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V O L . X X I V N O. X V I I A U G U S T 6 , 2 0 1 8 22 "If you can take the national politics out of the con- versation, you can do a lot on the local level," she says. It took Egan six years, commuting by train or bus to Boston, to find a good job fit in Maine. "I wanted to live and work in Maine," she says. "I wanted to work in a place that had the potential to shape the future in Maine." When she heard about the GPCOG opening, she jumped at it. She'd worked with councils of govern- ment in her previous positions, including as director of the South Coast Rail Project for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the first director of the Massachusetts Smart Growth Alliance. "I knew the kind of role a COG could play in the region," she says. "What made it so exciting is it gave me that chance to help shape the future." A bigger leadership role Egan replaced Neal Allen as executive director at GPCOG in July 2016. e region has wildly different needs, stretching from the urban areas of Portland west and north to the rural edges of Cumberland County, but Egan says the organization can still be effective. "I saw a lot of potential for GPCOG to play a bigger leadership role," she says. "Local leadership needs to collaborate more to prosper." One of her early moves was to form a five-year strategic plan for the organization. She also assembled a staff that includes leaders in the fields the organization plays a role in. For instance, Chris Hall, formerly the CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, joined GPCOG as director of member services and community relations last year; Sara Zografos recently joined as transportation director, coming from the Maine Turnpike Authority. e organization this year also combined staffs with the Portland Area Comprehensive Transportation System, an 18-community network. A controversial move was raising member dues this year for the first time in 27 years. e cost of $1 per resident for a municipality will rise to $1.60 next year and $2 the following year. Some member communities balked, but the organization still lists 25 of the county's 28 munici- palities as members. e increase was approved by GPCOG's general assembly in 2017 and Egan says it's necessary to bring the organization into the future. e dues generate 10% of the organization's $3 million budget. ere are nuts-and-bolts benefits the organiza- tion offers — such as a road salt collaboration that helps save towns and cities money — and the bigger advocacy role as well. "We convene people, we're a catalyzer, and we're a conduit for funding," Egan says. "We focus on what's really important to members, and what's going to help the community." Finding a regional voice Another new goal of the agency is to "find our regional voice," and help shape policy that affects the region. GPCOG has formed a Regional Voice Committee that's charged with being the first line on forging policy priorities and finding ways to work with municipal officials, the organization's partners and residents of member towns. Quincy Hentzel, CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce, says that Egan is the right per- son to unify the various entities in the region. Egan's varied background, specifically in trans- portation, gives her "the knowledge and know-how to successfully execute the mission of GPCOG," Hentzal says. "She has an impressive background, has done a lot in her professional career, and now we get to reap the benefits of that experience," Hentzel adds. "[Egan] is a true convener — someone who can bring the right people to the table, set the course and make things happen." It's all about collaboration Egan says the region faces economic and social issues that put it on "the leading edge of some really big problems." Issues include Maine's aging population, work- force development, skills training, attracting and retaining young people, getting native Mainers to return, strengthening public transportation, smarter planning and preserving open space. She says the state and region face the challenge of tackling those issues while keeping quality of place. Egan loves the collaborative nature of government, the nonprofit sector and businesses here. She says that it's different from Massachusetts, in that different sec- tors are smaller and more connected. "We can make things happen faster," she says. Hentzel, who replaced Hall at the Portland cham- ber when he left last year for GPCOG, says that working with Egan she's "seen first-hand the vision and the change she is bringing to our region." "Her energy and passion for her work are clear and are seen in her successes to date," she says. "It is without doubt that she is taking GPCOG, and subse- quently the rest of the region, to the next level." M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n , M a i n e b i z s t a f f w r i t e r , c a n b e r e a c h e d a t m m i l l i k e n @ m a i n e b i z . b i z In her own words What triggered your career path? As a teen, I had an extraordinary opportunity to visit the world's rainforests and mangroves and see what was happening to their ecologies and their people. It was sobering. At the same time, I was inspired by what people were doing to restore the environment. I knew then I wanted to be part of that kind of community-led change. Did you have a mentor or role model? My parents were, and still are, my role models. My mom is a psychiatric nurse, and devoted her life to making other people's lives better. She instilled in me a dedication to service. My dad is an air pollution engineer who taught me that facts and science matter. He has influenced my approach to developing solutions to the challenges we face as a community. What advice would you give your former self? Never lose sight of who you are. Work on what you're passionate about. Be kind to yourself, and balance work with play and family. Do you have a motivational song? "Hammer and a Nail" by the Indigo Girls. What's the last book you read? "Zeitoun," by David Eggers. An eye-opener of a book about Hurricane Katrina, seen through one family's eyes. It's a must-read for anyone in law enforce- ment and, really, anyone interested in how our coun- try's democracy can dysfunction in a disaster. » C O N T I N U E D F RO M PA G E 2 0 P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY Kristina Egan, center, discussses transportation investment with the GPCOG leadership team. From left, Stephanie Carver, planning director; Zoe Miller, senior project manager; Sara Zografos, transportation director; and Chris Hall, director of member services and community relations.

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