President, Libra Future Fund, Portland

Age: 24

FUN FACTS

Favorite band:  Neil Young
 
Favorite place in Maine: Monhegan Island, but the Rangeley area is a close second.

If you had 24 hours to live, what would you do?
I would have breakfast at Beckyís Diner and sail out to an island with some friends for a bonfire on the beach.
 
I want everyone to know: When the waves are up, surfing is one of my favorite pastimes.

Where are you from?
Upton, Massachusetts.

What brought you to Maine?
I would say itís a combination of spending summers in Biddeford Pool and an internship opportunity at Libra Foundation when I was in college.

You like to sail. Where do you go for this?
Generally at the Portland Yacht Club in Falmouth. I race there on Wednesday nights and on occasional weekends. I sail around the Midcoast region generally. I havenít made it up as far as Penobscot Bay, but maybe next year.

How long have you lived in Maine?
Three years.

Has it all been with the Libra?
Yes.

Discuss the Libra Future Fund.
The Libra Future Fund was created in 2005. Its mission is to attract and retain talented young people in Maine. Through LFF we run two programs. One is a youth grant initiative which award grants to young entrepreneurs (18-29), so that they can start their businesses in Maine. The second program is the Summer in Maine program, which is an internship initiative. It supports and promotes internships in Maine to create a network and community of interns in hopes of enticing them to start their careers in Maine.

What are top three reasons for why a young person would wan to live and work in Maine?
I think one of Maineís strengths is that itís a very small state in terms of its population. Itís easier to rise to the top more quickly. The second is its obvious natural resources and beauty for recreational purposes. It also has more of a community feeling than other states. Iím from Massachusetts and there definitely is not the same feeling of community there. Thereís certainly an impetus for Mainers to help other Mainers.