, and have had the good fortune to be able to associate with inspiring and talented colleagues and friends. I’ve also had access to the highest quality educational opportunities. I realize that many in our community, unfortunately, do not experience the level of support, inspiration, and academic opportunity I have had. It is important for me to give back to others, especially those who have not experienced the blessings and opportunities I have enjoyed.
Bio:
Thomas Doyle retired recently from Pierce Atwood LLP, where he was a partner and former co-chair of the law firm's Environmental & Land Use Practice Group. He also served on the firm's Management Committee. With over 37 years of experience in all areas of environmental and land use law, Tom's practice frequently involved the successful permitting and development of high-profile environmental and land use projects that faced major opposition or complex environmental issues. His transactional experience included serving as lead environmental counsel in public offerings, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, site divisions, and project financings. He also long advised the forest products and waste industries on a variety of strategic environmental, natural resource, and policy issues.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Tom taught U.S. History and Advanced Placement U.S. History to juniors and seniors at Kent School and Hopkins, both college preparatory schools in Connecticut. He also coached football, basketball and baseball at both schools.
Tom holds an undergraduate degree in American Studies from Yale University and a J.D., cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School. While at Yale, Tom quarterbacked the Yale Football team for three years, played on an Ivy League Championship team, and was drafted by the NFL's Oakland Raiders. He is a member of the Indiana Football Hall of Fame.
