Maine Development Foundation

MDF is a proud core partner in the Coalition which today announces an ambitious new education and training goal for Maine: By 2035, 70% of working-age Mainers will hold postsecondary credentials, opening opportunities to good jobs and creating pathways to prosperity in their communities.

Learn more:https://mainespark.me/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MaineSpark_2035_Goal_PressRelease_FINAL.docx.pdf

Join the effort: https://airtable.com/appQArysy0k55TD1T/pagv209N14oS4x4iS/form

Go Maine!







Educate Maine My Alfond Grant University of Maine System Maine Community College System FAME Maine Yellow Light Breen Jason Judd Kate Howell Erica Watson

·
MDF and SEA Maine (Seafood Economic Accelerator) in partnership with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) are accepting applications for grants under the Seafood Infrastructure Adaptation Fund (SIAF). The deadline for submitting proposals is June 30, 2026 at 5 p.m.

Projects focused on energy efficiency conversions and supply chain adaptations to marine living resource infrastructure in public facilities that will provide greater resilience to climate-related shocks and Maine’s seafood economy may qualify for grants $75,000-$300,000. For more info & to apply: https://www.seamaine.org/rfps/

WHO can apply:
🟠 Government entities (municipal, county, state, and tribal)
🟠 Non-profit organizations*
🟠 Business owners*
🟠 Private property owners*
🟠 Educational organizations*
*representing publicly owned infrastructure that serves the seafood industry

WHAT properties are eligible:
🟦 Properties must be public or tribal owned, or land where a public entity holds a lease or easement (with adequate public interest)
🟦 Activities on state managed submerged lands are eligible even if adjacent uplands are privately owned

WHAT activities are eligible:
🔶 Retrofits or adaptations for economic and climate-related resilience
🔶 Planning/engineering/design projects
🔶 No new construction

Thank you to our SEA Maine partners including Gulf of Maine Research Institute Island Institute Maine Aquaculture Association Maine Coast Fishermen's Association
Aquaculture Innvotion Center
Four Directions Development Corporation Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries Office of Community Affairs Maine State Department of Economic and Community Development Maine Department of Marine Resources Maine Center for Entrepreneurs Maine Sea Grant Maine Technology Institute Yellow Light Breen Rosie Vanadestine

Great to be with business and community leaders in The County yesterday! Thank you to Aroostook Chamber of Commerce and Executive Director, LaNiece Sirois, for hosting us.

MDF President & CEO Yellow Light Breen was honored to co-present with Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Woodcock about the recently released Maine Economic Vision 2035 report and roadmap. You can dig into the data and the recommendations here: https://maineeconomicvision2035.com/

Thanks to all who participated and for the energizing discussion. We are glad to be in this work with you.

Shoutout to longtime MDF Member organizations and partners who were part of the conversation, including MMG Insurance, Versant Power, and Machias Savings Bank and many others.

We hope all of our friends in The County and across the state who want to learn more about Maine Economic Vision 2035 and how each of us can contribute to grow Maine's businesses, workforce, and economy will join us next Wednesday, June 3, for a webinar. Register here: https://web.mainechamber.org/atlas/events/introducing-maine-economic-vision-2035-2804/details

Bangor Savings Bank Hannaford Supermarkets Central Maine Power Finnemore Johnson Collaborative

The MDF office is closed today, May 25, in observation of Memorial Day.

Thank you to all who have served and who are serving our country.

MDF was honored and energized to be in community yesterday with the community organizations and individuals who comprise the Maine Community Collaboration Impact Hub (MCCIH), an initiative we help staff in partnership with Maine Alliance for Health & Prosperity.

MCCIH is a pilot project supporting the work of regional, multi-year collaboratives and partnerships focused on social determinants of health (SDOH) and economic prosperity. The project offers support through peer learning, coaching, and resource sharing.

Yesterday's was the final session for the pilot project group. It was a chance to celebrate the contagious, can-do energy the cohort has built over months. Deep gratitude to Julianna Dodson, Executive Director, Grimes Center and Rural™, for your rousing keynote speech, and to the leaders who were part of the funder's panel discussion: Morgan Hynd, Director, The Bingham Program, Carolyn Wollen, Trustee, Betterment Fund, Jacob Grindle, President and CEO, Health Access Foundation, and Lisa Letourneau, Senior Advisor, Maine DHHS.

Thank you to Husson University for hosting us.

Thank you to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston for your financial support of the MCCIH initiative. Maine and the participating communities will benefit for a long time to come on many levels.

And gratitude to MAHP's intrepid facilitators, Deborah Deatrick, Lisa Miller, and Sophie Drew,

We look forward to continuing this work!







Yellow Light Breen Rosie Vanadestine

The MDF team, our Board of Directors, and our extended family of members, leadership program alumni, and partners across the state hold in our hearts longtime MDF Member and partner Lumber, Inc., the Robbins Family, the family of the firefighter who died, and all others impacted by the May 15 explosion.

We stand with you in the days, months, and years ahead as you navigate the loss and the rebuilding.

❤️ The Robbins family has noted on their website: "For those looking to donate towards relief efforts, the Town of Searsmont has set up a Fire Relief Fund (https://searsmont.com/index.asp?SEC=2C276155-7F79-4C51-ADDC-67F1A2DD52DA&DE=3B0E66F3-51B2-4101-9FCD-F240679813F5) and also supports the Maine Strong Memorial Foundation (https://www.mainestrongfoundation.org/) which have been vetted by the Town."

Yellow Light Breen Rosie Vanadestine Anne Ball Institute for Family-Owned Business The Jackson Laboratory Bangor Savings Bank Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness L.L.Bean Maine Outdoor Brands MaineHealth Coastal Enterprises Inc. Maine Community Foundation The Nellie Mae Education Foundation MEMIC Hannaford Supermarkets

It's award season! What individual, business, or organization deserves to be recognized for outstanding leadership and contributions to Maine, our people, our communities, and our economy? Nominate them today for an MDF Champion Award:

Deadline for nominations is 5 p.m. this Friday, May 22.

Click the link(s) below and nominate TODAY for any or all of our 7 highest honors:

🏆 Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award
(for an extraordinary Leadership Maine Alum): https://www.mdf.org/2026-kenneth-m-curtis-award/?&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=openings
🏆 ICL Distinguished Alum Award: https://www.mdf.org/2026-icl-distinguished-alum-award/?&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=openings
🏆 William F. King, Jr., Downtown Champion Award: https://www.mdf.org/2026-william-f-king-jr-downtown-champion-award/?&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=openings
🏆 MDC Downtown Project: https://www.mdf.org/mdc-annual-awards-nomination-project-of-the-year-2/?&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=openings
🏆 MDC Downtown Small https://www.mdf.org/mdc-annual-awards-nomination-project-of-the-year-2/?&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=openings:
🏆 Champion of Rural Economic Development: https://www.mdf.org/2026-champion-of-rural-economic-development-award/?&utm_term=openings🏆 Champion of Education & Workforce Development: https://www.mdf.org/2026-champion-of-education-and-workforce-development-award/?&utm_term=openings

Now that warm weather is FINALLY here ... what will you be exploring and participating in over the next glorious months right here in Maine? Check out Main Street Maine and all that MDF's Maine Downtown Center Nationally Accredited Main Street communities are offering! Yellow Light Breen Main Street America Maine State Department of Economic and Community Development

WHAT IS MAIN STREET MAINE? Main Street Maine is a statewide tourism and downtown-promotion initiative that highlights Maine’s nationally accredited Main Street America communities. The platform serves as a guide to some of Maine’s most vibrant historic downtowns, helping visitors discover local restaurants, breweries, theaters, galleries, shops, trails, waterfronts, festivals, and cultural attractions across the state.

Our website (300,000 visits per year) currently focuses on ten accredited communities: Augusta, Bath, Belfast, Biddeford, Brunswick, Ellsworth, Gardiner, S**o, Skowhegan, and Westbrook. These downtowns are recognized through the Main Street America accreditation program for their work in historic preservation, economic revitalization, and community development.

On our website, you will find:
- A sample of great downtown restaurants & pubs, art venues & studios, historic sites, great shops, trails, accommodations, etc;
- Interactive maps and trip-planning tools;
- Event calendars (larger annual downtown events as well as weekly smaller community events);
- Seasonal themed articles and helpful guides;
- Community tourism experiences;

Main Street Maine serves as a collaborative marketing platform that connects Maine’s downtown organizations and tourism partners. The project was launched with support from the Maine Development Foundation, the Maine Downtown Center, and the Maine Office of Tourism (Visit Maine) to promote authentic, walkable Maine downtown experiences and encourage heritage and cultural tourism.

A major focus of the platform is experiential travel — encouraging visitors to explore local businesses, attend festivals, experience historic theaters, discover Maine-made products, and engage with communities beyond traditional tourism destinations. Recent initiatives include curated “community tourism experiences” such as guided paddles, cultural walking tours, waterfront experiences, and interactive storytelling projects.

In short, Main Street Maine positions Maine’s historic downtowns as year-round destinations where visitors can experience local culture, independent businesses, arts, food, architecture, and community life in an authentic New England setting.

🙂 PLAN YOUR VISIT: mainstreetmaine.org