Let's Connect

Host Kristina Egan speaks with Kate Cough, editor at The Maine Monitor , and Steve Pinette, a retired geologist and a leader in efforts to protect Scarborough Marsh,about the impact of climate change on Maine’s marshes. 

Placemaking is more than just improving the look of an area; it’s about fostering connections, creating opportunities for community engagement, and driving both social and economic vitality.   Host Kristina Egan talks with two guests deeply involved in this work: CJ Opperthauser, Executive Director of Friends of Congress Square Park , and Annie Leahy, Executive Director of The Maine Mechanics Hall...

Portland Press Herald reporter Hannah LaClaire speaks with host Tom Bell about her research showing that building new luxury housing can help solve the region’s housing shortage by increasing housing supply. Link to the Portland Press Herald article.

Host Kristina Egan talks with the three candidates running for mayor Westbrook: Acting Mayor David Morse , who is being challenged by Lynda Adams and Larry McWilliams .

Senate Candidates Roundtable  Kristina Egan from the Greater Portland Council of Governments hosts a roundtable discussion with Maine Senate candidates Sen. Anne Carney , Democratic candidate in District 29 (South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and part of Scarborough), Sen. Stacey Brenner , Democratic candidate in District 30 (Gorham and Scarborough), Sen. Tim Nangle , Democratic candidate in District...

Portland Press Herald reporter Eric Russell talks with host Kristina Egan about the driving forces behind Maine’s housing crisis. He said zoning restrictions and local opposition to development have limited supply.

Kevin Kraft, the Director of Planning and Urban Development for the City of Portland, speaks with GPCOG Transit Program Manager Andrew Clark about major upcoming transportation investment in Portland's East Deering neighborhood.

Gray Town Council Vice-chair Krista Chappell and Gray Town Manager Michael Foley talk with host Kristina Egan about challenges and opportunities in Gray, including an ambitious project to redesign the village area.

Host Kristina Egan talks with Windham Town Councilor Jarrod Maxfield and Town Manager Barry Tibbetts about challenges and opportunities in the Town of Windham, Maine.

Lynn Tillotson, President & CEO of Visit Portland , speaks with host Kristina Ean about the challenges and opportunities that come with being a top travel destination, particularly in a post-pandemic world.  Lynn talks about how the challenge of adapting to changing traveler behaviors and expectations while balancing the influx of visitors with preserving our natural beauty and local culture. 

Host Andrew Zarro talks with Jonathan Gagne, Sustainability Coordinator at the Greater Portland Council of Governments, and Daphne Dixon, who is driving an electric vehicle across America, a 5,100-mile road trip from Bangor, Maine to Tacoma, Washington.   Along her journey,  Daphne is documenting the driver's charging experience and highlighting the critical work happening across the country to ex...

Host Kristina Egan interviews Glenn Fenton, the newly appointed Executive Director of Greater Portland Metro.  Glenn, who has been with Metro since 2014, was previously Chief Transportation Officer. Glenn talks about successful strategies for passenger growth and his top priorities for Metro for the next few years.

Kirsten Brewer, Volunteer Maine’s Climate Corps coordinator, and two Resilience Corps Fellows, Kayley Weeks and Emma Morgan, join host Kristina Egan to discuss the work they’re doing to help Maine achieve its climate goals while strengthening community resiliency.

Mike Tremblay, Metro’s Director of Transit Development, and Andrew Clark, Transit Program Manager at the Greater Portland Council of Governments, talk about some big changes at Greater Portland Metro that are bringing faster, more frequent, and more direct service to the Maine Mall area, DHHS and the Portland Jetport.  They also provide a sneak peek at some exciting improvements that Metro has in...

Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth) discuss the achievements of the most recent Legislative session, including efforts to address chronic homelessness and create more housing. 

Montpelier City Manager Bill Fraser talks with host Andrew Zarro about the devastating flood that swamped Vermont’s capital city last July and the need for every community to prepare for disasters caused by climate change.

Two Portland officials, Nell Donaldson, the director of special projects, and Kevin Kraft, interim director of planning, discuss the city’s “ ReCode ,”  a major effort to modernize the city’s zoning rules. The proposal would allow multi-family homes in every neighborhood and increase the maximum height of buildings downtown and in some major corridors, such as Forest Avenue and Congress Street. Th...

Sen. Teresa Pierce (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Anne Graham (D-North Yarmouth) discuss the achievements of the most recent Legislative session, including efforts to address chronic homelessness and create more housing.

Portland City Councilor April Fournier and Cullen Ryan, Executive Director of Community Housing of Maine join host, Kristina Egan in a conversation about the ongoing challenge of homelessness in our community, discussing the return to warmer weather, encampments, and ongoing efforts to provide support and solutions.  Let's Connect Greater Portland is a weekly public affairs radio show & podcas...

Are We Ready For The Future? Host, Kristina Egan is joined by speakers from the  Climatework Maine summit in Augusta. Guests include: Emily Wood - Program Director,  CEI Patrick Woodcock - President,  Maine State Chamber of Commerce Jack Shapiro - Clean Energy & Climate Director,  Natural Resources Council of Maine Dr Joseph Romm - Senior Research Fellow at  Penn Center for Science, Sustainabi...

Glenn Prickett, President and CEO of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, talks with host Andrew Zarro about environmental stewardship, fishery management and the impact of climate change on rising sea-levels and increasing storm intensity.

Jennifer Hutchins, the Executive Director of the Maine Association of Nonprofits, speaks with host Andrew Zarro about Maine’s nonprofit community.

Greg Jordan, the former Executive Director of Greater Portland METRO, talks with host Andrew Zarro about the pivotal role leadership plays in successful regional transit. Jordan also discusses his new job as Assistant City Manager at the City of Portland.  

Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris talks with host Kristina Egan about finding collaborative ways to address health and wellness issues experienced by many in the region’s unsheltered community, including mental health issues and substance use disorder. Sartoris has been instrumental in convening local experts and advocates to review and enhance the support systems for our unshelt...

Jeremiah Bartlett, Transportation Systems Engineer at the City of Portland, and Bruce Hyman, the city’s Transportation Program Manager, speak with host Andrew Zarro about the transformative transportation projects happening in the city. Those projects include the Libbytown Safety & Accessibility project, which this month won a $22.4 million federal transportation grant.