Elisabeth “Eliza” Harrison has been a year-round resident of Deer Isle for 22 years, but a summer resident all her life. In fact, her great-grandparents began spending summers in Deer Isle in 1884.  There are now about 80 of their descendants who live full-time or summers on the Island. Eliza spent most of her career on the business side of magazine publishing. She worked in advertising sales and marketing for SAIL Magazine for nearly 13 years, and for several other publications in the recreational marine industry as a publisher. That included starting a national sailing magazine called “Sailor” in the early 80’s. Following that, Eliza started a small advertising and marketing consulting business in Newport, RI, which she ran for 10 years until she moved to Deer Isle. She worked at Harbor Farm for nine years, designing and selling custom tile installations, before returning to the magazine publishing business. Eliza is now retired but is involved with a number of other island nonprofits, including Island Workforce Housing and Opiate-Free Island Partnership. She also volunteers with “Ready-by-21” and the Opera House, sings in the choir at the Congregational Church and is Commodore of the Deer Isle Yacht Club. Eliza is an avid sailor, loves to cook and garden and is honing her skills at bridge. She lives up in Sunset in the winter and down on Dunham’s Point Road in the summer. Eliza joined the board in 2018.

Shannon Joyce lives in Stonington, Maine, with her fisherman husband Mark, two children, Michael and Addie, and their two black labs. Growing up on the Island with her strong fishing heritage, she takes a special interest in the industry and those who are affected by its outlook. Shannon has worked for Coastside Bio Resources for over 23 years and works daily with scientists and manufacturers of new and innovative products that focus on flexibility and mobility for both humans and animals. She also fills in at Coldwater Seafood in sales and customer service whenever needed. For the past four years, Shannon and other volunteers have worked tirelessly to bring the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) back to the elementary school to help with programs wherever needed. For the past five years, she has volunteered as a Daisy Girl Scout leader to help young children learn about becoming healthy, civic-minded individuals, and a sister to one another. She also volunteers for the Elks located in Ellsworth to help individuals who are facing hardships. Shannon is a certified Beachbody instructor and teaches the exercise program Insanity. Her favorite pastime is hiking. She’s hiked to the top of Mount Katahdin several times, along with mountains in Baxter State Park, Acadia, and New Hampshire. Shannon joined the board in 2020.

Gail Senecal has been visiting the Island since 1991. In 2003, Gail and her husband, Rob, purchased land and in 2011, they relocated to the Island permanently. Rob’s mother grew up in Stonington and Rob’s grandmother was a founding member of the Board. Gail started her career as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant, then, after additional schooling and passing the licensure exam, worked as a LPN for many years in various settings such as a sub-acute unit, psychiatric unit, and long-term care unit.  After continuing her education, Gail graduated Becker College in Massachusetts with an AS in Paralegal Sciences. She worked at Unum Group in the claim litigation area for 22 years. Gail’s hobbies include spending time with her family and pets, beekeeping, paddle boarding, hiking/walking, bicycling and photography. Gail also volunteers as a Recovery Coach for Healthy Acadia. Gail joined the board in 2014. 

Nancy Greene and her husband have lived on Deer Isle for almost 30 years. She is a retired psychotherapist who was in private practice and was the clinical counselor on the staff of Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School for three years, which gave her the opportunity to get to know our community. She is a breast cancer advocate, and lobbies Congress each year for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Project’s Breast Cancer Research Program annual $150 million outlay. She has sat on peer review grant application panels as a breast cancer consumer. Nancy lobbied for a law in Maine requiring women to be told after a mammogram if their breasts are dense; Maine is not a state that requires that be done. Nancy is a member of Opiate-Free Island Partnership and a volunteer Recovery Coach. She serves on the Pastoral Care Ministry of St. Brendan the Navigator. Nancy has two young grandchildren in New York she tries to visit often, a dog, a big vegetable garden, and a rowboat. She knits, plays duplicate bridge, and is learning Spanish. Nancy joined the board in 2016.

Brenda Colson is an Island native. Her uncle, Constant Murphy, was on the original Island Medical Center Board of Trustees. She is proud to be able to carry on this family tradition. Brenda left Deer Isle-Stonington to attend a private boarding school during her high school years. After being a student at the Northern Conservatory of Music, she married, raised three children, and began a nursing career. In 1978, Brenda graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse (LVN), and was hired to be the head nurse of a brand new pediatric practice in San Antonio, Texas with four physicians. Brenda moved back to Maine in 1985 and worked at Eastern Maine Medical Center as Department Head of outpatient pediatrics, pre-admission testing nurse, and employee health nurse. Brenda attended nursing school while working and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1995. She then worked at Acadia Hospital for five years and received a certification in psychiatric nursing. After returning to the Island to live in 2003, Brenda worked many years as a charge nurse at the Island Nursing Home. She also led CNA courses on the Island for five years. Her hobbies include flower gardening, walks on the shore and in the woods and painting and sketching. Brenda joined the board in 2018.

Hollan Oliver is a board-certified physical therapist through the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). She earned her doctorate degree in 2010 from the University of Vermont and went on to obtain advanced certifications as an Orthopedic Certified Specialist (OCS) and a Sports Certified Specialist (SCS). She spent her first eight years of physical therapy practice in Rhode Island as the Director of Rehabilitation & Sports Medicine for Elite Physical Therapy, a nationally recognized outpatient orthopedic practice. She worked with high school and college athletes to provide injury prevention and performance enhancement programs. In 2017 she returned to her hometown of Deer Isle to establish Coastline Physical Therapy & Performance because she believed that the coast of Maine was ready for a new model of therapy, health, and wellness. Hollan enjoys golfing, CrossFit, coaching the Deer Isle-Stonington High School softball team, and cheering for the Boston Red Sox. Hollan joined the board in 2020.