Jess Maurer is the Executive Director of the Maine Council on Aging, a multidisciplinary network of over 140 businesses working to ensure we can all live healthy, engaged, and secure lives as we age. She leads data-informed policy change efforts on issues related to ageism, equity, poverty, housing, transportation, workforce, and care. A core focus of her work is on worldwide demographic shifts and longevity trends, and how our cultural norms about work, health, and the built environment haven’t kept pace with these trends. With the goal of ending ageism in Maine by 2032, Jess co-designed the Leadership Exchange on Ageism, an innovative program that has inspired over 350 leaders to take meaningful action to end ageism. This program is now being replicated in other states and is launching nationally this year. Throughout her work, she maintains focus on underserved and marginalized older people to ensure the policies we adopt work for everyone. A licensed Maine attorney, Jess worked for 17 years in the Maine Office of the Attorney General. Contact Jess.

Kathy Willette has been Operations Director for the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) since April 2025. She is responsible for the organization’s internal health and efficiency. Overseeing the well-being and support of the team, managing essential organizational systems and infrastructure, and collaborating closely with the Executive Director to ensure smooth and effective operations in service of MCOA’s mission. Kathy joined MCOA in 2023 as Project Manager for the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging (TSLCA). Prior to which she worked for a decade in non-profit leadership positions for organizations focused on increasing the capacity of Maine families to live healthy and fulfilled lives. This included creating systems to prevent the financial exploitation and abuse of older people, developing high-quality early childhood education programming, and overseeing implementation of family visiting support programs. Before holding these leadership positions, Kathy worked in direct service for several years supporting families and young children both in homes, and in community-based centers. Kathy is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law, the Muskie School of Public Service, and the University of Maine, Orono. Contact Kathy.

Jessica Fay joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in October 2024 as Policy Director. She is a former Maine state representative. During her eight years in the Legislature, Jess worked on passing bills that improved the lives of older Mainers including positive changes to Medicare eligibility and to reimbursement rates for essential support workers. She has been honored for her work with older Mainers, for her work on behalf of victim/survivors of domestic violence and on behalf of Maine’s environment. Jess has owned her own flower shop and volunteered in her local library as well as with Age-Friendly Raymond. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence and for Raymond Waterways Protective Association. Jess graduated from Simmons University in Boston with a degree in sociology. She is a member of the Leadership Exchange on Ageism Cohort 3.

Jessica and her husband Kevin reside in Raymond where they were caregivers for Kevin’s mother as she lived with dementia. In search of life balance, Jess also spends time cooking, gardening, walking in the woods with and training and her 2 Labrador Retrievers. She also enjoys swimming, sailing and kayaking at her family camp. Contact Jess.

Becca Howes is the Development Director at the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) and the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging (TSLCA), a project of MCOA. She is thrilled to have joined the MCOA in 2023 where she will focus on sustainable funding through donor and sponsor engagement and grant tracking, among other fundraising initiatives. Becca has two decades of experience in the development sector. She was lucky enough to be assigned to Jamaica when she joined the U.S. Peace Corps in 2001, where she secured her first grant to fund a student-driven peer mediation program. Her experience as a volunteer in the Peace Corps solidified her passion for community service, and she sought out roles throughout her career to help people and organizations reach their full potential. Becca is a graduate of Tufts University where she majored in International Relations. Contact Becca.

Anna Guest returned to the Maine Council on Aging in August 2025 as Power in Aging Director, bringing her experience as an LEA graduate and facilitator, along with her past work with the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging. With more than a decade of experience in Maine’s aging services network, her work has focused on building dynamic, high-impact volunteer teams to deliver community education programs and collaborating with age-friendly communities through initiatives like the Community Connections pilot project—an effort of the Governor’s Cabinet on Aging. She has developed and facilitated educational programming in partnership with MCOA, the University of Maine Center on Aging, Maine’s Area Agencies on Aging, and through her own consulting practice.

With a professional background in occupational therapy, Anna approaches her work with curiosity, creativity, and compassion. A lifelong Mainer who grew up on a solar-powered organic farm, she now lives in Lisbon Falls with her wife and their four-legged family – you can often find her experimenting with DIY projects, spending time outdoors, and diving into audiobooks and podcasts. Contact Anna.

Don Harden is a founding Board Member of the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) and has worked on the Power in Aging Project, MCOA’s anti-ageism campaign, since its inception. He is one of the designers of and is the lead facilitator of the Leadership Exchange on Ageism, the first of its kind participatory, peer-learning leadership development experience for executive business, policy, research, and community leaders. Prior to joining the MCOA team, Don worked for Catholic Charities Maine for over four decades, leaving that organization as the Director of Aging Services. He was co-convenor of the Maine Aging Initiative’s Workgroup on Workforce and the Economy and served on the Legislative Commission to Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues. He serves on the Southern Maine Agency on Aging Advisory Council, as Chair of the Elder Abuse Institute of ME Board, volunteers for the University of New England as Geriatric Education Mentor for medical students, and as Legacy Scholar at the UNE Center for Excellence in Aging and Health. He served as care partner with his mother who lived in her own home with age-positivity through the age of 101. Contact Don.

Meriah Hope joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in January 2025 as Age Equity Program Manager. She began her career in the world of Interfaith Volunteer Caregiving, and quickly found that helping older adults to live their best lives was “heart work” for her. Meriah worked in that world in small rural programs, then at the state and national level, helping the movement transition from its roots with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation into an independent national organization. A special interest in memory care led her to develop a volunteer training program for individuals providing respite to caregivers of loved ones with dementia. She then spent years with the primary title of “Mom,” while teaching dance, coaching, flower farming, and working with animals. When Meriah began to learn about ageism through MCOA, she found the intersection of her previous work with older adults and her passion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Meriah sees ageism as a unifying frontier from which to fight inequity–we all benefit by creating a more age-positive world. She holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of South Dakota. Meriah finds joy in traveling and discovering new places with her wife, taking care of her plant collection, rockhounding, birding and exploring the wilds of Maine. Contact Meriah.

Mel Lovering joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in January 2026 as Age Equity Program Manager. She has worked throughout Maine over the last 20 years in various business development and senior leadership roles. Since 2014, Mel has been involved with building and executing strategic partnerships on behalf of organizations including St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center, Covenant Health, Andwell Health Partners, and most recently, Woodlands Senior Living. She is passionate about improving patient care delivery, and transitions of care between acute- and post-acute care  settings. Mel’s recent experience with healthcare navigation on behalf of her aging mother sparked a new passion within to intentionally choose professional projects that align with supporting Maine’s aging population. Mel is very excited to contribute to MCOA’s Power in Aging initiatives over the next several months. She is a graduate of Bates College. Mel has lived in Topsham for 24 years, with her husband Tom. She has two adult children, one an organic farmer in Bowdoinham, and the other a professional chef in Boston. Mel and Tom love to be outdoors, and hike and travel whenever possible. Contact Mel.

Kathy Vezina joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in March of 2021 as Advocacy Coordinator and has since transitioned to the project lead for the Equity & Healthy Aging Initative.  This Equity and Healthy Aging Initiative seeks to help aging services providers and community volunteer organizations understand the social health needs of diverse older people in Maine, the barriers diverse older people face in meeting these needs, and to integrate these needs into the Maine Council on Aging’s network of advocacy efforts.  Kathy is a Registered Nurse and a Maine attorney and has worked in leadership roles in a leadership development organization, community behavioral health, reproductive justice, and in private practice in a health law firm.  She is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law and the University of California San Francisco in Nursing.  She has been active in efforts to promote health equity in Maine and volunteers as a nurse in various organizations. Contact Kathy.

Willow Dansbury (they/them) joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in May of 2025 as Operations Assistant. Later that year, their role expanded and they are now also the Program Manager for the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging. Willow has worked in many different professional roles over their adult life and is a true Jackie of All Trades. As a past Hospitality and Customer Service professional, they are passionate about building connections and relationships that bring positive impact to our communities. They are grateful to be a part of the TSLCA, having the opportunity to hold community space for people to meet across state lines to combat ageism and build stronger webs of connection. Willow believes strongly in the importance of creating safe community spaces – especially in a society that often doesn’t provide that for everyone. Outside of this work, Willow enjoys quilting, artmaking, cooking/baking, reading comics, and music. Contact Willow.

Leslie Roberts joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in January of 2023. Over the span of her more than 40-year corporate communications and marketing communications career, Leslie served in management roles at leading healthcare, financial services, telecommunications, and high technology organizations. Her experience helping her mother to navigate aging in place, followed by serving as her primary in-home care partner for two years, gave Leslie a passion for addressing the challenges older  Mainers face accessing the appropriate resources to live their lives to the fullest.  She earned a BA in Art History from Wheaton College in Norton, MA. Contact Leslie.

Brenda Peluso joined the Maine Council on Aging (MCOA) in July of 2024 as the Coordinator for the Essential Care & Support Workforce Partnership. The Partnership is a broad partnership led by MCOA, the Maine Center for Economic Policy, and PHI, working to increase access to quality direct care and support in Maine by changing the way we value workers and the work they do. Prior to her work with MCOA, she had a 20-year career with the Maine Association of Nonprofits (MANP) and spent 5-years in philanthropy. In 2019, she started her consulting business and has served as the interim director for Maine Children’s Alliance, Foundation for Portland Public Schools, MaineShare, Cultivating Community, and the Greater Portland Immigrant Welcome Center. She brings her lengthy experience in management and advocacy to the role as well as her curious nature and belief that social change happens when people are in authentic relationship with each other and value what each person brings to the work.

Prior to moving to the nonprofit sector, Brenda was a high school math teacher and traveler. She is passionate about her family, especially her two adult children, her circle of good friends, and her amazing colleagues in the nonprofit sector. Contact Brenda.