Mainebiz

W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 15 A U G U S T 8 , 2 0 1 6 led by Maker and former WEX President and CEO Mike Dubyak. Joined by economist Chuck Lawton and MaineHealth CEO Bill Caron at the initiative's public launch in January, the two unveiled a 10-year plan to create 20,000 to 30,000 jobs in agriculture, aquaculture and biopharmaceuticals. "We're seizing the advantages," Maker says, explain- ing that the three priority sectors were selected based on data identifying inherent strengths that would enable Maine to compete both nationally and internationally in rapidly growing markets. In the agriculture industry, FocusMaine's analy- sis identifi es the opportunity to create as many as 14,280 direct and indirect jobs and additional net food exports of up to $200 million by 2025. Ambitious? Yes, but Maker thinks those goals are eminently possible. " ere's a trend of people wanting traceable, high- quality, authentic food," she says. "We have plenty of water. We also have a heritage for being authentic and we're traceable. We live close to a huge percentage of the United States' population, so our food can be shipped to that population and still be fresh and local. We also have a higher percentage of new farmers in Maine than any other state and land that is relatively inexpensive for agricultural purposes. So there's huge upside poten- tial for Maine in feeding the Northeast and beyond." e aquaculture industry is already strong, but the eff ort would also encompass farm-raised Atlantic salmon, kelp, algae and mollusks such as oysters, scallops and clams. Like agriculture, there's C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words In her own words What triggered your career path? Early on, my father [Alton E. (Chuck) Cianchette] planted the seed that an education in law would best prepare me for anything I might want to do. He thought the knowledge of the law would be helpful, but more importantly, he advised me to gain a lawyer's education and training in how to analyze information, work with people and make decisions. Did you have a mentor or role model? My father was my first mentor. As a teenager, I would say that the best thing for women's lib is fathers with daughters, because it was clear my father was my strongest advocate who encouraged and permitted me to live a very active life. In my early career days, David Flanagan had a strong impact on me when we worked together at Pierce Atwood by appreciating my abilities and supporting me despite my relatively young age and my gender. Years later, Carol Wishcamper taught me a lot about facilitation, collaboration and interactions in groups. She's still my go-to advisor today. Finally, although I didn't realize it until I had my own fami- ly, my mother was a strong role model by instilling in me the importance of providing a stable and nurturing home environment for my children. What advice would you give your younger self? Relax more and know that life is long. Don't fret that you aren't doing all you want all the time. Lead your life in stages and focus on what's important in each stage, but don't worry about the stages you aren't currently living. You can work it all in in due time. But, honestly, while I could have told that to myself, I don't know that I would have adhered to it. What keeps you up at night? The excitement of living the next day and the impatience for it to start. What's the last book you read? I am reading "The Industries of the Future," by Alec Ross, which incidentally was recommend- ed to me by David Flanagan. Also, on my recent bicycling adventure in the Canadian Rockies, I read short stories about life in the Canadian prairies by Alice Munro.

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