Happy winter, classmates! Grab a cup of hot chocolate and a cozy blanket and enjoy reading about what some of our classmates have been up to lately.
Benjamin Briggs was recently selected as president of the medical staff at Naval Hospital Rota on the west coast of Spain, where the commander and his wife have lived the past two years. He has also been recognized as a “master clinician.” Thank you for your service and congratulations, Commander Briggs!
Amy Bernard G has finally been appointed as the county administrator of Franklin County. Amy was hired to the position in April 2022, but was never formally appointed, even though the law required it. Congratulations on your official appointment, Amy!
Bjorn Gringholm ’16 Ph.D., the platform and educational developer at World Ocean Observatory, presented at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice, France back in June. World Ocean Explorer, based in Sedgwick, ME, is a free, immersive online platform that aims to help teach ocean literacy and develop interest in ocean-related fields. Bjorn’s presentation focused on how innovative education tools, like World Ocean Explorer, can help create greater understanding of the ocean’s important role in sustaining life on Earth.
Celleste DiCesare Turgeon has joined LifeFlight as a Revenue Cycle Specialist. LifeFight of Maine is a non-profit that ensures all Maine residents have access to critical care and medical transport. Celleste was inspired to join LifeFlight after having a family member who needed the service LifeFlight provides. Congratulations on your new job, Celleste!
Christine Berube Cummings helped open PDC Collective, a new company that offers association management services, strategic planning, event management, government relations, and speaking services to Maine businesses headquartered in Augusta. Concurrently, Christine is the executive director of the Maine Grocers and Food Producers Association. Good luck on your new endeavor, Chrstine!
Kevin Reed shared with the Bangor Daily News his experience coaching Duke standout and 2025 NBA No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg. Kevin coached Cooper when he was in second grade playing on his third and fourth grade AAU team Black Bear North. Kevin shared that Cooper was better than a lot of his third and fourth graders and wondered if Cooper really was in second grade at the time. Kevin is proud of Cooper’s continual effort to improve his game and not rely on his natural talent. Kevin stated that Cooper plays the same way now that he did as a second grader, impacting “the game on both ends and in every way,” especially with his rebounding skills and good decision making on the court. Kevin spent the last four seasons coaching the Bangor Christian Academy girls varsity basketball team and will be the head coach of the boys varsity team for the 2025-2026 season. Kevin is also a recent inductee in the UMaine Sports Hall of Fame.
That’s all for this edition. Please send me any updates you would like to share. Enjoy the rest of winter and see you in the summer!