Greetings, Class of 1986! We’ve put winter and spring behind us and here we are, in the midst of summer.
It was great hearing from Christopher Berry, who was recently named a Managing Director for Morgan Stanley, running a municipal bond trading desk. Chris, who was an economics major, moved to Boston after graduation and got his MBA from Boston University in 1992. He’s been at Morgan Stanley for 20 years. He has four children, and his youngest daughter, Jillian, will be a freshman at UMaine this fall. She is an equestrian and so perhaps we will see her on the UMaine Equestrian Team!
Laurie Smith was the 2021 Linc Stackpole Award Winner, presented by the Maine Town, City, and Country Management Association (MTCCMA). This annual award recognizes the one public administrator who has contributed to the field of public management in an outstanding fashion. Laurie, who has been Kennebunkport’s town manager since 2014, was nominated by selectman Patrick Briggs, who said of her leadership “we’ve got the best run town in the state, hands down.” Laurie was recognized not only for her strong leadership through the pandemic, but also numerous initiatives to streamline local government. Her career has included managing the towns of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, and Wiscasset. She is a former president and board member of the MTCCMA. She is also a former president and committee chair and current executive committee member of the Maine Municipal Association.
Joyce Taylor was awarded the UMaine College of Engineering’s Edward T. Bryand Distinguished Engineering Award. This award is given in recognition of an individual who has brought distinction to the profession of engineering outside of the university setting. Joyce, currently the Maine Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) chief engineer since 2013, began her career with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as an environmental engineer. Since moving to the MDOT, she’s worked on many high-profile projects, including the completion of the new Sarah Mildred Long Bridge that spans the Piscataqua River between Maine and New Hampshire.
Take care and don’t forget to raise the steins a few times this summer!