Cara Romano | Executive Director

Cara Romano is a non-profit leader passionate about community building and economic development. Her approach is collaborative, inclusive, and goal-oriented. Romano grew up in Downeast, Maine, and attended the University of Maine at Machias, earning a degree in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts with a traditional metals focus. She pursued a career as a studio jeweler, establishing her studio in 2005 and showcasing her work nationwide. From 2011 to 2015, Romano served as President of the Maine Crafts Association, where she discovered her passion for arts administration and community development. Operating a small retail store, (KōT) Contemporary Craft, from 2013 to 2019 in Downtown Ellsworth, Cara immersed herself in her local main street as a merchant. In 2016, she became the first Director of the Downtown Ellsworth Merchants Association, leading its transition to become a 501c3 nonprofit, Heart of Ellsworth. Under her leadership, Heart of Ellsworth achieved Main Street designation in 2024, becoming Maine's eleventh Main Street community. Romano serves on the National Heritage Area steering committee, sits on the Downeast Area Regional Tourism board, and is a member of the Maine Community Foundation Advisory Council. Romano continues to expand Heart of Ellsworth through volunteerism, programs, and events.

Zabet NeuCollins is a dynamic community builder with a proven track record in program development. Originally from a small town in Iowa, she graduated from College of the Atlantic in 2015 with a B.A. in Human Ecology. She focused on Sustainable Business and Food Systems during her studies. 

For nearly seven years, Zabet has worked in the public and nonprofit field. As the Assistant Director of Women for Healthy Rural Living, she was pivotal in shaping transformative initiatives such as OWL: Outdoor Women Lead, a program that strengthens women's and girls' confidence in the outdoors. Zabet worked closely with Maine Outdoor School to develop and lead this program, reflecting her collaborative and inclusive approach.

A Master Gardener Volunteer and outdoor enthusiast, Zabet blends her love for nature with her professional endeavors. She believes that meaningful outdoor experiences improve our quality of life, health, and social well-being, which in turn leads to communities that are place-based and rooted in sustainability. 

Clarisa Diaz is a transdisciplinary designer and writer. She received an MFA from Parsons School of Design and worked in NYC for over a decade in publishing and journalism. This included design, writing, and coordinating projects at Penguin Random House, WNYC-New York Public Radio, and the global business publication Quartz. She has also taught design courses at Parsons, NYU’s Integrated Digital Media and Environmental Studies programs, the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and the Columbia Climate School. She is the Creative Director of Meadowlark, a marketing and communications studio collaborating with artists, community organizations, and small businesses.

ELAINE Theriault-Currier | Development consultant

With the nickname “Elaine from Maine”, Elaine has built a reputation for championing Maine’s small businesses, non-profits, and towns. Both of her parents were raised in Maine mill towns and she grew up acutely aware of the impact a struggling economic base and fraying social network can have on a personal level.  

Throughout her career, Elaine has promoted the people, places, and businesses of Maine through writing. While serving as an AmeriCorps member at Lewiston Housing Authority, she wrote grants to fund the after-school programs that offered aspirational and academic curricula to the majority-immigrant youth living in the development. As the Director of Media & Community Affairs at Central Maine Growth Council in Waterville, she wrote grants to improve municipal infrastructure and strengthen local entrepreneurship; she also relished the adventure of discovering a small business’ story of success and writing a press release to bring the business some well-deserved recognition (and more customers!). 

In 2021, Elaine launched Pen Name, a Maine grant-writing and PR consultancy, to help Maine's businesses and non-profits shape their stories into compelling narratives that get results. She has worked with farms, manufacturers, and community-based organizations to secure national media coverage and grant funds from private philanthropy and state and federal agencies.