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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 17 JA N UA R Y 2 2 , 2 0 2 4 W E A LT H M A N A G E M E N T / R E T I R E M E N T Grateful to have a pension, Social Security and a 401(k) to supplement his part-time earnings, Golini says he feels fortunate to be working not because he has to, but because he wants to. To peers thinking of the next career move, he says: "It's always good to have a plan, but you need to be open to possibilities as well." Meet the Makers For some people, taking time off after closing the books on a career is just the reboot they need to figure out their next chapter. at was the case for Andrea Cianchette Maker, who stepped down as the head of Pierce Atwood's government practice rela- tions group in May 2021. "e intention at the time was to enter what's called liminal time," or an in-between period, the 67-year-old says. "I shed some things I was doing, I took care of my family and myself, and declined opportunities to get involved in different activities because nothing rally sang to me." She also read "e Second Mountain," a book by David Brooks that touches on how retirees move from a professional career into a pas- sion. Somewhat unexpectedly, Maker says she found her passion in lead- ing FocusMaine, a private sector-led initiative to create Maine jobs in agri- culture, aquaculture and biopharma- ceuticals she co-founded in 2014 with Michael Dubyak. As president of FocusMaine since November 2023, Maker leads a staff of five without any regrets about leaving the legal profession. "When I retired, I was very care- ful to say I was retiring from my law practice," she says. "e career I had was always around strengthening Maine's economy and creating jobs for Maine people, but I don't miss the challenge of juggling a dozen cli- ents," she says. At FocusMaine, "I am very motivated to dedicate myself to one initiative that will create a last- ing impact on the quality of life for Maine families." Along similar lines, her husband, Scott Maker, has carved out a new career for himself after retiring from Unum in 2020. Nine months after leaving his job as deputy general counsel at the disability insurer and group benefits provider, he teamed up with a fellow former lawyer to start WoodworthMaker, a media- tion and arbitration business with a nationwide clientele. Reflecting on the post-retirement pivots he and his wife both made, the 66-year-old says. "We both failed at traditional retirement but succeeded in the new version of retirement." '88 is the new 50' It's not just people in their 60s who are reinventing themselves professionally. So is Bob Greene, a retired journalist who spent 36 years at the Associated Press covering stories from the funeral of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and floods on the Mississippi River to professional tennis around the world. In retirement, he's devoted a lot of free time to studying history and geneal- ogy, sparked by his research into his own family's roots in Maine which he traces back to 1750 in Cumberland. He also has a paying job, as a part- time Social Security disability hearing officer about 10 to 12 hours a week. He started there in 2001 after moving back to Portland, from New York City. For the past several years, the Minot resident has also been teach- ing at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine, whose classes are for people 50 years and older. "I like the fact that I am able to enlighten people about our past," says Greene, who will be teaching a course this winter on Zoom on the Black his- tory of Maine. He's taught the class before, always in person, and plans to update the curriculum with some of his research findings, including little-known facts about slaves in Maine. While Osher Lifelong Learning Institute teachers are not paid, many like Greene relish the opportunity to share their knowledge and insights with students who are there because they want to learn. "For many OLLI instructors, teach- ing is a chance to dream your dreams — to share the passions of a lifetime or to build on new ideas and interests," says Donna Anderson, the institute's director. Greene's weekly course is offered this January and February, the month he turns 88. Noting that "88 is the new 50," Greene hopes to keep his part-time Social Security job as long as he can. "I'll work until they tell me not to or that I can't," he says. Meanwhile in rural Cornish, Mark Beever hopes to keep fixing clocks as long as time permits. "I don't have a particular timetable on when to stop this," Beever says, "but it's definitely keeping me busy and I really enjoy what I'm doing." At this stage in his life, busy is exactly what he wants. Renee Cordes, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at rcordes @ mainebiz.biz P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY F O C U S Former Associated Press newsman Bob Greene, who will turn 88 in February, is teaching a course on the Black history of Maine at USM's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Portland. F I L E P H O T O / T I M G R E E N WAY P H O T O / M O L LY H A L E Y P ROV I D E D P H O T O Andrea Maker of FocusMaine and Scott Maker, right. Don Golini of Nonantum Resort

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