Piper Shores Board of Directors
The following individuals from the Greater Portland business and nonprofit communities currently serve as the volunteer Board of Directors for Piper Shores.
Dr. Frank Chessa, Ph.D., Board Chair
Dr. Chessa is the Director of Clinical Ethics at Maine Medical Center. Additionally, he serves as the Assistant Professor of Medicine and Associate Course Director of Ethics and Professionalism at Tufts University School of Medicine. He attended Dickinson College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Environmental Studies. He received a Master of Arts in Philosophy at the University of South Florida, followed by a Doctorate in Philosophy at Georgetown University. Committed to his community, Dr. Chessa serves on several boards, including the Institutional Review Board for Maine Medical Center as well as Dirigo-Maine Geriatrics Society.
Adrian Kurre, Vice-Chair
Mr. Kurre is a retired hospitality executive with over 40 years of experience in restaurant and hotel operations, development, and franchise support. He started his hospitality career as a bartender and waiter, eventually working his way up to Senior Vice President with Hilton hotels—helping launch the Hilton Garden Inn brand. Adrian has a true passion for all things fitness, even going so far as to becoming certified as a personal trainer. A native of Minnesota, Adrian is excited he and his family now get to call Maine home.
Karen Hart, MS, CPA, Treasurer
Ms. Hart is the in-house CPA for LeBlanc & Young’s fiduciary services area. She is responsible for overseeing and reviewing the many tax returns prepared by the firm. A Bangor native, Karen has over 28 years of experience in accounting—specializing in trust, estate, and gift taxes. She is also on the board of Mercy Hospital where she serves on the Finance and Governance Committees. Karen holds an M.S. in Taxation from Thomas College and a B.S. in Finance from the University of Maine in Orono.
Stephen Brooks, Secretary
Dr. Brooks is recently retired from a 30-year pharmaceutical industry career with Pfizer, Inc. as a high-level executive with experience in Analytical Research and Development, Quality, and Manufacturing operations. He worked in a multi-cultural global business environment with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure the safety, efficacy and compliance of manufactured pharmaceutical products distributed to patients throughout the world. Stephen graduated from The University of Florida with a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry and attended Bowdoin College where he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemistry. Stephen served as a caretaker for six years and is committed to ensuring that people receive the highest possible quality of care and service and has demonstrated a strong commitment to giving back to his community through Board service. He resides in Cape Elizabeth.
Sue Doliner, FAHP
Susan Doliner is one of the nation’s leading healthcare philanthropy professionals. Embracing donor-centered philanthropy, Sue has led talented teams generating nearly half a billion dollars throughout her career.
Sue’s prodigious career, spanning more than three decades, has garnered both notoriety and a number of the nation’s most prestigious awards and designations in the field of philanthropy. Sue is a Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP), a designation signifying professional excellence. In addition, she was named the 2014 recipient of the Harold J. (Si) Seymour Award by the AHP, bestowed in recognition of her professional expertise, strategic leadership ability and commitment to advancing the philanthropy profession. Sue resides in Cape Elizabeth, Maine
David Gowen
Mr. Gowen recently retired from a 40-year career in public accounting. He worked with a vast array of clients during his career, focusing on closely held businesses and individuals. Dave was a partner in Gowen, Sawyer & Company for thirty-three years, serving as president for twenty years. He completed his career at Purdy, Powers & Company as a principal. He is a native and lifelong resident of Westbrook, where he resides with his wife. Dave graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a B.S. in Accounting and has held his CPA designation since 1986. He has volunteered with many non-profit organizations over the last 35 years, often holding leadership positions.
Marilyn R. Gugliucci, M.A., Ph.D., AGHEF, GSAF, AGSF, NAOMEF
Dr. Marilyn R. Gugliucci is a Professor and the Director for Geriatrics Research, as well as the Director of U-ExCEL (UNE~Exercise and Conditioning for Easier Living) Fitness/Wellness Program for older adults. Her faculty appointment is within the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNE COM) Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Gugliucci is a Fellow of the National Association of Osteopathic Medical Educators (NAOME), the American Geriatrics Society (AGS), the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE), and the Maine Gerontological Society (MGS). Dr. Gugliucci served on the Association for Gerontology in higher Education (AGHE) board for 11 years and was elected AGHE president serving from 2008-2010. She is on the review boards for the British Geriatrics Medicine Journal, International Journal of Clinical Medicine, Journal of Hospital Medicine, and Journal of Veteran Studies. She serves on the Executive and Review Boards for the Aging International Journal and Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics Education, among others. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Maine Council on Aging (founding board member and secretary), Hospice of Southern Maine Ethics Board, and Maine Chapter of the American Geriatrics Society (Dirigo Geriatrics Society board member and secretary) as well as Piper Shores. She was a founding board member of SAGE (Services and Advocacy for GLBT Elders) Maine and the Maine Gerontological Society (president, 2010-2012, founding board member). In early 2025, Marilyn was installed as the new president of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the nation’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging.
Dawn Harmon
Ms. Harmon is an Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel in Unum’s Employment Law Group. Prior to joining Unum in 2021, Dawn spent 17 years in private practice at a Portland-based law firm where she focused on employment law and served on the firm’s management committee. She previously served on the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine Board of Directors and Executive Committee as well as the Cape Elizabeth Personnel Board of Appeals. Dawn obtained her undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, in Massachusetts, and her law degree from the University of Maine School of Law.
David Kunhardt
David Kunhardt has formed community development partnerships for over 20 years—in government, nonprofit, and for-profit settings—from Washington DC to Boston to San Francisco, including a decade as senior VP of Transamerica Realty. In 2007, he aimed to address climate change and shifted into the finance of solar energy. In 2020, he retired as a co-founder and CEO of SolEd Benefit Corp., which arranged solar partnerships for schools and cities to save them money as they committed to clean energy.
David and his family relocated to Scarborough, Maine in the Spring of 2021. Since then, he has been assisting the Piper Shores’ Sustainability Working Group and the Board’s Building & Grounds Committee.
Robert Lively, DPhil
Dr. Lively is Dean Emeritus at the University of Maine, Farmington (UMF), with 40 years’ experience in higher education. A native of Pennsylvania, he holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Psychology and Counseling from Indiana University, a Master’s degree in Religion from Yale University Divinity School, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Religious Studies from the University of Oxford. He has taught at the University of Maryland (European Division), Colby College, and UMF. He has also held administrative positions as Dean of Arts and Sciences, and as Associate Provost, at UMF. He has had some unusual community engagements, including driving a taxicab in New Haven, CT, and serving as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) in Wilton, ME. More conventionally, he has been president of various organizations including the Maine Chapter of the Fulbright Association, the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, the lake association Friends of Wilson Lake in Wilton, and Western Maine Storytelling. He enjoys international travel and the walking trails near his home in Brunswick.
Brian O’Coin
Brian is Senior Vice President and Commercial Market Manager at Maine Community Bank. With more than 20 years of commercial lending experience, Brian manages a team of Commercial Bankers supporting small local businesses to regional middle-market companies across Southern Maine. He is skilled at building long-term, meaningful relationships with his customers and community members, while working tirelessly as their advocate and resource to help them achieve their goals. Brian also serves as Director for Westbrook Development Corporation in developing affordable quality housing to assist low-income individuals and families. Brian holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maine and lives in Falmouth.
Michael Patterson
Mr. Patterson is a strategic HR professional with a full range of Human Resource experience including workforce planning, organizational design, and process improvement strategies. Known as a collaborator during his career with Martin’s Point Health Care and Maine Medical Center, Michael is also a creative thinker and problem solver when it comes to building strong, authentic relationships. A graduate of both University of Southern Maine and King Alfred’s College, he is also the former Chair of the City of Portland Planning Board. He currently serves as President of the Board of Trustees Human Resources Association of Southern Maine.
Kerry Peabody, CLTC, CLU®, RICP®
Kerry is an insurance professional who has been focused on long-term care planning for the past 23 years at Clark Insurance, a Marsh & McLennan agency. Prior to that he spent twelve years at Unum, where he held roles as a medical underwriter and a National Sales Director for their long-term care product line. He also served nine years in the US Air Force, as an Electronic Countermeasures Technician. Kerry is actively involved in scouting, has served on the board of the Maine Estate Planning Council, Southern Maine Agency on Aging’s MoneyMinders board, and currently volunteers for Vet2vet Maine.
Wes Ridlon
Wes is an Assistant Vice President of Absence Operations at Unum, where he has been employed since 2006. Throughout his tenure, he has held multiple leadership positions within the operations organization. Wes earned his bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College.
Wes is passionate about coaching and developing others, both professionally and personally. Since 2020, he has served as the varsity baseball coach at Scarborough High School.
Originally from Portland, Wes now resides in Scarborough with his wife and two children.
Megan Walton
In 2019, Megan became the CEO of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA), an organization that has served older and disabled adults in York and Cumberland Counties for over 50 years.
Founded in 1973 under the authority of the federal Older Americans Act, SMAA is a non-profit organization dedicated to planning and implementing social services for adults aged 60 and older, prioritizing people with the greatest economic and social need, including low-income individuals (over 1/3 of SMAA clients live below the federal poverty line), BIPOC communities and individuals residing in rural areas.
As the focal point in Cumberland and York counties for resources, services, and information for older adults, adults with disabilities, and their caregivers, SMAA programs address a variety of issues, be they financial, medical, social, or personal. At the same time that our direct service programs are empowering individuals to live to their fullest potential, we are also advocating at the state level for changes to the systems that oppress our most vulnerable citizens.
From fighting food insecurity and homelessness to increasing engagement in socially vulnerable towns to growing our community partner network to battling the social isolation epidemic — SMAA’s dedicated staff, partners, supporters, and large network of volunteers are implementing solutions to the increased health disparities seen in our communities.
Previously, Walton had worked for Amara, a Seattle nonprofit that supports children and families experiencing foster care. Working her way from development associate to Chief Operating Officer, she made key contributions to a 10-year period of incredible growth for the organization.
Megan holds a BA from Middlebury College and an MBA from the Albers School of Business at Seattle University. She currently serves on the nonprofit boards of 75 State Street, Piper Shores, and In Anne’s Spirit.
Michael P. Wood, CFA
Mr. Wood is the Vice President and Portfolio Manager at R.M. Davis.
Mike brings a wealth of experience from senior-level positions he has held in investment advisory firm management, research analysis, and client service initiatives. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® designation and is a member of the R.M Davis Investment Committee. Mike grew up in New York and Massachusetts and now lives in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He is active in the community, serving on various nonprofit boards.