Executive Director

Anne West

Anne West began working for the Island Health & Wellness Foundation in 2010 and was hired as the Executive Director in 2017. She is a graduate of Husson College and has worked primarily in healthcare finance, public relations, and philanthropy for the past 15 years. Anne’s vision is a community where all the people of Deer Isle-Stonington have access to quality health care and the opportunity for a healthy lifestyle.

Anne grew up on a farm in Searsport, Maine, and now resides in Orland with her husband and daughter. Her hobbies are spending time with her family – immediate and extended – and she recently ran her first full marathon!

Facilities Manager

Matthew Betts

Matthew was born in Stamford, CT and lived there for the first 16 years of his life, until his father retired from Pitney Bowes and the family returned to Deer Isle-Stonington where both of his parents were originally from. Matthew graduated from Deer Isle-Stonington High School and enlisted in the Army, where he became a Rotary Winged Aircraft Electrician. Following three years of service, Matthew was honorably discharged and returned to the island where he held both maintenance and fishing related jobs. Before coming to Island Medical Center, Matthew was the Environmental Services Director at Island Nursing Home, a position he held until the nursing home closed in 2021.

In addition to his job at Island Medical Center, Matthew is Stonington’s Water Company Superintendent and Plumbing Inspector. He also serves as an Odd Fellow.

Matthew lives in Stonington with his wife Roxann and their three children. Matthew and Roxann also have two grown children. In Matthew’s free time he enjoys spending time with his large extended family and his five Chihuahuas.

Who we are

Board of Directors

Elisabeth Harrison, President

Elisabeth Harrison, President

Deer Isle, Maine

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, Vice President

Shannon Joyce, Vice President

Stonington, Maine

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.

Judy Williams, Assistant Treasurer

Judy Williams, Assistant Treasurer

Stonington, Maine

Judy Williams was born in Castine and raised in Stonington. Judy describes her two best decisions in life as marrying the love of her life, her high school sweetheart, and being a stay-at-home mom to her two amazing sons while also working out of her home. Judy served as President of the Sunshine Activity Center for four years and as den leader for her sons’ Cub Scout/Boy Scout troops. She is now retired and does bookkeeping for her husband John’s business, Khristy Michelle, Inc. In addition, Judy serves as the Secretary for the Burnt Cove Church Community Center and Mount Rest Cemetery. She enjoys walks along the water, reading, spending time with John and her friends, as well as scrapbooking. Her favorite activities are being at home and enjoying close friends and the awesome view from her sliding glass door. Judy, along with her husband John, joined the board in 2019.

Gail Senecal, Assistant Treasurer

Gail Senecal, Assistant Treasurer

Deer Isle, Maine

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, Secretary

Nancy Greene, Secretary

Deer Isle, Maine

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.

Jenna Billings

Jenna Billings

Deer Isle, Maine

Jenna Billings has lived in Deer Isle her entire life and feels very grateful to raise her family here. She married her high school sweetheart, Joel, and together they have three children. She graduated from Husson University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Jenna has worked in medical-surgical, labor and delivery (her favorite), and most recently as a School Nurse in our local school district. Jenna thoroughly enjoys volunteering for Memorial Ambulance Corps as an EMT. She also is the President of the DISES Booster Club, a member of the local PTO, as well as a founder of DIS Youth Sports. Jenna enjoys hiking, walking her dog Hank, traveling with her family, gardening, cooking, attending her children’s sporting events, and spending time with friends. Jenna joined the board in 2022.

Brian Burgess

Brian Burgess

Deer Isle, Maine

Brian Burgess has lived on Deer-Isle Stonington his entire life. A resident of Deer Isle, he and his wife Heidi own B.K. Burgess, Inc., a construction company that has been in business since 1990. Brian and Heidi have raised two great kids on the Island, Brandon and Sarah, and enjoy spending time with their family, which now includes two grandchildren. Brian joined the board in 2022.

Brenda Colson

Brenda Colson

Stonington, Maine

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.

Christina Fifield

Christina Fifield

Little Deer Isle, Maine

Christina Fifield was born and raised on Deer Isle-Stonington. She attended college at Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications and then found herself wanting to get back to the ocean and her hometown. She lives on Little Deer Isle with her fiancé Richard, daughter Danica, and their two dogs, Duke and Duchess, and cat Thackery Binx. Her family has always been involved in the fishing industry on Deer Isle, owning and operating Fifield Lobster Company since 1940. She and her three siblings were on the dock or in the water their entire childhood. Her great grandfather started the business with five boats that sold to him. Together with her brother, they are updating and moving Fifield Lobster Company into a new era. They now have 40 boats that sell to them. Christina enjoys reading, traveling, and being anywhere on the ocean with her family. Christina joined the board in 2020.

Gwyn Firth Murray

Gwyn Firth Murray

Deer Isle, Maine

Gwyn Firth Murray moved to Deer Isle in early 2019, after being a “summer person” at her Mom’s camp on Sunshine Road for the previous 35 years.  Gwyn is a lawyer, and has had her own law practice focusing on commercial, licensing, and other legal services in the high tech and biotech industries since 2002. Gwyn has served as a member of the Board of numerous non-profit organizations over the past 35 years, and currently serves as a member of the Board of the Deer Isle-Stonington Memorial Ambulance Corps, as well as on the IHWF Board. Gwyn’s current interests outside of her professional life include reading (particularly cookbooks and seed catalogues); cooking; eating what she cooks (more than she should!); organic vegetable and flower gardening; hanging out with altogether too many cats, dogs and other critters; walking and hiking in beautiful places on Deer Isle and in the Sierra Nevada; and savoring her precious time with her husband, and friends and family despite the challenges of COVID. Gwen joined the board in 2020.

Hollan Oliver

Hollan Oliver

Deer Isle, Maine

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.

John Williams

John Williams

Stonington, Maine

John Williams was born in Castine and raised in Stonington. Growing up, John was fortunate enough to be able to fish with his father and learn life lessons, which led to him to pursue a career in fishing. He is a lobsterman and captain of the F/V Khristy Michelle and a member of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association. He also serves as the President of the Burnt Cove Church Community Center and Mount Rest Cemetery. His hobbies are reading maritime history and being on and around the water. He is also very interested in investing and learning about saving for retirement. John, along with his wife Judy, joined the board in 2019.

Have questions?

Contact our office today:

Island Health & Wellness Foundation
354 Airport Road
Stonington, ME 04681

P.O. Box 654
Deer Isle, ME 04627

 

(207) 367-5851
IHWF1966@gmail.com