Member Biographies
Susan Lessard, Bucksport, Chair -- 2nd Term
Ms. Lessard has 40 years of experience in local government in Maine. She currently serves as Town Manager for the Town of Bucksport, and previously served as the Town Manager for the communities of Hampden, Vinalhaven, Fayette, and Livermore Falls. As such Ms. Lessard has extensive experience in solid waste management issues, municipal financial management, and community development. She is a past president of the Maine Municipal Association, and has served on the Municipal Review Committee and the Maine Rural Development Council. Ms. Lessard has received a number of awards for her work including the Governor's Environmental Excellence Award (2002) for development of a collaborative process for municipal review of major landfill expansion projects in Hampden, and the Maine Engineering Excellence Award (1998) and Maine Town and City Manager's Association Leadership Award (1999) for the development of an innovative alternative landfill capping plan for the town of Vinalhaven. Ms. Lessard also received a U.S. Coast Guard Public Service Commendation (1996) for her work on a program to transfer ownership of thirty-five Maine lighthouses from the federal government to municipalities and non-profitorganizations across the state. Ms. Lessard resides in Bucksport with her husband Dan. Ms. Lessard was reappointed to the Board by Governor Janet T. Mills in January 2022.
Robert G. Marvinney, Readfield -- 1st Term
Dr. Marvinney is a Licensed Geologist with more than 40 years of experience with geological and environmental issues in Maine. While not a native of the State, he has spent most of his professional career here. He retired in July 2021 from his position as Director of the Bureau of Resource Information and Land Use Planning, and State Geologist, an appointed position that he held for 26 years. Dr. Marvinney’s experience with Maine began in the early 1980s while carrying out geological projects in northern Maine for his Master’s and Doctorate degrees from Syracuse University. While State Geologist at the Maine Geological Survey, he initiated, carried out, and/or directed many projects that highlight the impact Maine’s geology can have on the health and well-being of Maine citizens. Most recently, he co-chaired the Science and Technical Subcommittee of the Maine Climate Council that produced the report, “Scientific Assessment of Climate Change and Its Effects in Maine,” that summarizes current impacts and likely future scenarios for climate change in Maine. He has lived in Readfield with his wife Cheryl for more than 34 years and has two grown children. Dr. Marvinney was appointed to the Board by Governor Janet T. Mills in June 2022.
Barbara Vickery, Richmond -- 1st Term
Barbara Vickery is a Conservation Biologist who spent 33 years with The Nature Conservancy, most recently as Director of Conservation Programs. At the Conservancy she was lead scientist, oversaw the stewardship of some 80 preserves and many conservation easements, initiated programs in freshwater and marine conservation, and planned conservation actions across the state and region. Mrs. Vickery served on numerous state advisory committees, including the Ecological Reserves Science Advisory Committee, the Bureau of Public Lands Integrated Resource Plan, Maine Forest Biodiversity Project Steering Committee, and MDIFW’s State Wildlife Action Plan, which gave her opportunities to work with industry, state agencies and many other environmental organizations. Mrs. Vickery received a B.A. from Harvard in early childhood education and was a teacher for 10 years. She later earned a B.S. in Biology from Bates College and served as Botanist for the State Planning Office Critical Areas Program before joining The Nature Conservancy. Since retirement five years ago Mrs. Vickery assumed the managing editor responsibility for Birds of Maine, a major book that her husband was not able to finish before he died. With the book now published, she is an active volunteer, serving on the Board of the Forest Society of Maine, as Chair of its Stewardship Committee, as Secretary to the Bates Morse Mt. Conservation Area Corporation, and on the Energy Committee of the Town of Richmond where she lives. Mrs. Vickery was appointed to the Board by Governor Janet T. Mills in January 2022.
Robert Duchesne, Hudson -- 2nd Term
Robert Duchesne is a former state legislator and radio show broadcast host. Mr. Duchesne's radio career spanned more than three decades, during which he served as host of a popular radio show that was broadcast across eastern and central Maine. During his radio career, Mr. Duchesne was active in charity and public service organizations in the Bangor area, including Downeast Big Brothers Big Sisters, Maine Audubon, and the Maine Association of Broadcasters. He also served on several economic and business development boards. In 2005, Mr. Duchesne was elected to the Maine House of Representatives, where he served six non-consecutive terms. While in the Legislature, he chaired both the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Committee, and started his own guiding business – Maine Birding Trail. Mr. Duchesne shares his birding expertise in a weekly birding column for the Bangor Daily News and the Woods and Waters column for Bangor Metro magazine. Robert Duchesne resides at Pushaw Lake in Hudson with his wife, Sandi. Mr. Duchesne was reappointed to the Board by Governor Janet T. Mills in February 2024.
Robert Sanford, Gorham -- 2nd Term
Robert Sanford is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Southern Maine. Mr. Sanford obtained an M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Science from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, and an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from SUNY Potsdam. He is the author of numerous books and journal articles on environmental planning and policy, applied archeology, instruction, and civic engagement. Prior to joining the faculty of the University of Southern Maine in 1996, Mr. Sanford served 10 years as an Environmental Board District Coordinator for the State of Vermont administering a land-use permitting program for one of Vermont's nine environmental districts. In addition to his extensive teaching and academic research responsibilities, Mr. Sanford has served on numerous advisory committees for state and local government as well as non-profit organizations including the Maine Water Resources Committee, the Maine Farmland Project, and the Friends of the Presumpscot River. Mr. Sanford also served on the Town of Gorham's Municipal Recycling Committee for ten years. He lives in Gorham with his wife and son. Mr. Sanford was reappointed to the Board by Governor Janet T. Mills in February 2024.
Steven Pelletier, Topsham -- 2nd Term
Mr. Pelletier is a Certified Wildlife Biologist®, Maine Licensed Forester, and Professional Wetland Scientist with over 40 years of professional natural resource experience. Earlier in his career he served as a Wildlife Biologist with the US Forest Service and as an Environmental Specialist for the Maine Department of Environmental Protection’s Land Bureau, was later co-founder/ owner of Woodlot Alternatives, Inc., a Maine-based ecological consulting firm, until its acquisition by Stantec Consulting in 2007. At Stantec he served as Senior Principal and US Ecosystems Discipline Lead specializing in rare species habitats and site and landscape-level resource assessments, also serving as Principal Investigator of two federal offshore migration research projects. Mr. Pelletier also conducted and oversaw a broad variety of diverse projects ranging from highway/ rail transportation to offshore energy development. He has authored numerous publications on a variety of natural resource topics including forest biodiversity, bat migration, vernal pools, and resource mitigation and compensation planning. He has served on a variety of Federal and State advisory committees and stakeholder groups and in 1989, co-founded the ME Association of Wetland Scientists. He currently serves on the Maine Board of Licensure of Foresters and several local community organizations including the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust Advisory Board, Topsham Conservation Commission, and Topsham Development, Inc. Mr. Pelletier resides in Topsham with his wife Mary. Mr. Pelletier was reappointed to the Board by Governor Janet T. Mills in February 2024.