Commissioner Pender Makin
Across her more than 20-year career, Makin has devoted herself to the mission of public education.
From 1997 to 2003, she served as a classroom teacher at Fred C. Wescott Junior High School in Westbrook. She became principal at The REAL (Regional Education Alternative Learning) School on Mackworth Island in Falmouth, a position she held for over a decade from 2003 to 2015. As principal at The REAL School – an alternative and service-based high school for students who have struggled in traditional school settings – Makin and her team supported high risk students from 28 sending school districts through innovative academic and experiential programming. Since 2015, Makin has served as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brunswick School Department.
Makin has served on Maine's Juvenile Justice Advisory Group since 2014. She is also a co-founder of Collaborative for Perpetual Innovation, a professional development, technical assistance, and consulting company for educators, school and district leaders, and counselors.
Makin has served on several legislative work groups and committees seeking to improve educational opportunities for Maine's students and to promote the work of Maine public schools. She also provides training for educators and mental health professionals and speaks at state and national conferences on restorative justice, cognitive neuroscience, dropout prevention, organizational culture, and climate.
Makin was named the 2013-2014 Maine Principal of the Year by the Maine Principal’s Association and has also received the Milken Educator Award, a national distinction bestowed upon educators for exceptional educational talent, exemplary educational accomplishments, and an engaging and inspiring presence that motivates and impacts students. Makin has also won the MTV Local Hero Award.
Makin is charged with leading the state agency that administers both state education subsidy and state and federal grant programs; coordinates the authoring of the rules for Maine State education statutes passed by the Maine State Legislature; provides professional development, information, supports, and resources, as well as a system for educator credentialing; and leads many collaborative opportunities and partnerships in support of local schools and districts.
Kim Strobel
Kim Strobel is an internationally known motivational speaker for educators and organizations and travels the globe sharing the impact of happiness on teacher well-being and student achievement.
When Kim walks on stage, her goal is to captivate the audience with contagious energy – providing thought-provoking research, heartwarming stories, and simple action steps that get teachers and leaders moving in a positive direction.
Jared Cooney Horvath
Jared Cooney Horvath (PhD, MEd) is a neuroscientist, educator, and author of the best-selling book Stop Talking, Start Influencing: 12 Insights from Brain Science to Make Your Message Stick. He has conducted research and lectured at Harvard University, Harvard Medical School, the University of Melbourne, and over 750 schools internationally. Jared has published 6 books, over 50 research articles, and his work has been featured in numerous popular publications, including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Economist, and PBS’s NOVA. He currently serves as Director of LME Global: a team dedicated to bringing the latest brain and behavioral research to teachers, students, and parents alike.
Darcie N. McElwee
Darcie N. McElwee (she/her) was sworn in as the United States Attorney for the District of Maine on October 8, 2021. U.S. Attorney McElwee was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on August 10, 2021, and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 5, 2021. U.S. Attorney McElwee is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in the District of Maine.
U.S. Attorney McElwee grew up in Caribou. Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, she served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maine beginning in 2002. She primarily prosecuted violent crimes such as sex trafficking, interstate domestic violence and child sexual exploitation, as well as firearms and arson offenses. She also served as the district Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for approximately 16 years. She began her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties from 1998 to 2002.
U.S. Attorney McElwee is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She is also a member of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association and a past president of the Cumberland Bar Association. She has served on the adjunct faculty of the University of Maine School of Law and at the Maine Trial Lawyers College of Advocacy. She is a 1995 graduate of Bowdoin College and a 1998 graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.