President | John Thibodeau
John is a counselor in Portland with a small private practice specializing with seniors. He also serves as board president for the Deering Center Neighborhood Association. John enjoys civic and political engagement, gardening, hiking, canoeing, and sports. He is grateful to call Portland home.
Vice President | Bethany Smart
Bethany fell in love with Maine while working as a camp counselor at Samantha Smith World Peace Camp in the 90s. This same passion of working cross-culturally for greater understanding led her to Hope Acts, where she has mentored new Mainers and other mentors. Previously, she has enjoyed roles in corporate management as well as being self-employed as a birth doula, newborn photographer and a pianist. Currently, she serves as Administrator at HopeGateWay in Portland. Her passions include music, travel, hiking, photography and most importantly, family.
Secretary | Erin Oldham
Erin brings a wealth of knowledge and experiences to Hope Acts from her varied career as a psychological educator and now as a leading Associate Broker with Portside Real Estate Group. Erin lives just a few blocks from Hope House with her partner, who teaches English to New Mainers at Portland High School. Having raised her triplets (now in college) in our neighborhood and fully embracing the diverse community, Erin is a wonderful addition to our Board.
Treasurer | Elinor Miller
Ellie worked as the Assistant Director of Pine Tree Legal Assistance for 28 years. She developed funding for legal aid assistance for victims of domestic violence for underserved populations, including migrant farmworkers and Native Americans, and for a variety of other services. More recently, she served as the Director of Levey Day School and as the Executive Director of the Jewish Community Alliance. In 2019, she completed a 9 year term as a trustee of the Sam L Cohen Foundation and currently serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors of Pine Tree Legal. She continues to teach both adults and kids in a range of Jewish subject areas. Her degrees are from Colby (B.A.) and Hebrew College (Masters). She has 3 married children and 6 grandchildren.
Mary Pat Donnellon
Mary Pat is a retired marketing leader who moved to Maine full-time in 2022. In addition to serving on the board of Hope Acts, she and her husband mentor a wonderful family from Angola who are connected with Hope Acts. Mary Pat is also on the board of Best Buddies Maine, is a member of the Portland Rotary, and serves as vice chair of the Old Orchard Beach Conservation Commission.
Innocent Ilunga
Innocent is employed as an Accountant with Redfern Properties and lives with his family in Portland. Originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Innocent lived at Hope House and participated in our Hope House English Language Program, first as a student and then as a volunteer assistant. Innocent holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Universite Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs in Goma, DRC.
Elizabeth Jackson
Elizabeth is an experienced public health and social sciences-oriented professional with global and domestic experience. She is currently the Executive Director of The Institute for Quantitative Social Science (IQSS) at Harvard University. Prior to joining IQSS, Elizabeth served as the Chief Administrative and Operating Officer at Greater Portland Health. In several community, academic, public sector, and health settings, Elizabeth has worked with partners to translate proven research into the implementation of effective programs and community strengthening efforts in the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Elizabeth received her Masters in Public Health from Yale University and her Bachelors from Bates College. Elizabeth also serves on the Board of Directors of several other nonprofits in Maine.
Helio Medina
Helio is the head of Human Resources for Catholic Charities Maine and has over 25 years of experience leading global organizations. He's held leadership positions in the semiconductor, communication, and non-profit sectors, with expertise in many facets of Human Resources across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Helio has also worked as a translator for the State of Maine Judicial Branch and has done extensive pro-bono work as an interpreter and translator for asylum seekers from Angola. Helio holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of History from the University of Rhode Island and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.
John Messer
Before moving to Maine, John was a Tax Partner and Tax Practice Leader of the Florida offices of Grant Thornton, LLP, one of the world’s leading accounting firms. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of Georgia. He also holds a Diplôme de Cuisine from Le Cordon Bleu’s Paris campus. John is currently a Board Member for The Miracle Foundation, which helps orphans and foster children find families, a lead volunteer English Instructor in the Hope House English Language Program, and is a regular volunteer with World Central Kitchen and NGOs working in refugee camps in Europe.
MaryEllen Schaper
MaryEllen holds a Masters Degree in Education from the University of Maine and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She was an educator in Maine for 42 years, teaching health education, physical education, adapted physical education, dance, and theatre. MaryEllen is active with area choral groups. She has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Wayside Soup Kitchen.
Leslie Tremberth
Leslie is an executive coach and organizational development consultant based in South Portland. She previously worked as a consultant leading large-scale healthcare and disaster recovery projects on behalf of state and federal government agencies. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Providence College and completed her coaching certification through the Co-Active Training Institute. She enjoys fostering dogs and spending lots of time in the great outdoors.
Jolie Usanase
Jolie holds a degree in Health Science and a minor in Business from the University of Southern Maine. Proudly identifying as a "New Mainer," she is passionate about socializing with diverse communities and dedicated to helping new Mainers with their orientation and integration into daily life. Jolie owns a small business in Westbrook, where she works full-time and networks with people from various cultures.
