Hello!
I hope that 2025 has been good to you so far. We had so much lovely snow this past winter, and I went cross-country skiing 29 times! Not a typical winter for us, so I feel fortunate. We went to the Alumni Association Awards Ceremony in May and stayed at Hotel Ursa. We had a room in Coburn Hall — it has been beautifully renovated and we had a very nice stay. I highly recommend it!
I just made my annual donation to the University of Maine and designated my gift for the Class of 1984 Scholarship Fund. Please consider donating to the fund as we continue to grow it in order to provide meaningful scholarships! Let’s grow that fund between now and our 45th Reunion in 2029!
Debbie Elsmore Getchell has retired from Kennebec Savings Bank after most recently serving as its senior vice president and chief financial officer. She has served as the bank’s CFO since 2011. Her career in banking spanned 41 years, including 28 years at Machias Savings Bank. Debbie is a Machias native and received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and management from UMaine Machias and was named a Lordan Scholar at the New England School of Banking.
The Maine Justice Foundation announced its 2024 recipients of the Access to Justice Tax Credit Program. The legislature enacted this program in an effort to encourage lawyers to provide services to underserved areas of Maine, including accepting court appointments to represent clients and performing pro bono legal services. The program is in its third year and authorizes up to five additional eligible attorneys to receive a $6,000 tax credit in 2024 and in each year thereafter through 2027. Adrianne Fernstrom of Rockland was one of the five attorneys selected through this process for 2024.
I received a couple of lovely stories about Howard Wright ’84 C.A.S., who is now 95. The first one was in the Boothbay Register and told a story of Howard when he was in high school in Philadelphia. He played football, but rather than try out for basketball with his football teammates, he decided to perform in an annual ice show. He had little natural ability, so he skated with a group of friends as part of a comedy troupe. They participated in a national ice show which featured prominent ice skaters, including Olympic champion Dick Button.
The second story described Howard’s search for answers regarding the wartime death of his 23-year-old brother in 1944. He has spent the last 50 years piecing together details about his brother’s service, the convoy of ships he was a part of, and what happened the day he died. Last year, he was able to verify that his brother was entitled to another five medals. What a great story of dedication and brotherly love!
I received an email from Pat Dunn regarding some volunteer work he has been doing. He is the peace chair for Rotary International District 5190 and the global partnership chair for Roots of Peace. Both roles involve working with communities around the world, helping them plant orchards, vineyards, black pepper, and other nutrient-restoring crops that revitalize the land and provide lasting economic opportunities. Pat wants to remind us all that we can make a positive difference around the world, grounded in the values that UMaine helped to cultivate!
Finally, Rich Vannozzi ’06G writes that in March he was awarded tenure at the University of Maine! He is now an associate professor of surveying engineering technology. He says that though he doesn’t know the exact trajectory and plans for the remainder of his professional career, he knows that the last line in the chapter will be “. . . and he retired as a tenured professor at his alma mater, UMaine.”
I know you all have wonderful stories to share. Please send them along and I will get them into the next issue of the alumni magazine! Go Blue!