MDI Hospital Board of Trustees

Martha Thompson Wagner, PhD, is a Psychologist with degrees from Emory University and the University of Maryland.

Martha was the Founder and Executive Director of the Kennestone Regional Hospice Program in Georgia. She subsequently worked as the Educational Consultant for the Oncology Program at Kennestone Regional Health System, designing and facilitating support programs for Oncology patients and family members; in addition to Oncology staff.

In 2001 she turned her focus to the development of a comprehensive Health and Wellness Program for The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Ga., and was responsible for Health and Wellness curricula in several schools.

Martha now spends much of the year at her home on Mount Desert and she is dedicated to her local volunteer work, including with the Healthy Acadia Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees of MDI Hospital, the Palliative Care Committee of MDI Hospital, and as a volunteer in the Emergency Department at MDI Hospital.

She continues to volunteer her time as a Victim’s Advocate with the Sexual Assault Team in Georgia, and as a member of the Medical Ethics committee at the Wellstar Health System, in addition to the Bereavement Program of Wellstar Community Hospice.

Enoch moved to MDI in 2006 when he retired from the VA medical system (at Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, ME) where he worked for 20 years as an RN. He then worked as a per diem nurse at MDI Hospital for 5 years where he was instrumental in developing a hospice and palliative care program at the hospital. He received BA and MS degrees in zoology (his first career was in education) then went on to receive AD and BS degrees in Nursing.

Enoch is active in the Bar Harbor community having served on the Conservation Commission, the Town Council, the town Charter Commission, as a volunteer for Acadia National Park and as a driver for Island Connections. He is on the board of directors of Local Solutions which was responsible for developing The Parish House in Bar Harbor, an apartment complex for young people with disabilities. He lives in Bar Harbor with his wife and dog. All three of his children and grandchildren live in Maine and he enjoys visits with them frequently. He also enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking and spending time on( Campobello Island in New Brunswick.

Dr. Edward J. Benz, Jr. is President and CEO Emeritus of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an internationally recognized hematologist. Dr. Benz has enjoyed a distinguished career in academic medicine, and authored over 300 peer-reviewed books, articles, reviews, chapters, and abstracts. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1973 and received his training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Children’s Hospital of Boston, the National Institutes of Health, and the Yale University School of Medicine. In addition to serving as President and CEO Emeritus of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Dr. Benz is also Director Emeritus and Principal Investigator of Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, a member of the Governing Board of Dana-Farber/Children’s Cancer Center, a Richard and Susan Smith Distinguished Professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, a clinical hematologist and an active NIH-funded investigator.

Dr. Madeleine Braun serves as the Chief Information Officer at The Jackson Laboratory, where she has responsibility for enterprise and research information technology applications, infrastructure, project management and information security. A graduate of Cornell University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences, Genetics & Development, Madeleine holds a Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of Washington in Seattle. In May 2017 she earned her MBA, with advanced study in the Healthcare sector track, from the Yale School of Management.

Madeleine has held several laboratory management and business unit management positions at Jackson Labs as Senior Director, Transgenic Genotyping and Reproductive Sciences, as Business Unit Manager for JAX Breeding Services, and as Product Development Manager for development and launch of new products and services. These divisions are high throughput, industrial laboratories, and operations teams providing key genetic services for Jackson faculty and for scientists worldwide. Prior to joining the Laboratory, Madeleine worked in the biotechnology sector at two companies focused on cancer immunotherapeutics. As a Principal Scientist of Analytical Biochemistry and Formulations at Seattle Genetics Inc., she ran an immunogenicity testing laboratory for toxicology and Phase 1 & 2 clinical studies. As a Development Scientist at Corixa Corporation, she performed vaccine research and development work and oversaw a clinical immunology team in support of clinical trials.

Madeleine also serves on Board for the Maine Development Foundation. She lives in Bar Harbor, ME with her husband Bob and her two children, where she enjoys hiking, skiing, and participating in her boys’ swim and soccer meets.

Stewart Brecher is the founder of Stewart Brecher Architects. He has been in practice in Maine since 1983. In addition to his architectural practice, he spent twenty years as a Professor of Architecture at University level.

Prior to establishing his office in Bar Harbor, Mr. Brecher was in practice in Buffalo, New York; Nairobi, Kenya; and London, England. He was head of design for Rakennus Domino, a Finnish design/build company, a designer in Sir Basil Spence’s office in England and won a HUD Honor Award for his elderly housing in Newport, Rhode Island while working for Castellucci, Galli, and Planka in Providence, Rhode Island. Mr. Brecher’s non-architectural designs have included theater sets and furniture.

In 1964 Mr. Brecher received his Bachelor of Architecture from Rhode Island School of Design. He attended State University of New York in Buffalo, School for Policy Studies’ PhD program. He is a Registered Architect in Maine, New Hampshire, and New York, certified with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and a past President of the Maine Chapter of the American Institute of Architect. Mr. Brecher continues his membership in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association and has been an invited speaker at the Maine Solar Energy Association and the Maine Child Care Directors Workshop.

His public service has included the Bar Harbor Planning Board and Design Review Board, and he is currently a member of the MDI Hospital Board of Trustees.

Sarah is an independent insurance agent, helping clients with understanding and choosing their Medicare supplemental insurance products.

She recently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Group in Boston, an agency representing MassMutual Financial Products, including Life, Disability, Long-Term Care Insurance, and Annuities.

Sarah is an active member of her community and belongs to various business organizations and fundraising efforts. She also serves on MDIH’s Development Committee.

Sarah is a graduate of Hobart & William Smith Colleges. She is a native of Massachusetts, yet currently resides in Seal Cove, ME. She enjoys hiking, biking, and cross country skiing on MDI, as well as traveling to and exploring new places.

Patricia received her Ph.D. in Microbiology from the George Washington University. She conducted research at the National Cancer Institute that contributed to the development of several clinical trials focused on improving the diagnosis and therapy of cancer. Patricia has a special interest in building collaborative multi-institutional research and research training networks. She has led the Maine IDeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence since its inception in 2001, a network composed of 13 Maine research and academic institutions dedicated to improving biomedical research capacity in Maine.

Patricia and her husband Victor have been full-time MDI residents since 2000.

Elsie Flemings is the Executive Director of Healthy Acadia, a community health organization serving primarily Washington and Hancock counties in Downeast Maine, with offices in Ellsworth, Machias and Calais. She is responsible for ensuring that the organization is responsive to local community health needs and priorities while assuring effective program management, communication and coordination with partners, community mobilization, financial management, ambassadorship, and resource development. Healthy Acadia works on a broad range of collaborative community health initiatives, with six areas of focus: Strong Beginnings; Healthy Food for All; Active and Healthy Environments; Healthy Aging; Substance Prevention and Recovery; and Health Promotion & Management. Elsie lives in Bar Harbor with her husband, Richard, and their two daughters, Fiona and Sylvia. Their older daughter (Elsie’s step-daughter, Rachel) lives in Florida with her daughter, Haven. As a family, they love to “walk the walk” (or “run the run”) of healthy living: running, hiking, biking, swimming, gardening, skiing, sledding, and adventuring together!

Charles M. “Chip” Hutchins obtained a B.A. degree in Politics from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia in 1985. Upon graduation from college, Chip worked in the banking field in Boston before returning to Bangor, Maine to work for the family firm in 1989.

Chip’s grandfather, Curtis Hutchins, founded the Dead River Company, the largest home heating oil distributor in Maine. Chip’s father, Christopher, founded Alternative Energy, Inc. which developed wood-fired electrical generating plants inside and outside the State of Maine.

Throughout the 1990s, he assisted his father in developing four wood-fired electrical generating facilities. Upon their development, he served in numerous capacities concerning their operations. Chip has since acquired a number of his own businesses, including a four-station radio broadcasting company, a real estate investment firm, and a vending and games company. He has also developed a composite wood manufacturing company based on research conducted by the University of Maine.

Chip has been involved in numerous community activities, including serving on the Boards of Directors for the Bangor Historical Society, Black Bear Club Board of Advisors, Community Health and Counseling Services, the University of Maine Museum of Art and the University of Maine Foundation, and the United Way of Eastern Maine, where he served as the Campaign Chair in 2001. He also serves on the Advisory Committee for the Collins Center for the Arts.

Chip resides in Brewer with his wife, Kelli, and spends summers in Southwest Harbor.

A graduate of Harvard Medical School and the Harvard School of Public Health, Dr. Julian Kuffler serves as the Director of Care Coordination for Mount Desert Island Hospital and has been a practicing family physician at Mount Desert Island Hospital for more than 30 years. He previously served as the Medical Director of the Community Health Center. Dr. Kuffler believes in providing medical services that treat the whole person.

In 2011, the Community Health Center became a Patient-Centered Medical Home where primary care, behavior health, and social services are accessible and integrated under one roof. This model inspired him to go one step further—to seek to provide for his patients’ oral health needs. “One of the major shortcomings of practicing in Maine has been the lack of access to dental services. Most of the babies I deliver start out healthy. Due to a combination of factors—including poor nutritional choices and lack of preventive dental care—cavities are one of the most common serious problems I see, says Dr. Kuffler, “Poor oral health is so preventable and treatment so expensive.”

The Community Dental Center, established in 2014 as MDI’s first-ever nonprofit dental clinic, grew directly out of this need. “I thought that it would be wonderful to work in an environment where all children born or living on MDI would get oral care from day one. If we could continue preventive services thru age 20—most of the chronic dental problems I see would be minimized,” says Dr. Kuffler.

Dr. Kathryn J. Lucchesi (Kathy) is a retired senior clinical research administrator and senior medical writer. She was a senior clinical research administrator for Mass General Brigham [MGB]) in the Division of Nephrology until 2018. Prior to her retirement in 2019, she was a clinical research consultant to the MGB’s Chief of Nephrology and Vice Dean for Research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. At the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Kathryn continued to consult for MGB, participating in the development of a longitudinal research study to track Covid-19 antibodies.

Prior to her joining the Board in 2023, Kathy served on the MDIH Planning Committee since 2017 and Steering Committee overseeing the forthcoming MDIH renovation and expansion. She resides full time in Bar Harbor and recently also joined MDIH’s Credentialing Committee.

In addition to her work at MGB, Kathy was a medical writer for nearly 20 years. She has been a consultant for various clients in the pharmaceutical industry with 25+ years combined academic and industry experience in pharmaceuticals, pre-clinical investigation, drug information, pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs, and clinical research. She has written scientific publications from original data, review articles, educational materials, and drug information, and regulatory documents (clinical study reports, research protocols, investigator brochures), and has helped prepare New Drug Applications for FDA and regulatory documents for European and Canadian Regulatory Agencies.

Areas of therapeutic focus have been in hematology and oncology, anemia and blood management, hormone replacement therapy, anti-infectives, reproductive health, diabetes and metabolism. Kathy has broad methodological experience related to pharmacology, clinical and basic research, drug safety, and pharmacoeconomics. She has held the position of Director of Clinical Science at Wyeth Research, focusing on recombinant therapy for hemophilia patients. Her work involved writing and implementing clinical research protocols and development of clinical investigator brochures, study reports, and responses to inquiries by regulatory authorities. Prior to that, she directed the Drug Information group at Genetics Institute (GI), where her charge was to provide scientifically credible information to healthcare professionals and to train internal staff about hematopoietic cytokines and coagulation factors manufactured by GI’s proprietary recombinant technology. Kathy and the group she supervised also handled all aspects of post-marketing drug safety and product quality reporting.

Formerly a registered pharmacist, Kathy spent several years at the University of Pennsylvania and the Lahey Clinic coordinating investigational drug services and serving on their Institutional Review Board. She received her doctorate in Pharmacology from Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where the topic of her thesis research was transport mechanisms of hydrophilic solutes across the blood-brain barrier. Kathy completed a 3-year post-doctoral fellowship at Yale School of Medicine, investigating the biophysics, electrophysiology, and biochemistry of ion channels derived from mammalian skeletal muscle tissue.

Kathy has published several research articles in peer-reviewed journals on subjects as varied as the clinical effects of immune therapy for acute myeloid leukemia, a device used to treat preeclampsia, and the pharmacology of snake and insect venoms related to neurotransmission.

Christina “Chrissi” Maguire, BS/BA, MHA, has worked at MDI Hospital Organization for over 13 years and currently is the President and Chief Executive Officer. The Mount Desert Island Hospital Organization, encompasses MDI Hospital, Health Centers, and Birch Bay Retirement Village. Chrissi has been serving the mission of healthcare and life sciences organizations for over 25 years. Chrissi’s background is in finance, accounting, project management, and strategic planning. Her acumen for health care, financial structure, and innovation is most noted in our ongoing strategic efforts, long-range campus expansion, and commitment to moving the Hospital forward in an ever-changing healthcare environment.

Serving in many capacities throughout her career as an accountant, reimbursement specialist, controller, director of fiscal services, and Chief Financial Officer, in October of 2018, she was appointed to serve as the organization’s first Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Chrissi has also served as the chair of the Public Policy Council, CFO Council for the Maine Hospital Association, the secretary of the Maine Chapter of HFMA, National HFMA Governance Task Force, chair of the CFO Council for the Critical Access Hospital, State of Maine SIM Grant Steering Committee Member, Community Care Partnership of Maine Board of Managers, Maine Hospital Association’s Public Policy Council, and the Task Force on Pricing and Transparency. Chrissi has also been actively involved in the Downeast Treatment Center, Downeast COVID-19 Taskforce, and has served as the Treasurer of the Maine Rural Health Collaborative, LLC.

Chrissi’s commitment extends beyond her professional life. She is an active member of her community, serving as a longtime member of the Ellsworth Lioness Club, a newly elected member of the Board of Trustees for Saint Joseph’s College, and the past president of the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce and Ellsworth Economic Development Committee. Her past roles include chair of the Lamoine School Board and Treasurer of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce. She is currently a member of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Finance Committee, demonstrating her dedication to community service.

Outside of her professional and community commitments, Chrissi enjoys a balanced life. She finds joy in biking, skiing, and tennis and cherishes the time spent with her two children, Ashley and Nick. These personal interests reflect her well-rounded personality and her ability to find fulfillment in various aspects of life.

Vince Messer was involved in learning and organizational development for non-profits and service organizations throughout his career.

After teaching for several years, he left public education to work at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in training and development, and eventually directed the organization’s entire training function. Vince also led the development of a centralized function for learning, staff development and organizational development for American Red Cross staff and volunteers nationwide. In 2002, he started an independent consulting practice which he continues to operate on a part-time basis.

Vince has been a year-round MDI resident since 2008. In addition to his work with MDI Hospital, Vince also serves on the Board of Healthy Acadia.

Dean S. Read was born and raised in Belfast. He graduated from Kents Hill School in 1965 and from Husson College in 1970 with a B.S in Management with a major in Finance. He started his banking career with Depositors Trust Company in Augusta (now Key Bank) in March 1970, and completed it as President of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in March 2005 when he retired.

Outside his banking career, he was heavily involved with the American Heart Association, serving in Maine, New England, and nationally.

Dean now invests his time volunteering for MDI Hospital, MDI YMCA, YMCA Alliance of Maine, MDI Rotary, and MDI Biological Laboratories. He enjoys fitness activities including riding his bicycle 5-6000 miles/year, and walking with Penny, his wife of 48 years. The Reads reside in Bar Harbor and have two daughters who live in New England.

Louise Soucy is the owner of Soucy Accounting Services, which provides bookkeeping and accounting services to small businesses and non-profit organizations. She grew up in Caribou, Maine and attended the University of Maine where she earned a BS in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting/finance. She began her career at Arthur Young & Company in Portland, Maine working as an auditor and earning her CPA license. Louise came to Mount Desert Island in 1994 when she became Vice President of Finance and Support Services at MDI Hospital. She loved the job, enjoying the different challenges each day brought. However, after 8 years, she left to find a position which would allow her to spend more time with her 2 young children. She worked part time for 10 years at the Mount Desert Island YMCA as Finance Manager.

Over the past 25 years, Louise has been active in the community, serving as a Girl Scout leader and as a member of several boards. She is currently on the board of the Causeway Club in Southwest Harbor, and she remains active with the University of Maine Foundation and Alumni Association. She likes playing golf and spending time with family and friends. She is a big sports fan, following the Red Sox, Patriots, and UMaine Black Bears.

Louise and her husband Jim Geary live in Southwest Harbor. They have 2 children (who were both born at MDI Hospital).

Dr. Peter Witham specializes in internal medicine. His medical interests and expertise include the evaluation and care of patients with multiple ongoing medical conditions and the care of older patients. He believes in establishing long term relationships between patient and providers leads to the best patient care. “I came to MDI to work with a group of people who are dedicated to caring for both their patients and the community as a whole,” he says.

Outside of work, Dr. Witham enjoys photography, hiking, baking, and spending time with his wife and their Bernese Mountain dogs. He and his wife were originally introduced to MDI when they visited the Appalachian Mountain Club on Echo Lake for a camping trip in the early 90s, and they still go every year.

Noelle was born in Detroit, Michigan, and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii where she attended the Hawaii School for Girls at La Pietra. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the USC School of Cinema and Television then began a career in photography. Working in both New York and Los Angeles as a photo agent, she represented world-renowned photographers in advertising, fashion, celebrity and music. Her career transitioned to public relations working with fashion designers and publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, In Style and more.

In 2005, Noelle shifted her focus to the non-profit world, applying her skills and support to the causes that were closest to her heart. Noelle has donated her time to the Princess Grace Foundation, Lupus L.A., The Jackson Lab, and the New York Stem Cell Foundation.

Currently she participates as a board member of the Joyful Heart Foundation, The Alliance for Children’s Rights, Mount Desert Island Hospital, and the Hawaii School for Girls. She recently named the Children’s Museum of Santa Barbara of exploration and innovation – MOXI where Noelle is also a board member.

One of Noelle’s most proud moments was her recent chair position for Friends of Acadia’s 25th Anniversary where she raised .3 million for the conservation of the park. Noelle spends most of her time between Montecito, California, and Seal Harbor, Maine, with her two children and their horses, dogs, fish, and a cat.