About Us
Leadership
Kiersten S. Purington is the President & CEO of the Aroostook Partnership. She came to the position having spent 14 years in the pharmaceutical industry supporting drug development initiatives. Prior to her appointment with the Partnership, she owned her own consultancy providing program and project management services to small- and large-sized pharmaceutical companies. Kiersten brings academic, for-profit, entrepreneur, and leadership experience to the organization and works closely with members of the Board of Directors to identify and support initiatives that will positively impact the economy of Aroostook County. Kiersten holds a BA in Psychology from Barnard College, a PhD in Behavioral and Neural Science from Rutgers University, and an MBA from Boston University.
Board of Directors
Jennifer Buckingham
Board Chairwoman
CEO
TEMPO Employment Services
Ryan Rogers
Board Vice-Chairman
General Manager
Dead River Company
Matthew Nightingale
Secretary/Interim Treasurer
CFO
Katahdin Trust Company
Robert clark
Public Vice-Chairman
Executive Director
Northern Maine Development Commission
Samuel w. Collins
President
SW Collins Company
Jason Parent
Executive Director & CEO
Aroostook County Action Program
Matt McHatten
President & CEO
MMG Insurance
Board Members
Chris Anderson – F.A. Peabody Insurance Company
Joey Bard – United Insurance
Joy Barresi-Saucier – Aroostook Agency on Aging
Jennifer Buckingham – TEMPO Employment Services*
Jessica Cameron – Momentum Aroostook
Robert Clark – Northern Maine Development Commission*
Samuel W. Collins – SW Collins Company*
Nicole Cote – Northern Maine Community College
Kris Doody – Cary Medical Center
Michael Elliot – University of Maine at Fort Kent
Deb Estey – TD Bank
Ben Greenlaw – MSAD 1
Johanna Johnston – Southern Aroostook Development Corporation
Michael Kelley, Jr. – Machias Savings Bank
Alton Martin – Twin Rivers Paper Company
Matt McHatten – MMG Insurance*
Matt Nightingale – Katahdin Trust*
David Norman – Versant Power
Jason Parent – Aroostook County Action Program*
Jay Reynolds – Northern Light AR Gould
Raymond Rice – University of Maine at Presque Isle
Ryan Rogers – Dead River Company*
Andrew Savage – Louisiana Pacific Corporation
Steve St. Pierre – KeyCorp
Carter Vaillancourt – Daigle Oil Company
Katelyn White – Momentum Aroostook
*Executive Committee Member
Our History
In 2002, a group of concerned Aroostook County professionals came together to address key issues affecting the economic health of the northernmost part of Maine. They formed the Aroostook Partnership for Progress and expanded it to include representation from agriculture, education, healthcare, insurance and financial services, nonprofits, and key industries including forestry and logging, and energy. This unique public/private partnership served as one voice bringing attention to issues such as workforce development, population attrition, and policy issues affecting The County economy.
In 2014, the Aroostook Partnership for Progress began working alongside Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development (LEAD) to advance goals. However, with both organizations sharing many of the same objectives and engaging the same stakeholders, the two organizations decided they would be best served if they combined efforts and merged into one organization.
The Aroostook Partnership, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization, was formed in 2015 and continues to the present day serving as one voice for our members to advance initiatives that support the economic strength, growth, and resilience of Aroostook County. It remains a unique private/public consortium of over 65 businesses, the Northern Maine Development Commission, County higher education institutions, and several regional non-profit organizations.