Rev. Mariah Hayden
President
Protestant – United Methodist
Pastor – The Church of Universal Fellowship Orono
I am honored to serve on the Wilson Center executive board. As an evolving practitioner of equity and inclusion, it is imperative that we include interfaith communication as an essential competency. I am so grateful to be a part of a community where we can practice these skills together at the Wilson Center.
Anila Karunakar
Vice President
Protestant
Director – Office for Community and Connections (UMaine)
I am honored to serve on the Wilson Center executive board. As an evolving practitioner of equity and inclusion, it is imperative that we include interfaith communication as an essential competency. I am so grateful to be a part of a community where we can practice these skills together at the Wilson Center.
Rev. Michele St. Cyr
Treasurer (Interim) & Secretary
Protestant – United Methodist
Pastor – United Methodist Church (Orono, ME)
Peggy DAY
Board Member
Protestant – Episcopal
Ret. Deacon – Episcopal Church
Joanie Ellis
Board Member
Unitarian Universalist
Ret. Speech & Language Pathologist
Joanie currently volunteers for organizations involved in social justice work and education. She loves that The Wilson Center provides an opportunity for people from diverse backgrounds to explore and appreciate our differences and commonalities.
Richard Hollinger
Board Member
Bahai
Ret. University of Maine
Born and raised in California, I was brought up in the Methodist Church, but engaged in extensive spiritual exploration on my own, eventually finding my spiritual home in the Baha’i Faith, which teaches that all major religions are divine in origin and part of an ongoing series of revelations sent to guide humanity at different stages of history. As a Baha’i, I am committed to working with others to overcome the social barriers that divide humankind, such as race, gender, nationality, and religious identity, and to build an inclusive community at the local level. I am happy to be involved with the Wilson Center, which shares these noble goals.
Sam Salvin
Board Member
Jewish
UMaine Public Health Researcher and Abortion and Gender Affirming Healthcare Worker
Throughout my UMaine college experience, the Wilson Center supported me in exploring and celebrating faith, gender, queerness, and social activism. As a board member, I hope to support our community in cultivating a queer-affirming interfaith space.
Penny king
Board Member
Muslim
Melissa Ladenheim
Board Member
Jewish
Associate Dean – Honors College (UMaine)
Supporting the Wilson Center’s interfaith work and being a member of the Board is an opportunity for me to enact two of my core faith values: tikkun olam, which means to repair the world, and tzedakah, which relates to the pursuit of justice. My participation is also compelled by the words of Rabbi Tarfon (Pirkei Avot 2:16), who wrote, “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you at liberty to neglect it.”
Mary Moreau
Board Member
Catholic
Ret. Literary Specialist
The Wilson Center is important to me because I believe in ecumenism that fosters unity and peace.
Avinash rUDE
Board Member
Buddhist
System Analyst for the State of Maine
The Wilson Center is a safe space for all kinds of things, furthering my understanding of other religions, faith, community, and dance!
Dr. Sandra Hutchison
Board Member
Baha’i
Ret. UMaine Professor
I recently retired from teaching English literature, Maine Studies, and Gender Studies at U. Maine and am currently teaching scriptural exegesis through the Corine True Center in Chicago and creative writing and journalism to Baha’i students in Iran who are barred from attending public universities.
