Get in touch with any of the MECASA friends by clicking on their photo and the Ask a MECASA Friend Guide can tell you a bit more about the team!

Jess Bedard, Director of Program Planning and Performance
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​​Jess is the Director of Program Planning and Performance. Jess supports the MECASA team in planning and evaluating our programming. She also provides support to member program directors and helps us use the EmpowerDB database.  Jess is passionate about making sure our programming aligns with our values and the needs of centers. Feel free to reach out to chat with her about all things planning and evaluating! When she’s not at MECASA, Jess enjoys hiking, traveling, and snuggling her cat.
Maureen Booth, Program & Administrative Coordinator
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Maureen has been hired as the new Program & Administrative Coordinator at MECASA. Her role puts her in the unique position of not only tending to the administrative duties of the office, but also helping the project staff with their individual needs. Additionally, she will be the hub for planning and organizing events and trainings. Becoming a strong team member and resource for MECASA is one of her top goals, and she is very excited to be joining the fantastic group of individuals working in the sexual assault field. When she’s not in the office you can typically find her painting, hiking, or enjoying a nice meal somewhere cozy.  
Katie Church, Children's Safety Partnership Coordinator
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Katie works to coordinate the efforts and act as a resource for the Children’s Safety Partnership, an initiative that began in response to the legislation passed in 2015 mandating child sexual abuse prevention for all publicly funded Pre-K through 5 programs in Maine. When not at work, Katie loves trying out new recipes and going on adventures with her family.
Sarah Firth, Director of Human Resource & Compliance
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Sarah coordinates compliance and quality; that means she can help you figure out how to offer services and develop your workplace in ways that also satisfy the regulations. You might see her doing site visits or training at staff meetings but she also works on projects to develop consistent statewide services like text/chat and support group facilitator training.

She lives with her family in Vienna.
Jordan Henry, Systems Advocacy Coordinator
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As Systems Advocacy Coordinator, Jordan works to develop programs, provide technical assistance, and build partnerships in support of enhanced services for survivors who are engaging with a complex systems response to sexual violence. Jordan graduated from the University of Southern Maine with his Master’s in Social Work and brings a background in policy and advocacy to this position. Having formerly worked with Maine Boys to Men, Jordan understands how cultures of masculinity often factor into sexual violence and is eager to support those impacted by sexual violence by fostering pathways towards healing and justice.
Katie Kondrat, Equity & Access Coordinator
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Katie works with culturally and community-specific providers and sexual assault support centers to create accessible and equitable services for all survivors. She looks for opportunities to create community-led sexual violence services for populations who have barriers to services, and are therefore, underserved.

Katie wants to work with you on supporting rural advocates and survivors, Safe Space training and gender-inclusive services,  collaborating with culturally or community-specific partners,  and building or finding resources for any other underserved population. 

When she’s not at MECASA, she can be found urban farming in Portland, swimming, or somewhere outside with her family and the Tiniest Dog.
Annette G. Macaluso, Children’s Advocacy Centers Network Coordinator
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Annette is focused on connecting the expert advocates of Maine’s CACs to the resources they need to assist and empower sexually abused children and their families throughout the state. She supports existing and emerging CACs in the use and efficacy of Multi-Disciplinary Teams. The Network also offers a monthly Resource Round-Up, maintains the CAC website and online toolkit, as well as provides other technical assistance as needed. Annette’s goal is to empower local survivors and CACs to partner in excellent quality intervention services throughout the state. Annette lives in Auburn, Maine with her wife and dog, and enjoys playing Euchre, canning veggies from her garden, and snowshoeing through the woods.
Julie Montefesco, Financial Director
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Julie is the Financial Director at MECASA and brings many years' of finance experience with her. She enjoys spending time with her two teenage kids, road trips, kayaking, and photography.
Canyon Sears, Intervention Coordinator
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As the Intervention Coordinator Canyon's primary responsibility is to assist advocates across the state in the delivery of all core SASC intervention services, including helpline, support groups, and SART. They are here to listen to advocates' needs, provide technical assistance, and support the development and implementation of intervention programming across the state. They also develop and facilitate the bi-annual intervention affinity meetings and manage the MECASA Intervention Toolkit. Canyon believes that advocates know what is best for them and want to center advocate voice and vision in the further development of SASC programs.
 
​Outside the office, Canyon is probably walking along the rocks on the coast, working on their truck, or making food with friends. They are excited to talk to you about your ideas on how we can continue to improve our core services, including making them more accessible, deeper, and aligned with anti-oppression values. They are also excited to talk to you about astrology, art, therapy, and food.
Elizabeth Ward Saxl, Executive Director
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Elizabeth and Dory have overall strategic and operational responsibility for MECASA’s staff, programs, expansion, and the execution of its mission to end sexual violence in Maine and to support high quality sexual violence prevention and response within Maine’s communities. In addition, they focus on initiating and advocating for victim-centered public policy at the State House and in other policy arenas. Elizabeth and Dory report directly to MECASA’s Board of Directors.
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​When they don’t have their heads buried in Maine’s Criminal Code, Elizabeth and Dory can be found working outside with the rest of their family at their home in Belgrade; trying to spend as much time as possible in, on and by the water; and saving their frequent-flyer points miles for their next family adventure.
Jennifer Wilkey, Communications Coordinator
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​​As Communications Coordinator, Jennifer oversees MECASA’s communication strategies, where she strives for consistent statewide messaging and visual aesthetic. She supports both MECASA’s in house staff and state providers with a range of communication needs. Examples of this include creating digital, print, and social media content, working with Maine media, responding to current issues and events, and writing talking points, press releases, and op-eds. As an artist, design is her happy place and she loves to create engaging content utilizing her graphic design, photography, and video skills to help prevent sexual violence and improve accessibility to resources and information within our Maine community.

Jennifer lives in Brunswick with her family and various critters, including her dachshund/lab mix, Olive. She can be found reading science fiction and engaging her artistic side with woodturning, drawing, or sewing in her free time.