Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center

Board of Directors

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Board Officers
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Marty Burgess
Board President
2018-2021 (2nd Term)
mburgess@ferrybeach.org
Marty Burgess is a small business owner of Violence No More in Biddeford, Maine. He has been a member of Ferry Beach since the 1990's when he and his partner Christine and their combined family of teens: Trevor, Tyler and Katie first started camping in the Grove. He and his family are mainstays of the Family and Friends conference.

Marty is active in the Domestic Violence Network in Maine and an active member of his communities in both Biddeford, where he works, and Kennebunk where he lives.

Marty coordinates the kayaking and paddling program at Ferry Beach and was instrumental in starting the Fog Dogs of Ferry Beach, a paddling club. He loves all sport and in the winter time when he can't be on the water or on his bicycle, he is skating or cross country skiing.

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Caitlin Peale Sloan
Board Vice President
​2016-2019 (1st Term)
cpealesloan@ferrybeach.org
Caitlin Peale Sloan is an environmental lawyer specializing in energy, climate, and water with Conservation Law Foundation in Boston. Caitlin is an almost-lifelong Ferry Beacher, first attending RE Week as a child before finding a home with Family & Friends at age 9 (in addition to summers at Kids for the Earth and Different Drummers). Caitlin is a 2006 graduate of Colby College and a 2011 graduate of Columbia Law School.  

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Doug Atkins
Treasurer
2017-2020 (1st Term)
datkins@ferrybeach.org
Doug Atkins recently retired from a career which spanned forty years at Colby-Sawyer College, a comprehensive liberal arts and sciences college in New London, N.H.  At the time of his retirement, Doug served as Senior Vice President and Treasurer, having held numerous roles at the College during his tenure.  In these roles, Atkins oversaw the college’s campus facilities, athletic and recreation programs, human resources administration and central purchasing, as well as its food services, bookstore, and summer conferences.  He was also responsible for the college’s insurance and risk reduction programs.

Doug has also been employed as the business manager and assistant treasurer for Historic Deerfield (Mass.), and as the business and employment manager and assistant general manager for King Ridge, Inc., a ski resort formerly located in Central New Hampshire.  He currently serves as Summer Venue Coordinator for the Gordon Research Conferences, of West Kingston, RI.

Atkins earned a B.A. in American History, Economics and Political Science at Eisenhower College in Seneca Falls, N.Y.  He has since completed educational courses and workshops in business, risk, project, and financial management and higher education leadership at Plymouth State University, Colby-Sawyer College, the American Institute of Banking, the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the American Management Association.

For many years, Atkins has been involved in his community in the New London-Lake Sunapee area of New Hampshire.  He has served as a selectman in New London, and as president of the New London Historical Society, in addition to having served as treasurer for St. Andrew’s Church and Tracy Memorial Library.  In recognition of his involvement in the community, he was awarded the Town-Gown Award by Colby-Sawyer College. Currently, he serves as treasurer of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Manchester, NH.
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Atkins first came to Ferry Beach in 2012 to attend GAYLA. In 2015 and 2016, he was one of the Coordinators for GAYLA.  He lives in North Sutton, N.H., and has two grown children, Bryan and Suzanne.  Doug enjoys spending as much time as he can with his partner, Paul Belyea, of Dunbarton, NH.

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Ron Willett
Secretary
2020-2023 (2nd Term)
rwillett@ferrybeach.org
Ron grew up in central Texas and moved to Washington, DC as a young man after law school. He says the general practice of law and life as a Gay man in a homophobic culture were two things that did not suit him. Ron held various positions in the US Dept. of Labor during his 30 year career in the Federal government in DC. He retired in 2010 and moved to Lowell, MA where he now lives with his spouse, Bill. Ron and Bill are both Ferry Beach Life Members and active participants in GAYLA.

Ron has been an active UU since 2002, is a facilitator/teacher of Sacred Circle Dance (which he learned about at FB), and has been active in 12-step recovery for 25 years. He was among the founders of the Triangle Club in Washington, a non-profit meeting space for Gay/Lesbian groups of 12-step fellowships, and served on the Club’s initial Board of Directors for a few years, acting as Secretary during part of that time. Ron has also served on the Board of the Dept. of Labor Fitness Assn., including time as Secretary, and on the Session (governing body) of a Presbyterian church in Washington.

Ron believes this is an exciting time to be part of the Ferry Beach family, and is looking forward to being part of the efforts to make Ferry Beach work even better for even more visitors. 
Board Members

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Meghan Chan
2020-2023 (1st Term)
mchan@ferrybeach.org
Meghan Chan works in technology managing software development and project implementations. She has been attending The Family & Friends week since she was 5 and stepped into leading children’s workshops and as a program coordinator in her early 20s. Meghan graduated from Cornell University in 1998 and received her MBA from Babson College in 2004. She has 2 young daughters who are lifelong Ferry Beachers and hopes we can help the Beach continue to be a spiritual retreat that they can enjoy throughout their lives.

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Kathleen Dziadzio
2019-2022 (1st Term)
kdziadzio@ferrybeach.org
Before retirement Kathleen was in outside sales for a variety of engineered products mostly low voltage electronic systems (ie commercial fire detection systems, security and CCTV).  In her first career she was a high school Mathematics teacher in Massachusetts and Maine and supplemented her income working in the food service industry (bartending and serving).
 
Since retirement, Kathleen successfully completed the Master Gardener Program at the University of Maine.   She was one of the original members of the Saco Community Garden and volunteers for both the Biddeford City Theater and the Coast of Maine Botanical Gardens.  Kathleen also served on the Shoreline Commission for the City of Saco for eight years.  It was while performing this task that Kathleen first became acquainted with FBPA.  It was love at first sight, not only with the physical location but the philosophy and the staff that she met.  Kathleen is hoping to assist FBPA as it transitions to a destination for retreats and celebrations. 
 
Kathleen and her husband Bob like to travel in the winter to warmer and exotic locations but hope to always have a home by the ocean in Maine.

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Pam Emery
2020-2023 (2nd Term)
pemery@ferrybeach.org
Pam is a resident of Old Orchard Beach and has spent the last 4 summers at Ferry Beach with her grandchildren. She has been a member of a number of UU churches most recently at the Unitarian Church of Barnstable MA. She loves coming to Ferry Beach, is enthusiastic and wants to participate in the future of Ferry Beach. She also is well connected in the southern Maine area.

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Richard Plumb
2019-2022 (1st Term)
rplumb@ferrybeach.org
​Richard Plumb was raised in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, is a graduate of Clark University and is retired from his career in sales and management. He has been a Unitarian Universalist for 45 years and a Ferry Beach attendee for over 40 years.
 
Richard and his wife Janet are Lifetime Members of Ferry Beach. They first met at Ferry Beach’s Family & Friends conference, and are members of Murray UU Church in Attleboro, MA. Their children and grandchildren attend the Family and Friends conference each year. At F&F he co-led children’s groups and was active in the F&F Writer’s Group for over 10 years.
 
As a UU Richard taught religious education, served on numerous committees, conducted summer services and was a former President of his first UU church. Richard
 
Richard has been involved in personal growth via support groups including Codependents Anonymous and retreats for gay and straight men like the Massachusetts Men’s Gathering. He and Janet have both studied A Course In Miracles, co-led a weekly ACIM meeting and currently organize an ACIM retreat. They also attend a weekly Mindfulness group.
 
Richard has an extensive business background in sales, management and manufacturing. His negotiating, writing and presentation skills will add to the strength of the FBPA Board.  Richard believes his cooperative style of working with others towards consensus in decision-making will support moving forward with the mission and vision of Ferry Beach into the future.   

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Alan Shepard
2020-2023 (1st Term)
ashepard@ferrybeach.org
Alan Shepard has been a resident of Maine for most of his life, but recently moved to Camp Ellis three years ago. He is a real estate attorney with a practice in Kennebunk for over 35 years. He has been on many Boards in the area, and is currently on the board for the Ogunquit Museum of American Art. He is also a member of the Town of Saco river committee. He loves to fly fish and kayak which brought him to the area.

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Deanna (Dee) Wilbur
2018-2021 (1st Term)
dwilbur@ferrybeach.org
Dee was born and raised in Bangor, ME. She first attended Ferry Beach as a Different Drummers camper and shortly thereafter began attending Family and Friends week with her family. She has held several leadership roles in the conference. Dee was raised at the Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor where she remained an active member until she moved out of state after graduating from the University of Maine. While a student, she founded a non-profit organization to raise funds for an orphanage she worked for in Uganda. She has since traveled all over the world. Dee currently lives in NYC and works for a progressive new internet service provider called Starry. She is their Knowledge & Content Manager.
Copyright © 2021 
Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center
5 Morris Ave, Saco, ME 04072
​207.282.4489 • info@ferrybeach.org
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  • Home
  • Organization
    • Governance
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff >
      • Work at Ferry Beach
  • Membership
  • Giving
    • ADA Campus
    • GAYLA Theatre Renovation
  • For Members
  • About
    • Our Mission & Values
    • History
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
  • Schedule
    • YA Social Hour
    • Unlocking Creative Process
    • Learning the Uke
    • Stand Up and Sing!
    • Grove Gatherings
    • Lunar Pathways
    • GAYLA Winter Reunion
    • Quilter's Check-In
    • Writing Your Personal Essay
    • Transformation Gratitude Happier You
    • RE Week
    • Choral Fest
    • GAYLA
    • The Well
    • Family & Friends
    • Circles of Life
    • Paddle Power
    • Yoga
    • Circle of Music
    • Company of Women
    • Sacred Circle Dance
    • Quilting by the Bay
    • The Beach Getaway
    • Labor Day Weekend
  • What to Expect
    • Our Facility
    • Our Retreats
    • Our Dining Center
  • Lodging
  • Register
  • News
    • Blog
    • Discovery
  • Plan an Event
    • Gathering Spaces
    • Planning Resources