The Katahdin Collaborative is excited to announce that Tracey Perry has accepted the role of our new Initiatives Director! Tracey has been involved as a collaborator for over a year as a resident of Millinocket and the Operations and Facilities Manager for Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness’ Millinocket facilities. Accepting the Initiatives Director position stems from Tracey’s desire to contribute to the important work of building a sustainable future for the Katahdin Region. Tracey states, “Katahdin called me back to Maine; it shaped my past year and calls to my future service of these woods and waters.”

The Katahdin Collaborative is a network that supports people and groups working to revitalize the Katahdin Region. We facilitate communication, leverage resources, and foster collaboration among businesses, nonprofits, municipalities, and individuals to fulfill the goals of the “Katahdin Gazetteer”: a regional vision and action plan created by the Collaborative. In her new role, Tracey will continue to  build, activate, and support the implementation of the Gazetteer’s six big ideas.

Since the Gazetteer was finalized in 2019, the Collaborative has been focusing its efforts on the Outdoor Recreation Big Idea, inventorying the region’s trails and recreation resources, standardizing regional signage, and working to understand the barriers facing people in the outdoor recreation field. 

The Initiatives Director position is funded through the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation and the  Working Communities Challenge (WCC), a program of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston that advances local collaborative efforts to build strong, healthy economies and communities. The Katahdin Region is one of six WCC grantees in Maine. 

Tracey will be spending the first few months on the job meeting with stakeholders, attending community events, and listening and learning throughout the region. We encourage you to introduce yourself and welcome her in  her new role. We invite you to  meet Tracey and learn more about the Collaborative’s work at  our next quarterly meeting.  We will be meeting on June 15th at 6:00pm at Fiddlehead Gifts & Florals/Flatlander’s Catering & Events in Patten. All are welcome to attend.   

Questions? Contact Katahdin Collaborative Coordinator, Michele McInnis, at [email protected] or 207-249-8578.