Staff

Stephanie Carver

Executive Director
scarver@smpdc.org

Stephanie Carver was Transportation Director as SMPDC for 4 years prior to taking the Executive Director position. Stephanie also worked as the Planning Director at the Greater Portland Council of Governments, leading transportation and land use projects throughout Southern Maine. Before returning to Southern Maine, Stephanie began her career as a municipal planner in several towns in Massachusetts. Steph is a graduate of Wheaton College in Norton MA, and holds a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of New Orleans. She currently lives in Cape Elizabeth with her family and two dogs.

Karina Graeter

Sustainability Division Director
kgraeter@smpdc.org

Karina serves as the organization's lead program manager for several projects and programs working to assist communities with planning for local and regional response to climate change. Starting with the Regional Sustainability and Resilience Pilot Program of six towns, the Division has grown to serve many communities in the process of climate action planning. Prior to joining SMPDC, Karina served as the Sustainability Coordinator for the University of Maine. She led sustainability initiatives, reporting, and outreach activities to integrate sustainability into all aspects of the campus community. Karina studied physics and earth sciences at Bowdoin College and obtained her M.S. in earth sciences at Dartmouth College. In her free time she enjoys hiking, baking, and horseback riding.

James Rather

Director of Strategic Initiatives

jrather@smpdc.org

James comes to SMPDC from the planning departments at the City of Portland, City of New York, and several firms within the private and nonprofit sectors. James oversees many projects in economic development and long-range planning for the agency. James grew up outside of Boston and holds a master’s degree from UMass Lowell in Regional Economic and Social Development. He lives in Saco with his partner and son and enjoys road cycling and running when time allows.

Dean Williams

Transportation Division Director
dwilliams@smpdc.org

Dean came to SMPDC from Central NH Regional Planning Commission where he worked as the Principal Transportation Planner. His years of experience in transportation planning include knowledge of Federal Highway Administration programs and policies, traffic safety, active transportation, transit, and traffic data analysis. Dean obtained his BS in Environmental Planning and Geography from Plymouth State University. Dean has over 10 years of experience playing the Irish sport of hurling, now living in Scarborough he will be playing for the Portland Gaelic Athletic Association. In his free time, Dean enjoys snowboarding, mountain biking, and traveling.

Jamel Torres

Land Use Division Director

jtorres@smpdc.org

Jamel Torres has returned to SMPDC after several years honing his experience in managing long-range planning projects, focusing on inclusive community engagement and clear implementation strategies. He also has extensive experience in municipal land use regulatory development and managing the review of complex development projects. At SMPDC, he’ll continue providing land use planning assistance to municipalities. Jamel received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Vermont and a Master’s Degree in Community Planning & Development from the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine. Outside the office, he loves spending time with his family and friends enjoying hiking, skiing, camping and gardening.

Raegan Young

Director of Communications & Member Services
ryoung@smpdc.org

Raegan is a graduate of the Muskie School of Public Service where she received her Master’s degree in Policy, Planning and Management. She also has a BS in Environmental Science and Policy and a GIS Certificate from Plymouth State University. Raegan is the Brownfields Program lead, and provides support on various other projects in land use planning, transportation and sustainability. She also manages SMPDC's communications, including the quarterly newsletter and website. Raegan currently resides in Limerick, ME where she enjoys gardening, crafts and shopping second-hand.

Laura Berry

Sustainability & Resilience Senior Planner
lberry@smpdc.org

Laura joins SMPDC after several years working with Maine municipalities, including the City of South Portland and the Town of Bar Harbor, to advance community-wide sustainability and climate planning efforts. With a background in environmental advocacy, she brings skills in ordinance development, land use planning, and deliberative community engagement to her work. Laura holds a BA in Human Ecology with a focus in Community Planning from College of the Atlantic and an MSc in Global Environment, Policy and Society from the University of Edinburgh. Outside of work, Laura enjoys hiking, gardening, and spending time with her partner and their two cats at home in Portland.

Melanie Nash

Sustainability & Resilience Planner
mnash@smpdc.org

Melanie Nash joins SMPDC as the Sustainability and Resilience Planner. Before joining SMPDC, Melanie worked as an Island Institute Fellow for the Town of Long Island in Casco Bay, where she worked on numerous municipal sustainability and development projects including Comprehensive Plan development, ordinance review, property assessment, and more. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography from Clark University in Worcester, MA, and a Master’s of Arts in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island. Melanie currently lives in Westbrook, where she enjoys kayaking and reading in her spare time.

Mar Fink

Sustainability & Transportation Planner
mfink@smpdc.org

Mar assists with a variety of projects across departments including sustainability, transportation, and communications. Prior to joining SMPDC's staff, Mar served as SMPDC's Southern Maine Sustainability Fellow through the AmeriCorps Resilience Corps Program. Mar holds a Bachelor of Arts from Willamette University with a double major in Environmental Science and Music. Currently residing in Portland, Mar enjoys playing bass trombone in musical ensembles around the region.

Kaya Williams

Program Coordinator - Southern Maine Energy Navigator Program
kwilliams@smpdc.org

Kaya is our Program Coordinator for the Southern Maine Energy Navigator Program, while supporting a variety of sustainability projects. Kaya previously served as an AmeriCorps fellow through the Maine Resilience Corps program. Kaya holds a Masters in Climate and Environmental Policy from Vermont Law and Graduate School. When not at work, she loves cooking and trying new restaurants, and is an avid knitter teaching herself how to sew.

Malia Cordero

Community Planner & GIS Specialist
mcordero@smpdc.org

Malia graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BS in Natural Resources, focusing on fisheries and wildlife management, and a graduate certificate in Sustainable Environmental Planning and Management. She began her career running operations at a recreational park inside a dormant volcano. She later transitioned to regional planning in rural Vermont, where she led GIS initiatives, managed community resilience projects, and supported emergency management planning. In her role at SMPDC, Malia focuses on GIS mapping, long-range planning, and development review. In her free time, she enjoys roller skating, gardening, and hiking with her ex-street dog, Tikka.

Britta Brown

Land Use & Transportation Planner
bbrown@smpdc.org

Britta has a background in planning, environmental permitting, and public engagement, and assists SMPDC with a variety of municipal land use and transportation projects. Britta has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development from Rollins College, and a Master’s of Science in Urban, Energy, and Environmental Planning from Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark. Outside of work she enjoys surfing, spending time with friends, and knitting.

Ava Moseley

Resilience Corps Fellow
amoseley@smpdc.org

Ava joins SMPDC as an Energy Navigator through the Resilience Corps program. Ava provides technical and financial support to residents pursuing home electrification and weatherization. She previously worked as a GIS intern with the Town of Cumberland, supporting a range of sustainability and planning initiatives. Ava holds a Bachelor of Arts from Middlebury College, where she completed a joint major in Geography and Environmental Studies with a minor in Spanish. At Middlebury, Ava worked as a College Lands Data Assistant, researched the feasibility of networked geothermal in Vermont, used remote sensing techniques to examine land-cover change in Hokkaido, Japan, and monitored ecological restoration projects while studying abroad in Valdivia, Chile. Outside of work, she enjoys painting, hiking, and spending time with friends.

Randall Davis

Finance Director
rdavis@smpdc.org

Randy joins SMPDC with over 30 years of finance experience, working for hospitals, municipalities and non-profits, including the last 8 years being Finance Director at Southern Maine Agency on Aging and PSL/STRIVE. Randy holds a BS degree in Finance from the University of Maine. He currently resides in Scarborough with his family. Randy’s hobbies include golf and playing cards with his friends.

Deb Cyr

Office Manager

dcyr@smpdc.org

As SMPDC's office manager, Deb supports staff with onboarding, accounting, invoicing, and record keeping. Deb joins us with a wealth of experience in office administration, including a wide range of duties from payroll/HR to sales administration. When not at work, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially with her grandson, Hayden. She also loves checking out local breweries, and exploring the sites of Maine.