Personnel

John Melrose, President, holds a Bachelors Degree in Public Management and a Masters Degree in Community Development from the University of Maine. His professional career began in 1974 when he joined the staff of the Maine Municipal Association and stayed for seven years serving in his final years there as Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. Melrose left MMA to become Vice President of Mallar Development Services and with Roger Mallar formed Maine Tomorrow. In 1983, Melrose became the sole owner and President of Maine Tomorrow serving as President until late 1994. From 1995 to 2002, Melrose joined the Cabinet of Governor Angus S. King as Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation. Upon leaving public service, Melrose reacquired Maine Tomorrow to again serve as its President. During his 35 year career, John Melrose has acquired extensive experience in public, project and association management, in public policy research and advocacy and in community development. He has been active in his community in numerous capacities and has volunteered his time as a leader to many state and regional initiatives. John Melrose was selected in 2009 to receive the President’s Award from the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Rickmond McCarthy, Vice President for Governmental Affairs, earned a Bachelor’s Degree in U.S. History from the University of Chicago and a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 1986, he became a litigation assistant working on complex litigation with Jenner and Block in Chicago and, in 1990, was hired as a litigation assistant with the McLane Law Firm in Portsmouth, NH. He became the Planning Coordinator for the Town of South Berwick in 1996 and in 1997 was hired as a Special Assistant to Senate President Mark Lawrence. He subsequently served in this same capacity for Senate President Michael Michaud, before becoming Michaud’s Chief of Staff. He then served as Chief of Staff to Senate President’s Beverly Daggett and Beth Edmonds. With 11 years in the Senate President’s Office, McCarthy knows the legislative process and the workings of state government. He is recognized in the Statehouse as being a skilled consensus builder who is well versed on the major public policy issues of the day. His experience in state and federal budget and finance is particularly strong along with the topics of economic development and transportation. Rick is a Director and Fundraising Chair for the Kennebec Messalonskee Trails, which builds and maintains recreational trails in the Waterville/Winslow area.  He and his wife Michele own and operate Ledgewood Farm, a small boarding stable in Winslow.

Shelley Doak, Vice President for Association Management , started her career in the private sector, but upon moving to Maine in 1987, she began her service in state government. In 1988, she was hired as a Project Development Specialist with the Community Development Block Program at the Department of Economic and Community Development. In 1993, Doak was promoted to Director of Technical Assistance. In 1996, she moved on to become the Director, Division of Animal Health & Industry at the Department of Agriculture, Food & Rural Resources where she served for 11 years. In 2008, Doak worked as an independent contractor until she was hired by Maine Tomorrow where she holds the additional title of Executive Director, Maine Grocers Association. During her 19-year career in public policy, Shelley Doak gained experience in regulatory and legislative concerns, coalition building, and project management. Shelley is active in her community serving on the Hallowell Food Bank Board of Directors, volunteers at the Hallowell Recycling Center, and is a past member of the Hallowell Rail Trail committee.

Paul Lariviere, Senior Associate, possesses a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts in Civil Engineering and a Master of Engineering in Transportation Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He served in the U. S. Army in the late sixties. In 1971 he was hired by the Federal Highway Administration and remained with FHWA until his retirement in early 2003. Paul Lariviere was the FHWA Division Administrator for Maine from 1993 to 2003. During this time, he was on the Executive Committee of the Maine Rural Development Council with one year as Chair and on the Executive Committee of the National Rural Development Partnership. From 2000 to 2002 he served as Chair of the FHWA National Freight Council. While with FHWA, he also held administrative positions in North Carolina, New Jersey and Massachusetts and was at one time assigned to the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project. Paul Lariviere joined Maine Tomorrow in 2003. He is a registered Professional Engineer in New York and he is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Paul is an active supporter of the Kennebec Valley Humane Society.

Valerie Geredien, Senior Associate, holds an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Geredien started her career in marketing and communications as an account manager at The New England Group Advertising in Portland Maine and became a principal of the organization in 1988. In 1990 Valerie Geredien joined Portland based Swardlick Marketing Group, serving as a key member of the agency team working in strategic planning and marketing, and communications program design and management. At Swardlick Marketing Group, Geredien led the development and execution of a major brand initiative for the Wild Blueberry Association of North America that helped put Wild Blueberries on the map. Geredien worked for two years launching awareness-building campaigns and industry-focused education programs that established the Maine Lobster Promotion Council.  In June of 2009 Valerie Geredien joined Maine Tomorrow as Director for the Maine Food Producers Alliance. Geredien is a volunteer at the Portland Chapter of SCORE America’s Counselors to Small Business, The Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Common Good Ventures. Geredien also serves on the adult advisory board of The PORT, Freeport’s Teen Center.

Molly Melrose, Business Manager, has a BA degree from the University of Maine in Political Science. In addition to her administrative duties, she is frequently called upon to assist with the association management activities of the firm. She is also in charge of the management of the Maine Tomorrow office building which houses tenants other than Maine Tomorrow. Molly Melrose has volunteered time to her community through the Odyssey of the Mind program, the Vassalboro Community School Library and has served on the Vassalboro School Committee. She presently is an election clerk in Vassalboro and a Steward for the Kennebec Land Trust’s Vassalboro Wildlife Habitat.

Tanya Bentley, Staff Associate, earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Maine in Elementary Education. Bentley taught for two years in Gray and then took a few years off to raise her family. In the two years prior to joining Maine Tomorrow, Bentley was the Director of Administrative Operations for the Maine Bankers Association. In this capacity, she became skilled in association management. Bentley serves as Executive Director of the Kennebec Valley Tourism Council (KVTC) and Administrator to Maine Apartment Owners and Managers Association (MAOMA). On behalf of Maine Tomorrow Bentley provides staff support to the Maine Self Insurance Guarantee Association (MSIGA) and Maine Council of Self Insured (MCSI). Bentley resides in West Gardiner with her two children and is actively involved with Gardiner Youth Hockey.

Amie Coffin, Staff Associate, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in English at the University of Southern Maine. Coffin has lived and worked in the Augusta/Gardiner region for ten years. During that time Coffin worked as an Administrative Assistant II for the Child Welfare Training Institute at the Muskie School of Public Service and also for the Natural Resources Council of Maine; which supported her personal interest in environmental protection. As a member of the Maine Tomorrow team, Coffin provides staff support to the Maine Grocers Association, the Maine Society of Professional Engineers and the American Council of Engineering Companies, Maine Chapter. Coffin lives in Gardiner with her husband, Rob and daughter, Maggie and is involved in creating a successful recycling program in her community. She is also a Licensed Massage Therapist.