Alumnx notes
1973
“Greetings from Oregon,” writes Sarah Brownell. “Since my time at COA in the early ‘70s, I have moved, traveled, remarried, and gotten my higher education by experience and living well. I was Sarah Jennison, married to Andy Jennison, who attended the very first year COA was open. In April of 2022, my current husband and I spent a few hours on campus finding all my old haunts and being amazed at the changes. Most special to me was touring The Turrets, which was basically a condemned property when we lived there in what is now called the Peach House or the Gate House. Such a beautiful restoration! I now live on the Oregon Coast with a large population of gray whales and dramatic scenery. I would love to hear from any who remember me.” sfbrownell@juno.com
1976
Susan Applegate is still enjoying being retired. She is composting, gardening, baking bread, sharing yoga, and living lightly on planet Earth—and missing Bar Harbor!
Sally Morong Chetwynd launched Brass Castle Arts full-time in January 2022 (after decades of very part-time wordsmithing). Sally writes, “I began business networking in April 2021, and now swap referrals with entrepreneurs worldwide. The income isn’t full time yet, but it’s growing. I’m headed up the learning curve. In June, a writing group I’m involved with launched senior write-ins, with workshops in poetry, memoir, and fiction. Response has been big! They resumed in January 2023 with even more participation. The seniors have discovered that they have amazing stories to tell. My current work-in-progress is about Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish council that put Jesus on trial. What was his ‘take’ on the whole Jesus phenomenon? Researching Jewish life then (domestic, economic, social, religious, political) and applying details to enrich my fiction is great fun. In September, a new nonprofit asked me to join its board of directors. Trooper Black Foundation will benefit Maine first-responder families whose members have been killed or permanently disabled. Related to this, I’ve relaunched work on a nonfiction book Beyond End of Watch: Police Families Surviving Line-of-Duty Deaths. I live in Wakefield, Massachusetts, with my husband of 37+ years, Phillip. Keeping out of trouble—or in it!”
1977
Barb Acosta was busy this year organizing the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge in Trenton, with the goal of rebuilding habitat and educating residents about pollinators. She continues to serve as chair of the Peace and Social Action Ministry at the Ellsworth Unitarian Universalist Church. In her spare time, she hikes with Footloose Friends on MDI, paddles her kayak, runs a short-term rental, and manages her organic garden. In June, she became a grandmother for the first time.
Andrea Lepcio became the health and fitness director at The Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor in June 2021. “I run the gym, offer personal training, and teach yoga, mat Pilates, and Tai Chi. I also write plays and was honored to win the Maine Literary Award for Drama for my solo play, Human. I teach periodically at College of the Atlantic and for the Dramatists Guild Institute. I live in Bar Harbor and welcomed my 87-year-old mother to live with me in the fall of 2022.
1980
Steve Donoso lives between two long-dormant volcanoes in Cotacachi, Ecuador with his wife Rebecca, their adopted former street dog, Bilbo, and their nearby, retired horse, Sundance. Steve writes, edits, publishes, and photographs. He is the founder-editor-publisher of the pulp-fiction journal, The Shadowed Circle (theshadowedcircle.com), which focuses on the mysterious character known as The Shadow, created by writer and magician Walter B. Gibson. Steve recently edited Arlene Anderson’s nonfiction book, Hard Fall, High Bounce: How adversity and resilience led to my decade of global adventures—and misadventures, and also published his sixth black & white infrared photographic calendar, Sierra Images of Ecuador. Steve can be reached at stevedonoso@yahoo.com
Susan Freed writes, “I’m still working for the County of San Diego as the energy and sustainability project manager. We have a lot of innovative programs getting started lately. In addition to building zero-net-energy buildings (which we have been doing since 2016), we are working on embodied carbon reduction in new construction projects, electrification of our older facilities, and lots of EV chargers to transition the fleet. Our next challenge will be wastewater reuse, which is much harder to do.”
Cynthia Jordan Fisher is still summering in Lubec, Maine, her family’s haunt since her childhood. She’s been living in Charlottesville, Virginia for the past 30 years, and has been busy raising two daughters and supporting families and their children (0-3 years old) with various programs she created using Montessori as her axis. Lately, she writes, “I have been working within a nonprofit I founded four years ago, supporting under-resourced families through doulas during the first 40 days after birth––nearbybaby.org. I took a break from that to design and build a tiny house in my backyard last summer and fall. Loving living small. I welcome visits by other alums—I do have space for ya in a bigger house nearby!”
Cheryl Ann Johnson completed a Sustainable Agriculture Crop Growers certificate after retiring from 30 years of federal service and is now taking classes in an Ecological Landscaper program. She is hoping to enroll in Master Gardener training later this year. “In the meantime, I enjoy propagating and growing native plants at home,” she says.
1982
Ben Thomas and his wife Kate have entered the empty nest stage now that their oldest son, Gareth, has bought his own house. This summer their younger son, Gawain, and his wife Sara finally had the wedding party they missed because of the COVID-19 shutdown. Ben writes, “I’m still doing residential contracting, but my real love is music. I moved from strings to horns about 15 years ago, and I’ve been playing tuba in bands ranging from New Orleans Jazz to R&B, and all the way to the Balkans. I’m proud to have made a lot of noise and helped raise spirits with a protest band through the Trump years.”
Liz Cunningham and her husband Charlie recently moved from Berkeley, California to Rockport, Maine. “We are both very excited to connect with conservationists and regenerative agriculture advocates in the mid-coast Maine community,” she says. “I am at work on two new books and look forward to being a part of conservation efforts on the Maine coast. It’s an amazing experience returning to Maine and reconnecting with my experiences at COA and the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. It is especially meaningful to share this with Charlie.”
1983
After 35 years of owning and operating Camp Runoia in Belgrade Lakes, Maine, Pam Cobb Heuberger has retired (well, partially) and is enjoying showing horses and adventuring with Mark and the dogs. “Ran into Peter Jeffery ’84 at Common Ground Fair, and spent a fun day with Julie Erb ’83. Peter Wayne ’83 remains a constant in my life as well,” she writes. “Fabulous to keep the COA connections going.”
1985
Peter Heller is so happy to be living in Maine again. He writes, “My wife and I have been in Franklin since September 2020, when the pandemic actually provided the blessing of helping us realize we could finally leave NYC. I’ve been successfully running my consulting business (Heller Fundraising Group) from the woods, and even supporting the local economy by hiring Maine people in addition to our NYC staff. Looking forward to more time off in 2023!”
1986
After nearly 20 years as a reporter and editor on the news staff of Science magazine, David Malakoff took on some new duties in February, becoming the global journal’s international news editor. That meant shifting his focus from covering how scientists and governments interact in the United States to how that sometimes testy relationship plays out in other nations, including the rising scientific powerhouses of China, India, and South Korea. He’ll remain based in Washington, DC, and invites COA alums and students to stop by for coffee or lunch—contact him at Malakoff@comcast.net. When he’s not working with his far-flung network of reporters, you can find him out birding with his wife, Amy Young, or whitewater kayaking on the Potomac River.
1990
Elena Tuhy Walters has been promoted to senior attorney at the Columbus City Attorney’s Office, where she has been working since July 2019. She, her husband Carl, and their daughter Evelyn are still living in Columbus, Ohio.
1992
Clark Lawrence writes: “Hollington’s Florilegium is a new book coming out in March of this year. It is a COVID baby with two dads; David Hollington (a painter from London) and some irreverent, guesthouse-running, pumpkin-growing, goatherd garden writer who lives in Italy—me. Our A-to-Z book of plants (Hollington’s idea) came about because he couldn’t do art exhibitions in galleries (or even leave his home and studio in north London) during the pandemic and I had no guests here at La Macchina Fissa near Mantua (BTW, thank you COA friends who helped me through 2020 by renewing your 10-euro memberships or sending donations). A is for Aquilegia and Z is for Zinnia, but the rest will remain a surprise. A miracle: Our publisher in Milan (Libreria della Natura) usually does serious science/nature books with photographs, but was willing to take a chance on our art book and publish something more humorous and light. They agreed to do not only a big A4 format Italian version with prints almost the size as the original paintings, but also their first English book!”
1993
CedarBough Saeji continues to teach at Busan National University in South Korea, and lives just a short walk from the ocean. Bike rides allow her to keep track of the activities of local fishermen and freediving women, and what is in season (the best time of year is the seaweed harvest when whole coastal villages are covered in drying fronds and the aroma spreads for miles). Korea’s mask dance dramas were listed by UNESCO at the end of 2022; unfortunately, Saeji’s book on the same won’t be out until 2024 (although articles and book chapters, mainly on K-pop, come out regularly).
1995
Scott Dickerson published his first novel, Telling Stone (Maine Authors Publishing, 2022).
1996
Jason Rich is celebrating the fifth anniversary of his solo legal practice advising solar energy project development clients through the ups and downs of the industry. Jason also recently celebrated the completion of his first marathon at the 19th annual MDI Marathon with his wife Erika, son Elliot, and daughter Azalea. Elliot is currently a first-year student at COA. Contact Jason at jason@jasonrichlaw.com
1998
In March, Sue Spoelhof joined Northeast Harbor firm WMH Architects as senior Archicad technician, filling a role previously occupied by the late Jani Mesiniemi ’13. In October, she was elected board president of the Mount Desert Chamber of Commerce, where she serves with vice president Jennifer Judd-McGee (’92).
2005
Sara Levine has been living and working on MDI since 2015 as a massage therapist. In July 2022, she and partner Derrick Harrison welcomed their son Bowen. Her baby shower was a happy collection of COA alums and their children, including Katie Dube ’00, Chrystal Seely-Schreck ’03, Aoife O’Brien ’05, Sarah Bockian ’05, Mary Raikes ’02, Alana Beard ’03, Marjolaine Whittlesey ’05, Sandra Walczyk ’06, Katie Freedman ’05, Jaime Beranek ’00, and Anne Czechanski-Kneeland ’06.
Benjamin Polloni and his partner are finally moving back to Maine. “My career with the National Park Service started at Glacier NP in Montana. I returned to Acadia for a few years before moving to Fire Island National Seashore in New York. My next park will be Katahdin Woods and Waters in northern Maine,” he writes. “Come visit!”
2006
Marisa Glass and her husband Tim Notier continued their epic motorcycle ride around the world by reaching the top of Alaska in the summer of 2022. “It was cold up there in Deadhorse,” she writes, “the farthest point north anyone can go by road in North America, but the sensation of riding up to the Land of the Midnight Sun was indescribable. Along our journey into the Arctic, we came across bears, caribou, and musk oxen. We ran out of gas and got stranded on the motorcycle a couple of times, but each time we were able to overcome our obstacles.” And now, for their next adventure, Marisa and Tim will be headed to the tropics on the other side of the globe. You can find their journeys at 2Up and Overloaded on YouTube and other social media platforms.
Carolyn Snell and her partner Darryl welcomed baby Cedar Ferdinand Snell Sargent in July 2022. She writes: “We are farming here in Buxton, especially cut flowers, and working on a statewide floral cooperative for aggregating and distributing locally grown flowers to Maine florists and designers.”
2008
Julia Walker Thomas and partner Adam welcomed son Silas in April 2022. They reside in Bar Harbor where Julia was recently named visual storytelling and creative projects manager for Friends of Acadia.
Amanda Spector and Peter Jenkins ’09 welcomed their daughter, Rosa, into the world on September 25, 2022 in Burlington, Vermont. She enjoys walks outdoors in the baby carrier, squirming in the baby bathtub, making eye contact, and smiling at people. Faculty member John Anderson personally delivered a COA onesie to add to her wardrobe in January 2023.
2009
Ashley Adler and her husband Justin joyfully welcomed baby Oliver Robin Adler-Paice on September 5, 2022.
Michael Diaz-Griffith has a new book coming out about young collectors of antiques and historic art. The New Antiquarians: Young Collectors at Home will be published internationally by Phaidon/The Monacelli Press in June 2023. He continues with The Winter Show and Sir John Soane’s Museum Foundation as a volunteer, but his “day job” is now with the Design Leadership Network, a national trade organization for architects and interior designers, which he leads as executive director & COO. Alonso Diaz Rickards ’12 continues his painting practice in their adopted hometown of New York City, and they hope to visit Maine this summer, combining Michael’s book tour with visits to COA friends and faculty—and vacation.
Diana Escobedo Lastiri had a baby! She writes: “Her name is Lana and she’s my favorite New Yorker! Lana arrived during a cold spell on December 25, 2022, giving her dad (Daniel) and me the greatest happiness and love we’ve ever known.”
Neith Little is currently living in Maryland with her husband Andrew Davis and their two year old, Eloise. Neith is working as an agricultural extension agent, serving farmers in Baltimore City.
Cecily Swinburne is happy to be back in the MDI area. She’s working as an emergency physician at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and per diem in Bar Harbor. She is also the medical director for Acadia National Park.
2011
Philip B. Kunhardt IV writes that he got a new job: “Just started work as a construction project manager for Natural Areas Design & Construction at NYC Parks––a bit higher pay, and now I’m overseeing contractor restoration projects in wetlands, grasslands, and for green infrastructure instead of just forest projects.”
Zach Whalen married Annalise Pforr in Edinburgh, Scotland, in August 2022. This was followed by a reception in Boston later in November, celebrating with COA alums at both events. They have since moved to south Florida to work in underwater filmmaking.
2013
In January, Marissa (Altmann) Balfour joined The Nature Conservancy in the newly created role of corporate engagement advisor, biodiversity & nature. In this position, she will be working with companies toward positive outcomes for biodiversity through business practices and value chains. Marissa is in her second year as an Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders Fellow and is spending a few months in Falmouth, Massachusetts, where her husband Nick is working with Marine Imaging Technologies. In her free time, Marissa enjoys cooking, photographing fungi, and watching Drag Race with her cat, and has recently gotten into Legos.
2014
Lauren Benz is a co-artist of the Black Rock Station and recipient of a 2022 Burning Man Arts Honorarium grant. The Black Rock Station is a historical recreation of a 1930s-era train station serving the residents of Black Rock City, with a shifting, multimedia interior, and ghost trains heard but not seen. After the 2022 event, the Station has been reinstalled at The 360, a new makers’ ranch for sustainability and collaborative projects in Gerlach, Nevada. More info at blackrocktrainstation.com and instagram.com/blackrockstation.
2015
Erickson Smith got married to Katherine Cavanaugh in October 2022 and began a new permanent job as a wildlife specialist with Jefferson County Open Space in Colorado
2018
Shir Kehila graduated with an MFA in creative nonfiction & literary translation from Columbia University. She and Nathaniel Hilliard ’13 were married in December 2022 by their friend, Shira Singer.
2019
Several months after graduation, in the midst of the first swing of the pandemic, Stephen Dowdy immigrated to Canada (at first with a temporary visa to bake bread; he now has permanent residency). He shares, “In 2021, Lily and I got married! We eloped with the help of a few friends, a canoe, and a February snowstorm. I made pizza for everyone. We have settled in a cute apartment cluster in the North End of Halifax, living collectively with seven others. Lily is the co-artistic director of a regional theatre company called Gale Force, among other things. I work as a solar installation technician and I love it. Come visit and/or write a letter!”
Pepin Mittelhauser became the digital media coordinator at WERU Community Radio 89.9FM, is the co-host of the Celtic music show New Potatoes once a month, and hosts and produces the public affairs show NextWave Radio Hour, which focuses on the stories of young people in Maine.
