Photo / Tim Greenway
Laurie Lachance
Updated: August 7, 2023
On the record
On the Record: 2022 Women to Watch alums share leadership challenges, 2023 goals
Photos / David Clough, Soubanh Phanthay, Tim Greenway
Mainebiz Women to Watch in 2022 represented a range of sectors.
As Mainebiz celebrates 15 years of honoring Women to Watch, we checked in with last year’s honorees, asking each to share a leadership challenge or moment they learned from in the past year, and an “audacious goal” for 2023. Here’s what they told us.
Laurie Lachance: President, Thomas College
Challenge: “I have learned — once again — that workaholism and burnout are real, pervasive and extremely harmful to every aspect of your life. As female leaders, it is incumbent on all of us to be honest and open with the next generation of leaders that self-care is critical and foundational to ultimate success as a leader and fulfillment as a person, and to support those in our charge to seek better balance in their work and personal lives.”
Goal: “To bring my very best self to my family, friends and colleagues and to lead my work with optimism and an entrepreneurial spirit. My goal is to fully embrace the simple practice of thoughtfully, consistently and authentically beginning and ending each day with gratitude so that my days will be filled with optimism and joy and my nights will be filled with peaceful sleep.”
Mufalo Chitam: Executive director, Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition
Photo / Tim Greenway
Mufalo Chitam
Challenge: “Last year, in the midst of record numbers of asylum seekers arrivals in Maine filling shelters and hotels to capacity, I learned to value the small wins in my work and count them as progress. As Vincent van Gogh said, ‘Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.’”
Goal: “My ‘audacious goal’ for the coming year is to meet the president of the United States to discuss integration and resettlement systems for undocumented immigrants in America.”
Renee Kelly: Associate vice president, University of Maine Office of Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Resources and Engagement
Photo / SOUBANH PHANTHAY
Renee Kelly
Challenge: “About a year ago, I did a ‘Start, Stop, Keep’ exercise with our team to help us focus on strategic priorities and allow us to let go of things that weren’t aligned with those priorities and old processes that could be optimized. We just reflected on our efforts, which was really important because it helped remind us of how much progress we have made.”
Goal: “I will be working with our team to put Maine on the map as Nanocellulose Valley, a global leader in biomaterials. Just as silicon in semiconductors drove the Information Age and the creation of Silicon Valley, we believe that nanocellulose — a renewable, natural material derived from trees and other plants — is the next material to drive economic growth by creating a wide range of products from food packaging to biomedical devices that can replace current non-sustainable materials. Maine is ideally positioned to drive this change.”
Kristine Logan: Executive director, Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority
Photo / Tim Greenway
Kristine Logan
Challenge: “We have experienced changes in our team, our programs and in our funding, and while change can be unsettling, we have had to stay flexible and find the opportunity in every change.”
Goal: “My audacious goal for the coming year is to create opportunities for more team-building activities. We are a small, but mighty, team of 10 people who work many hours meeting our goals and making the Brunswick Landing a great place to live, work and recreate. It is important to create moments for team camaraderie, which leads to better communication, increased innovation [and] insights into what motivates each team member.”
Kate McAleer: Founder, Bixby Chocolate
Photo / David Clough
Kate McAleer
Challenge: “Driven by an unwavering commitment to quality and innovation, our leadership challenge has been focused on elevating our manufacturing processes to new levels. Embracing the challenge, we have worked with our workforce to educate, train and become proficient on state-of-the-art equipment and taking creations to new heights to redefine the boundaries of sweet indulgence.”
Goal: “With a bold vision in mind, Bixby Chocolate embarked on the audacious goal to produce 100% of its own chocolate, thereby taking more control over the manufacturing process and supply chain for chocolate.”
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