This year, five new board members are being welcomed to Restorative Justice Project Maine. Those members “will contribute new knowledge, skills, and lived experience to the table,” said RJP. “They bring diverse perspectives that will help us better understand and meet the needs of our communities.”

RJP Maine was founded more than 20 years ago. Throughout that time, volunteer community members have generously brought their commitment, skills, and life experience to the work of RJP Maine. Many members have given nine or more years of their time and energy to board work.”

“And when they have completed their service, we’ve been fortunate in finding others who are deeply committed to restorative practices and eager to step up,” said RJP.

Learn more about Abdi “Lalee” Awad, Melissa Bellew, Misa Beltran-Guzman, Laura Renee Chandler, and Connie Putnam.

Laura Renée Chandler, PhD, (she/her) currently serves as the Associate Provost and Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Colby College. She moved to Maine in August 2023 from Atlanta, GA. Before transitioning to higher education leadership, she was a history professor specializing in late nineteenth and early twentieth-century African American history and US women's history. Throughout her career, she has been deeply involved in social justice initiatives, including anti-racist community work and women’s reproductive justice. Laura Renée also served as Director of the South Dakota African American History Museum in Sioux Falls, where she led efforts to increase community engagement with Black history across the state of South Dakota. She holds an MA and PhD in history from Rice University and a BA in political science from Macalester College. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and can often be found on a road trip with her Dachshund mix, Frankie.
 
Abdi “Lalee” Awad (he/him) immigrated from Somalia to Maine with his family and attended Portland High School. He is currently incarcerated at Maine State Prison. Lalee refused to let his current circumstances define who he is. While incarcerated, he earned his AA, BA (from the University of Maine at Augusta), and MS in Adult and Higher Education (from the University of Southern Maine). He is currently looking to apply for his PhD program. He is a Nationally Certified Yoga Instructor in Traditional Vinyasa and Holistic Yoga Flow, Two times Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fellow (2021-2022 &2022 to 2023), Senior Justice Scholar with Opportunity Scholars, 2023 UCLA Dream Fellow, Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteer, Culturally Responsive Restorative Justice Practitioner Consultant and Youth Mentor. Social/Immigrant Justice Advocate, Presenter, Currently a Consultant with Catherine Cutler Institute at the University of Southern Maine: a firm believer that education is the greatest equalizer in our society. His current work includes uplifting the voice of underserved community members (justice system-impacted and immigrant communities). His favorite pastimes include listening to music and watching documentaries. 

Connie Putnam (she/her) Born and raised in Knox County, Connie retired in February 2024 after dedicating 25 years to community health promotion as the Director of Penobscot Bay Community Health Partnerships. In 1997, she took the lead in establishing Knox County’s inaugural community health coalition, laying the groundwork for collaborative efforts to address health challenges. She secured Maine’s pioneering grants for tobacco and substance use prevention in 2001 and 2002, significantly improving the health outcomes of the county’s residents. During her tenure, she served on several statewide councils and advisory boards, including the Maine Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Advisory Board, the Maine State Legislature’s Statewide Coordinating Council, and the Maine Network of Healthy Communities. Connie remains committed to improving lives and fostering healthier communities, serving on the Boards of Directors for Penquis and the Coastal Recovery Community Center. Connie also finds joy in her personal life, cherishing her relationship with her grown daughter who resides in Valencia, Spain.
 
Melissa Bellew (she/they) Hailing from northeastern Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountain foothills, Melissa is a retired public defender from Kentucky and a nonprofit professional. Melissa is the current COO and in-house counsel at the Capital District YMCA in Albany, New York, and a past CEO of the Penobscot Bay YMCA in Rockport. Melissa holds a law degree from the University of Kentucky and a B.A. in English and Spanish from Eastern Kentucky University and is a current student at Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University in New York City studying social justice and religion. Melissa is a member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Rockland. Melissa and her wife, Lori, spend many weeks of the year in Midcoast Maine, enjoying anything outside and near water with dogs and friends.
 
Misael Beltran-Guzman (he/him) Misa first moved to Maine in 2018 to attend Colby College in Waterville. As a first-generation-to-college, low income student of color, Misa became involved in Colby’s efforts to support the inclusion and success of underrepresented students and joined Colby’s Restorative Practice Leadership Team in 2021. After completing his BA in Latin American Studies and Educational Studies in 2022, Misa took a full-time role with Colby’s Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Apart from his position at Colby, he has remained actively involved in educational equity work by attending trainings, facilitating workshops, mentoring students, and rooting himself in Restorative Practices. In 2024, Misa enrolled in the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Online Master’s in Educational Leadership. His favorite pastimes are photography, spending time outdoors, and social dancing.