Fair Tide’s Board of Directors is a vital part of our organization that helps strategize and guide our work while ensuring fiscal responsibility. We recently asked each of our board members a couple of questions to find out what Fair Tide means to them.
Board Chair, Anne Marie MacPherson- Massachusetts Housing, Asset Management
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
I have worked in affordable housing, mainly in Massachusetts, for over three decades. I often say providing or participating in the development and then management of affordable housing is in my blood or my DNA. I currently work at MassHousing (MH) in Boston which is a mission focused quasi-state Agency. I worked there in the beginning of my career and learned the meaning of true “mission work” which is not just the bricks and mortar used to build our buildings but more importantly the people who live there. I left after 12 years and after working in other areas, I came back to MH in 2012 managing the department I started my career in and I hope to finish my career there. Mission centered work is critical for me. Since I’ve been so fortunate in my life, I wanted to give back especially in my community. I heard about Fair Tide, did some research, talked with Emily, and was lucky to get voted on to the Board. We are so very lucky to have Emily as our Executive Director and a fantastic, participatory board.
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
I am very proud of the leadership Emily has shown in all of her work to further the mission of Fair Tide. She and I have worked closely over the past few years (I’m currently the board chair) and we both want to refocus the board’s role in support of Emily. We are in the process of refiguring the board which will help our members focus on the things they are good at and putting them on newly configured committees: housing development, financial, governance, and community outreach. I am also proud of Emily’s stepping up and being an important and critical part of the Kittery community, which enabled us to play a big role in helping people through the pandemic. She has so much energy, she thinks strategically, and is a joy to work with… I am running out of adjectives!
Board Treasurer, Ryan Pope- Cambridge Trust, Vice President
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
I first learned of Fair Tide when I attended a Spring Dinner as the guest of a sponsor several years ago. The program included a testimonial from a resident of the house who shared the story of her life and how she came to Fair Tide. She began by recounting the many troubles she faced but when she spoke of Fair Tide, her mood shifted. Despite having just told the room of her difficulties and defeats, she sounded confident, self-possessed, and full of hope. Fair Tide had not only provided her a home but had invested in her as a person – teaching her life skills, helping her build a solid financial foundation, and working with her to find a job and an apartment of her own. She told the room that she wanted to share her story because she thought it was important for us to know that Fair Tide made a difference in her life. Hearing her story made me understand the importance of Fair Tide in our community, and I wanted to play some part in making sure we could change as many lives as possible.
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of our strategic vision and ability to adapt to see it through. Emily’s passion is contagious, which pushes the Board to consider, and reconsider, our approach and programs to better serve our community. Together we have seen Fair Tide’s reach extend well beyond the housing we physically provide. Emily’s dedication and advocacy efforts have established Fair Tide as a community leader among local non-profits and a voice for those in need.
Board Secretary, Brianna Gleason, Social Media Consultant
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
I was approached about serving on Fair Tide’s Board of Directors partly due to my background in Social Media & Marketing. Fair Tide was looking for a way to strengthen their footing as a leader in the non-profit sector in Southern Maine, while at the same time, promote their mission. I know how important social media is, along with other forms of marketing, to spread awareness and create a solid identity and presence in the community. My motivation for serving on the board was that I believed that I could help them push the mission forward by connecting with the community at large in an engaging and thoughtful way. What better way to share my talents and expertise, while helping to facilitate positive change for others and be a part of something bigger than myself?!
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
I’m so proud to be a part of an organization that is mission driven and so strongly connected to the success of our community as a whole. It’s empowering to be surrounded by people who feel passionate about helping others, and who are constantly advocating for those less fortunate. Most importantly, it’s incredibly rewarding to hear the success stories of community members Fair Tide has helped and supported over the years and who are now living fulfilled lives, in part, due to stable housing and living conditions.
George Dow- TD Bank, Vice President
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
Motivations for serving on the Fair Tide board are driven primarily around community and ensuring all who call, or would like to call, the Town of Kittery home have the opportunity. There is no question that a vibrant community needs “new blood” injected within it, but with average price of homes in Kittery getting ready to pass $400,000, the ability for young families, couples, or singles, to locate to Kittery is significantly impacted, thus the need for affordable homes. Additionally, there are many in our communities today, especially with the impact of COVID-19, who are in crisis. Fair Tide through its efforts in providing safe housing, where people can restart, or simply gather oneself, is what communities need and something Fair Tide brings.
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
The things that make me most proud of being a part of Fair Tide is the staff and the forward-thinking members of the Fair Tide Board. The staff are incredible. The kindness and effort they bring in serving all who come to Fair Tide for assistance is amazing and greatly appreciated. Regarding the Board, they continue to look at ways to lift-up members of our community, or those who come to Kittery in crisis, for a restart. The Board continually is looking at how we are staying relevant, and how we can work with our other neighboring partners throughout the Seacoast to bring the greatest benefit.
Ali Goodwin- Haven Homes & Lifestyle at Keller Williams Coastal Realty, Realtor
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
I joined the board 5 years ago, and my intentions were to become more involved in solving our housing crisis in the Seacoast. As a local real estate agent, I am on the frontlines of the housing market, exposing me to the disparities between the housing opportunities available to some but not all in our community. As I have grown with Fair Tide and experienced the impact our work has had on the communities we serve, I am more motivated than ever to see to it that housing insecurity becomes a thing of the past.
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
We have worked hard to create and execute a strategic vision for the organization that would have immediate and lasting impact on our community. I am most proud of the work Emily has done to not only execute on this strategic plan, but to also expand on it and see what felt like big goals achieved sooner than expected. It has put us as an organization well ahead of where we’ve been and provided us with more opportunities to achieve bigger goals faster.
Hershey Hirschkop- Seacoast Outright, Executive Director & Former Affordable Housing Project Manager
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
I am deeply committed to ensuring that all people have a home. Maybe because I’ve always worked for social justice, or maybe because Maine is a small enough state that ending homeless is actually an achievable goal, or maybe it was watching my single mom try to buy a house for many years. Also, quite simply, I’m outraged that we live in such wealth and abundance but ignore someone living on the street or spending the winter in their car or a tent. We could house everyone if we decided we should.
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
I’m just so grateful that Fair Tide exists at all! It is a difficult mission, made more complex by the various reasons people end up homeless and the lack of understanding of this group people. It’s easy to judge and criticize, and always less easy to spend the time to understand the many systems which contribute to this problem. Again – we could fix this – it’s just a matter of making it a priority.
Corky Thomson- York Hospital, Chief Experience Officer
What were your motivations for serving as a board member for Fair Tide?
My introduction to Fair Tide began many years ago when an acquaintance of mine benefited from the original house and support provided by care management. I saw the impact on her self-esteem and ability to create a path forward.
I work in health care and appreciate the tremendous impact of social determinants on overall health and well-being. Housing, food security, support by social services, etc., all add to a better life experience.
When thinking about Fair Tide’s work, what are you most proud of?
The evolution of Fair Tide to be accessible to more people in the support of affordable housing, emergency resources, and care management is the exciting part of today’s work. Certainly, there are challenges, but passion and community lifting community are worth the effort.