DAMARISCOTTA — At its recent annual meeting, the Damariscotta River Association (DRA) elected six new members to its Board of Trustees. The newly elected DRA trustees include Tom Field, David Lawrence, Matt Newman, Barnaby Porter, Heidi Shott and Joy Vaughan. Along with 13 sitting board members, these new trustees will be tasked with advancing DRA’s programs in land conservation, stewardship, education, marine conservation, trails and access, all focused on the Damariscotta River region. Meanwhile, four beloved trustees, Becky Brown, Bruce Lutsk, Susan Dale and Bill Coyne, are rotating off the board having fulfilled their six-year maximum terms.

A graduate of USM, Tom Field initially worked in public service at a non-profit legal services organization. Currently he is a Broker Associate of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty’s Damariscotta office. He has served as past President of the Lincoln County Board of Realtors and served on the Board of Directors for the Maine Association of Realtors. He has a passion for being on the water and enjoys aerial photography. He lives in South Bristol.

David Lawrence is a philanthropy consultant to colleges, universities and medical centers. A graduate of Miami University with an MA from George Washington University, he flew with the Navy Hurricane Hunter Squadron and completed 30 years of active and reserved duty retiring as a Navy Captain. During 32 years, he served three higher education and academic medical institutions as chief development officer. A resident of Newcastle, he is a Board member of Lincoln Healthcare and is active in several community organizations.

As a transplanted Michigan native, Matt Newman fell in love with New England while attending St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan. In addition he holds a Master’s degree from Oxford University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Following work as a corporate attorney at Portland’s Pierce Atwood LLP, in 2006 he joined local attorney John Lynch, establishing Lynch & Newman law practice in Damariscotta. He has served on the CLCYMCA board and volunteers on Skidompha Library’s investment committee.

Barnaby Porter is a well-known person in the Damariscotta region. Many know him as the author of Twelve Miles from the Rest of the World: A Portrait of the Damariscotta River, written in collaboration with photographer Al Trescot. His association with the river includes several years of work at the University of Maine’s Darling Marine Center; a close involvement with Ed Meyer’s pioneering aquaculture operation, and managing Ocean Point Lobster Co. Although he graduated from the University of Maine with a degree in Wildlife Biology, he eventually made a major career change when he acquired a sawmill and began the Ax Wood Products business in Walpole. His many years of community service include resurrection of Lincoln Hall, Skidompha Library board membership, and the steering committee formulating Damariscotta’s new Comprehensive Plan and the Waterfront Improvement Project.

According to Heidi Shott, she got to Maine as fast as she could. Upon arriving, she and her husband regularly walked the Dodge Point Public Reserve Land, which she recognized DRA was instrumental in conserving and maintaining. Following stints with the Lincoln County News and the Maine Principals’ Association, she became Communications Director for the Episcopal Diocese of Maine and is currently its Canon for Communications and Advocacy. Shott grew up in the town of Stittville in Upstate New York. She holds a BA from Sweet Briar College and a Masters in English from Tufts. She is a member of the United Way of Midcoast Maine’s board and is a youth mentor with Restorative Justice. A resident of Damariscotta Mills, she has acquired new oyster-shucking skills following an apprenticeship shucker at the recent Alewife Festival.

Joy Vaughan has been a member of the DRA for over 40 years, having joined at its inception in 1973. For several years she has served as DRA’s steward of Stratton Island, a Damariscotta River island donated to the organization by former South Bristol resident Ann Stratton. In addition, she has been an active Trail Tamer contributing many hours to the maintenance and creation of the numerous DRA trails. She is an art professional, a teacher as well as a mentor. Her Starfire Studio, located in South Bristol, serves as a retreat for visitors and artists alike.

DRA Executive Director Steven Hufnagel expressed, “We couldn’t be more excited about these new trustees and all they bring to the organization. I’m also grateful for the leadership of the nominating committee who gave a great deal of consideration to assembling a slate of candidates with the specific strengths we need to lead and advance DRA’s conservation mission, complementing an already strong board of trustees.”

More than 100 members attended the annual meeting. Following the trustee election, attendees listened rapt as Tim Clark and Ruth Ann Bryant shared reminiscences of life at Round Top during their childhood.

The newly constituted board then elected its slate of officers: Emily MacKenzie as President of the Board, Normand Saucier as Vice President, and Bob Barkalow as Treasurer, with Carolyn McKeon re-elected as Board Secretary.

The Damariscotta River Association is a non-profit, membership supported, and nationally accredited land trust and conservation organization dedicated, since 1973, to preserving and promoting the natural, cultural, and historical heritage of the Damariscotta region, centered on the Damariscotta River.

DRA has active programs in the areas of land conservation, stewardship, community education, water quality monitoring, marine conservation and cultural preservation.

Visitors are welcome at the Great Salt Bay Heritage Center in Damariscotta as well as the many other DRA properties throughout the region. For more information call 207-563-1393, email dra@damariscottariver.org, or view their web site at damariscottariver.org