Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center

Board of Directors

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Board Officers
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Marty Burgess
Board President
2022-2025 (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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Ron Willett
Vice President
2022-2025 (1st 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. 

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Doug Atkins
Treasurer
2021-2024 (2nd 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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Doug Edwards
Secretary
​2022-2025 (1st Term)
dedwards@ferrybeach.org
Doug Edwards has lived in Maine since 2007 after living in Southern Connecticut for 23 years. He attended Nasson College in Springvale, Maine from 1979 to 1983. Previous to that, he grew up in Central New Jersey.

Doug currently works for a Maine Biotech company in the Human Resources Technology department. He and his wife are Saco residents since December 2016. They attended a Valentine's Day dinner at Ferry Beach and found they really enjoyed the community.

Doug has also been newly appointed as an Advisory Board Member to the City of Saco Parks and Recreation.

Board Members

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Robi Altamari
2022 (completing an unfinished term)
raltamari@ferrybeach.org
Robi (Roberta) Altamari first came to Ferry Beach in 2005 with her two daughters to volunteer at our Different Drummers Youth Camp for middle schoolers and to check out the Religious Education Conference; and she has been grateful to be coming to the beach multiple times each year ever since.  She even joined the staff team for three years starting in 2016 as the Youth and Family Coordinator and loved meeting the many wonderful folks who come to the summer conferences.  Speaking of her professional work, her resume includes more than 20 years of Unitarian Universalist lifespan religious education and youth ministry leadership and more than 30 years of supporting adults with disabilities plus many interesting side jobs like being a columnist for three years for her local paper, illustrating children’s songbooks, leading her Tempotime music and movement program for little kids, working as a paralegal, and being a spiritual coach to families going through challenging times. 

Her education and trainings beyond a wide variety of fascinating workshops/classes include her degree from Suffolk University, her Fahs Fellowship studying youth ministry with Meadville Lombard Theology School, the interim training for religious professionals, and her certification as a 200 hour yoga teacher through Breathe For Change.  She very recently got certified as a Kripalu Restorative Yoga Teacher and believes we need to spread the benefits to yoga far beyond the yoga studios and has been proud to share mini-yoga sessions with folks who don’t think of themselves as yogis including the adults with disabilities she works with.  She was seen last summer leading kids in art, nature photography, dance meditations, and yoga right on the beach.  You are enthusiastically invited to join her next time! 

She looks forward to bringing her interim and systems trainings and experience to her volunteer work on Ferry Beach’s Board as we carry forward the generous spirits of universal love from our ancestors and keep working towards building a sustainable future for our beloved community.  

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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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Phil Kinsler
2022-2025 (1st Term)
pkinsler@ferrybeach.org
Phil Kinsler is a retired clinical and forensic psychologist and former Clinical Associate
Professor of Psychiatry at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth. His clinical specialties
focused on survivors of psychological trauma both in therapy and in the legal involvements that
often occur to trauma victims. He has written and published extensively on these topics.
He credits Ferry Beach for much of this writing career.
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Phil began attending Ferry Beach in the mid 1980's at the urging of his in-laws, Don and Peg
Johnston. Don, a UU Minister often taught workshops at the beach and "talked up" the place.
Phil, initially intimidated by the "day camp for extroverts" aspects of the beach, soon found a
home in the writing workshops. These workshops helped an essentially shy and self-doubting
person to have the courage to write, lecture, and testify publicly. They were life changing. Phil's
family has now attended for four generations, his children have taught workshops and
coordinated conferences, and his grandchildren cavort happily here. The life and family
affirming nature of Ferry Beach led Phil to wish to volunteer for Board service.

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Richard Plumb
2022-2025 (2nd 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
2021-2024 (2nd 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 lives in Bangor, ME and works as a Senior Consultant at PegaSys Solutions.
Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center is a 501(c)3 membership organization. 
Our mission is to awaken hearts to explore, grow and renew the spirit of universal love.  We accomplish our mission through work in the areas of
​arts & culture, education, spirituality, sustainability, personal growth and justice & action.
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Copyright © 2023 
Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center
5 Boardwalk Drive, Saco, ME 04072 - Our Address has Changed.  Click here to learn more.
​phone 207.282.4489  • fax 207.690.4800
​
info@ferrybeach.org
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  • Home
  • Organization
    • Governance
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Work at Ferry Beach
  • Membership
  • Giving
    • One-Time Giving
    • Sustaining Gifts
    • The Beachkeeper Program
    • Quillen Shinn Society
    • Memorial Garden
    • Endowment Fund
    • Scholarship Program
    • Capital Campaigns >
      • Generator
      • GAYLA Theatre Renovation
      • ADA Campus
  • For Members
  • About
    • Our Mission & Values
    • History
    • Contact Us
    • Directions
  • Schedule
    • Open Jam
    • Profound Treasury
    • Work Week
    • Annual Meeting
    • Youth Camps
    • Summer Cookouts
    • July 4th
    • Independence Holiday Cookout
    • RE Week
    • Choral Fest
    • GAYLA
    • Women's Healing
    • Family & Friends
    • Circles of Life
    • Circle of Music
    • Company of Women
    • Motivational Interviewing
    • Sacred Circle Dance
    • RISE
    • Quilting by the Bay
    • The Beach Getaway
    • SOS Saco Bay Conference
    • Labor Day Weekend >
      • Labor Day Cookout
  • What to Expect
    • Our Facility
    • Our Retreats
    • Our Dining Center
  • Lodging
  • Register
  • News
    • Blog
    • Discovery
  • Plan an Event
    • Gathering Spaces
    • Planning Resources