Debora Rountree, director of Â鶹APP (UMA) East Millinocket Center, is the recipient of the Maine Development Foundation (MDF) Honors 2024 Champion of Rural Economic Development Award.

According to the MDF website, “The Champion of Rural Economic Development Award was created by MDF to honor an individual or organization that envisions great potential and possibilities for Maine’s rural communities and works to make that vision a reality. It recognizes organizations and individuals who are dedicated to high standards for their community, defend its unique character, profess a vision, and rally behind its economic potential. Awardees demonstrate outstanding collaboration, leadership, innovation, a commitment to a shared set of values and may be professionals, volunteers, whole organizations or businesses.”

Presenting the award, Rosie Vanadestine, Chief Operating Officer with MDF said, “Deb is the poster child for all of this. Her official title is: Executive Director of Rural Development Initiatives for Eastern Maine Community College and the Â鶹APP. It is a big title and yet it only scratches the surface of all the broad ways Deb helps improve lives and fuel careers for thousands in the Katahdin region.”

Rountree has served the people of the Katahdin region for nearly 30 years connecting people with jobs, job training, higher education, and childcare. Rountree herself earned her associate of science degree in social services from UMA, and both her bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services and master’s degree in education from the University of Maine.

The honor came as a surprise to Rountree. “I wasn’t expecting it!” she said, “I just get personal satisfaction seeing others succeed. It just drives you to want to help more people and provide hope.”

Rountree’s work at Â鶹APP East Millinocket Center began in 1995 when she was brought on as assistant director, and she has dedicated her career to helping others succeed. In 2002, when the closing of the paper mills nearly devastated the Millinocket area, she worked tirelessly to help the displaced workers find new employment. Approximately 8,000 people across the state sought career retraining as a result. Rountree partnered with individuals who reached out to the center. By evaluating their previous education and job skills, and also recognizing the skills they possessed beyond their trade job titles, she helped workers find new career paths in IT, nursing, mental health and more, and guided those who needed or wanted further education into programs that matched their goals.

When she saw how big the need was for childcare, Rountree was instrumental in establishing a facility onsite at the East Millinocket center. In 2022, she wrote a grant to refurbish and expand it to meet the community’s growing childcare needs. Vandestine said, “Deb’s project of passion, the state-of-the-art childcare center is meeting early childhood development for hundreds of children while simultaneously erasing a significant barrier for countless families, allowing parents to pursue their dreams while knowing their children are in safe and nurturing hands.”

Addressing the needs of students experiencing food insecurity, the UMA center provided a food pantry for over seven years.

Rountree actively serves on several boards including the Katahdin Chamber of Commerce, the Katahdin Collaborative, The Katahdin Region Development Board and is a founding member of Katahdin Revitalization. As part of the Katahdin Revitalization efforts, she works with companies looking to relocate to the area, thus increasing much needed job opportunities, revenue, and new technologies to the region. As a result of her efforts, the area’s first indoor salmon farm will be built next year.

“The most wonderful part of my job is when you get to know the people in your community and you get to help make positive transitions in their lives,” said Rountree. University and community leaders attended the award ceremony to celebrate and thank her for her leadership, service, and the impact she has had transforming the lives and empowering the communities in the Katahdin Region.

We recently celebrated with a Groundbreaking Ceremony for our early childhood education expansion and renovation project. We are so thankful for our amazing partnerships in the region and beyond who have supported this project. It truly takes a REGION! We’d like to thank everyone who came to celebrate with us. 

See more photos from this event .

The East Millinocket Center welcomed their Fall 2022 semester Â鶹APP and Eastern Maine Community College students, as well as enjoyed a visit from a special guest, Governor Janet Mills.

Governor Mills toured the Katahdin region and visited Millinocket Regional Hospital as well as meeting with several businesses and community leaders to discuss workforce and community development projects, including the center’s highly anticipated center childcare expansion and renovation project. This project is being funded by a 2022 Congressional Delegated Spending (CDS) grant.

Thank you for visiting the Katahdin region and for all of your support Governor Mills, the center was honored to have her take the time and visit the region.

This funding will provide expanded critical access to licensed childcare and early childhood education services and will be transformative for the entire Katahdin region. Renovations will include expansion of our early childhood education center to double its size an additional 2,000 square feet, current building and roof repairs, as well as classroom and technology upgrades to accommodate future education and training and community programming. Expanding the center’s space and renewing workforce and community initiatives in the region at this time will create significant economic and community development.

The center celebrated this incredible opportunity with their partners from Eastern Maine Development Corporation, Eastern Maine Community College, Katahdin Region Development Board – KRDB, Penquis- Helping Today Building Tomorrow, and the Â鶹APP.

Image by the Maine Development Foundation.

Debora Rountree, M.Ed, Director of the UMA East Millinocket Center, successfully completed the ’s (MDF) this spring. According to MDF, the Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL) is “an experiential, eight-month, inward journey that enables a leader to develop the skills to lead in a collaborative and facilitative way.”

A member of the ICL Bigelow Class, Rountree is an active member of numerous community-based organizations, including the Katahdin Collaborative, for which she received the Eastern Maine Development Corporation’s Horizon Award in 2018 as well as the Katahdin Chamber of Commerce, Katahdin Region Development Board, and as a founding member of Katahdin Revitalization. The UMA East Millinocket Center provides higher educational opportunities and resources in the Katahdin region area in partnership with Eastern Maine Community College at the Katahdin Higher Education Center.

HALLOWELL–The Maine Development Foundation has recently announced the new participants of the 2019-2020 Bigelow Class of Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL). Debora Rountree M. Ed, Director of the Â鶹APP’s was selected based on her:

• Personal concern about increasing his or her leadership capacity to create positive change within an organization, community or sector,
• a commitment to take actions, which shape their personal and professional future,
  

  Deb Rountree, Director at Katahdin Higher Education Center (UMA East Millinocket Center)

• demonstrated capacity to lead,
• and a record of accomplishment within an organization or with community endeavors.

ICL is a program of the . The program is an experiential, educational program committed to increasing the capacity of leaders – focusing on a deep dive into building the skills, knowledge, and networks to shape the future of Maine.

This year’s class was selected through a competitive application process. Participants in this prestigious program include representatives from business, government, education, and non-profit organizations. This is the 27th class of the program. Alumni include leaders from every sector in Maine who are both leading in their organizations and in their community.

Attention parents, don’t miss out on this opportunity!

Our Ěý˛ą˛Ô»ĺĚý public Pre-K program has a limited amount of slots open for the fall semester.

Enroll today for Pre-K at the Katahdin Region Child Development Center located at 1 Dirigo Drive in East Millinocket, Maine.

The Penquis Pre-K program will be serving children 4-5 years of age Monday thru Friday from 7:45am-1:45pm. Please note that children must be at least 4 years old by October 15, 2019 to be eligible for this service.

To enroll, please contact:
Linda Henderson, 207-973-3567 or 1-800-215-4942
lhenderson@penquis.org

Maine is facing a shortage of skilled employees in conjunction with an aging population. In addition, the number of high school graduates is continuing to decrease. Eastern Maine Community College, University of Maine at Augusta and Eastern Maine Development Corporation are committed to being leaders in developing strategies to increase the number of available high skilled graduates to address workforce issues in rural areas of Maine.

Eastern Maine Community College, University of Maine at Augusta and Eastern Maine Development Corporation are excited to provide an opportunity for area youth, ages 16-24, to attend a career readiness event as well as a career resource fair at the Katahdin Higher Education Center, in East Millinocket, with the theme of aspiring to post-secondary training and/or employment. Young adults will be provided the tools and opportunity to design and develop a resume, hear what employers are looking for when they hire, learn about tools for a successful interview and meet with potential employers in the region as well as learn more about opportunities for job training and higher education. On Thursday and Friday, April 11^th & 12^th representatives from Katahdin Higher Education Center and EMDC will travel to local high schools and conduct career resources including resume writing workshops, highlighting successes and learning successful interview techniques as well as hearing more about what employers are looking for when they hire.

“Preparing high school students for this career fair with resume prep and interview techniques gives them the tools they need to find jobs that will keep them right here in Maine,” said EMDC’s Director of Workforce Services, Susan Cerini. “Leveraging these partnerships to invest in our young people in the Katahdin Region and beyond is the key to our programs.”

“Our youth are a critical component to a successful workforce for the revitalization of our region and the future.” – Deb Rountree, Associate Academic Dean

The Katahdin Higher Education Center of EMCC and UMA is an off-campus center in the Katahdin Region where people can take courses, pursue degrees, and receive all the support they need to earn a degree close to home and on schedules that fit into their family and work lives. Eastern Maine Community College provides the highest quality post-secondary technical, career, and transfer education and serves as a dynamic community and economic development resource. Courses are available in various modalities along with academic advising, tutoring, study skills workshops, computer access, and library services. The Katahdin Region Higher Education Center is located at 1 Dirigo Drive East Millinocket. More information is available by calling 746-5741.

Eastern Maine Development delivers hands-on programmatic and support services that help businesses, communities and individuals reach long-term goals and prosperity. EMDC is the only economic development district in the state that provides workforce development, business lending and support, procurement assistance, and community services all under one umbrella. Their integrated approach to economic development leverages programs and maximizes impact in Eastern Maine and beyond.

Based in EMDC’s office at the Katahdin Higher Education Center, Elliott’s first day will be April 22nd, and will serve the towns of Millinocket, East Millinocket, Medway, Patten, Stacyville, Mt. Chase, Sherman and Island Falls. An EMDC employee, he will work in concert and under the auspices of the Katahdin Region Development Board which was created to oversee the position. “Michael’s connection to our region and impressive background and skills will enrich our efforts to diversify the entire region with long term and sustainable investments and growth,” said former U.S. Representative, Mike Michaud, who serves as the Chair of the Katahdin Region Development Board.

Elliott has a history of orchestrating and executing initiatives within the non-profit and business sectors of Maine. An employee of Northern Light Health for the past four years, he worked with employees and stakeholders to oversee and ensure project efficiencies as Process Improvement of Lighthouse Web Solutions. Elliott, acknowledging the natural resources and year-round outdoor opportunities of the area is looking forward to “attracting and empowering businesses and investors. This role presents a real opportunity to retain and attract new residents and businesses to the region that will enrich and diversify who we are and what it means to have it all in Maine,” he shared.

Lee Umphrey, President & CEO of EMDC said, “Creating this position is the product of a model collaborative process between the people of the Katahdin region, Penobscot County Commissioners and EMDC. With the financial and visionary support of the Penobscot County Commissioners, we will prosper together. The Katahdin community has displayed great resiliency, vision and rigor in moving towards a new economy that is forest and innovation based. In many ways Mike Elliott is perfectly suited to assume this role as a catalyst for further success. He has local roots and a deep connection and passion for the Katahdin region. His expertise in workplace improvements and technology will enhance ongoing efforts while finding new opportunities and innovative approaches for the entire region.”

Eastern Maine Development delivers hands-on programmatic and support services that help businesses, communities and individuals reach long-term goals and prosperity. EMDC is the only economic development district in the state that provides workforce development, business lending and support, procurement assistance, and community services all under one umbrella. Their integrated approach to economic development leverages programs and maximizes impact in Eastern Maine and beyond.