Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

More Women+ Surf media director Miranda Rico has a passion for fostering safe spaces and driving positive change. Raised in North Yarmouth, Maine, Miranda draws upon her interest in creative portraiture and skills as a photographer to help More Women+ Surf break down socio-economic, physical, and emotional barriers to create surf and water access for those who might not otherwise engage in this sp...

Jennifer and Neil Gutekunst wanted to spend more time in Maine. Originally from the Philadelphia area (where each of their families had been longtime business owners), Jennifer and her husband immediately felt a connection with the Pine Tree State while vacationing here several years ago. In 2019, they made the dramatic decision to move to Maine and become small business owners themselves. First,...

Stephen Coston did not intend to follow in his family’s footsteps.  Despite the fact that his grandfather was a hotelier in Bar Harbor, Maine for decades, Stephen struck off initially in another direction, seeking to make a career out of sports writing. When that did materialize, a book suggestion from his father spurred his interest in reading about business, which led to his getting a degree in...

Dr. Deirdre Heersink understands the importance of truly connecting with patients in long-term care, as a means of positively impacting their health and well-being. Patients who are in these settings often interact with staff over months and years, developing meaningful relationships that become especially important if they do not receive regular outside visitors. Deirdre has seen these relationsh...

Aroostook County native Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo credits her northern Maine upbringing with exposing her to values that have become integral to her experience as an artist and educator. Like many kids in her agricultural community, Beth grew up picking potatoes from an early age. This helped her understand the importance of hard work, community and connection. Perhaps equally important to her develo...

Raised in upstate New York, artist Dale Roberts has fond childhood memories of fishing, building forts and exploring the rural area in which he lived. His early attention to the world around him has never ceased.  Dale’s exquisite work with encaustic painting reflects a careful attention to detail in his everyday life, whether he is out running near his Pennsylvania home, or traveling abroad. Dale...

Kari Herer never intended to become a professional photographer, despite an early interest in the art form. As the director of photography at the high-end stationery company William Arthur, Kari had the opportunity to experiment with lighting as she sought to capture the beauty of their products. Time spent at the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport convinced her to pursue her craft further, and she...

Born in Bath, Maine, and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, sculptor Andreas von Huene has been strongly connected to the region’s creative community from his earliest years. His parents emphasized the importance of arts and culture, speaking multiple languages in their home, and regularly bringing Andreas and his four siblings to area concerts and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. A graduate of...

Illustrator Bruce Hutchinson has become passionate about piping plovers. This is perhaps not surprising, given that he shares an affinity for Maine beaches with these tiny endangered birds. Raised in Waterville, Maine, Bruce’s large Catholic family squeezed into their Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and drove to Reid State Park in coastal Georgetown almost every Sunday after mass. Tuning into this deeply...

Driven by her desire for work-life balance and her passion for entrepreneurship, former attorney Melissa Coulombe took a chance when she started a legal recruiting firm at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Raised in Lewiston, Melissa now lives in southern Maine, but her ambitions are not limited by geography: the Camden Talent Group, specializes in high-profile partner placements in the Boston...

Jack Soley is reimagining the way in which Maine approaches and builds workforce housing.  This is an interesting turnaround for someone who admits that his initial entry into real estate was somewhat begrudging. In the late eighties, he was teaching at Portland’s King Middle School, working on Outward Bound courses and designing furniture, when one of his brothers first floated the idea for a new...

Chris Strong has always lived up to her name. She grew up in Thomaston, Maine– a coastal town so small that her beloved high school (Georges Valley) no longer exists, having since merged with those in other local communities. The lessons she learned there, however, have had an outsized impact on Chris. After almost losing her leg in a freak childhood accident, Chris would go on to play alongside t...

New England native Liz Prescott loves to teach, and her passion for painting is apparent when she talks about process and technique. Liz earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maine College of Art in Portland, and a Master of Fine Arts from the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. A lifelong learner, she names Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being as a recent source of inspiration....

When artist Christopher O’Connor arrived in Maine, one of the first things he did was to visit a few of the state’s many islands. A native of Ireland, he soon noted the similarities and differences between the two coastlines. Christopher spent many childhood hours exploring the Irish seashore, clambering over ledges covered with moss and lichen, due to the country’s persistent damp weather. He qui...

Scott Simons has spent three decades creating an enduring architectural legacy. Founder, Partner, and Principal of Simons Architects in Portland, Scott’s exceptional work has been incorporated into residential and commercial buildings across Maine. While his success is due in no small measure to his design excellence, Scott suggests that the efforts he and his colleagues have put into team buildin...

Founded by former Bates College professor Tom Moser, the Thos. Moser company is venerated for its handmade American furniture and highly respected for showcasing Maine craftsmanship to the world. Thos. Moser has benefited greatly from the involvement of Tom’s sons, each of whom has had a role in the company’s growth. Chairman Aaron Moser has been integrally involved with this evolving local busine...

Maine native Shannon Richards has always had a strong and committed vision for her life. Acting upon that vision, Shannon founded an innovative business called Hay Runner, which assists homeowners with everything from planning and construction to interiors and plant design. Given her exuberant personality and strong work ethic, it’s unsurprising that Shannon has surrounded herself with a team of p...

Maine native Phoebe Cole wants art, artists, and art lovers to thrive. A graduate of Simmons College in Boston, Phoebe’s bachelors degree in arts administration focused on the “business of art.”  She regularly uses this foundational knowledge and expertise in the nuances of art collecting in her work with Powell Fine Art Advisory. Phoebe expertly navigates the sometimes competing needs of finding...

As a registered nurse and clinical quality specialist who has worked in primary care for many years, Jill Skrabalak is well-acquainted with the traditional tools of her trade. At the same time, she deeply understands that healing can come from many sources. Jill is in the process of completing a master's degree in clinical herbalism as a means of adding the power of plants to her toolbox. As the w...

Vanessa Santarelli is passionate about Maine. A graduate of Cony High School in Augusta, Vanessa credits her Italian grandparents for instilling in her an abiding love of food via their restaurant, which was located on Water Street in that same town for many years. Vanessa’s clients benefit from her lifelong connection to the state through her Rockland-based business, “Your Maine Concierge.” In ad...

Chris Lynch had a successful finance career managing a bond trading group on Wall Street–until it clashed with his desire to be with his growing family. A graduate of Bates College in Lewiston, Chris followed his heart back to Maine in the early 2000’s, seeking a more balanced personal and professional existence. Despite being warned away from real estate, and facing more than one detractor, Chris...

Sculptor Benjamin Pochurek is highly attuned to the world in which he lives, and is unafraid to explore complex issues that deeply impact humanity. His poignant works articulate contrasting messages of vulnerability and pain; strength and hope. In 2022, Maine’s Portland Museum of Art introduced the “Tidal Shift Award,” to recognize young artists whose creations reflect innovation and sustainabilit...

Annie Darling is carrying forward her family’s artistic legacy in a way that is uniquely her own. Growing up, she osmosed the ingenuity and perspectives of her creative kin, whose talents are represented in a variety of professions– from photography and interior design, to sculpting and academia. Annie deepened her learning through an educational focus on architecture, psychology and marketing. Af...

Many of us have experienced points in life’s journey when, as New England poet Robert Frost once described, “Two roads diverged.” In this 100th episode of Radio Maine, our host Dr. Lisa Belisle reflects upon her ongoing role as a communicator and on-air host. and the significant divergence that brought her to this place. Lisa remembers the sudden death in 2007 of her Bowdoin College classmate, Han...

Well known to our Radio Maine Community, Portland Art Gallery Director Emma Wilson has spent many years supporting Maine artists. Emma finds joy in connecting art buyers around the country with contemporary art. Emma also continues to draw on her background in social work as she humanizes the ongoing need for, and challenge of, allowing ourselves to risk discomfort in order to fully experience the...