MCOG - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Brian Dancause has over 30 years' experience in various economic and community development capacities at the state, local and regional level. In 2006, Brian was appointed Director of Small Business and Entrepreneurship for the State of Maine, and he later advised entrepreneurs, as a Maine Small Business Development Center counselor. His areas of expertise include project financing, business planning, and grant writing and administration. Brian earned a BA in Political Science from Boston College and an MA in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine's Muskie School of Public Service.
Job Titles:
- Grant Administration & Community Engagement
- GRANT ADMINISTRATOR
Hannah Sisk moved to Midcoast Maine in her early childhood and has lived here on and off ever since. Hannah graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida with a double Bachelor's Degree in French and International Studies with minors in Journalism and Mandarin Chinese. She brings a global perspective to MCOG and comes from a diverse background of public service environments. Prior to MCOG, she worked as the Administrative Assistant for the Assessing, Planning, and Code Enforcement departments for the Town of Rockport. While there, she became certified as a Maine Tax Assessor. She brings experience working as an elementary school French and English teacher, both in Maine and abroad, and also works in Emergency Medical Services. She joined MCOG in 2020 and has assisted Midcoast communities through grant writing and administration, Comprehensive Plan work and a variety of "behind the scenes" work. Today, Hannah oversees community engagement and grant administration and enjoys making a positive impact in the communities in the region.
Mathew has over 40 years of experience in local, regional, and state planning and development, most recently as the Planning and Development Director in Biddeford. He has worked extensively throughout the region, including tenures in Brunswick, Bath, and Camden. Mat has experience in land use planning, economic and community development, housing program delivery, land trusts and environmental planning, transportation planning, and grant development and programming. Mr. Eddy makes his home in Brunswick, where he and his wife raised their two daughters.
Maxwell Johnstone moved to Harpswell when he was seven years old and grew up as an active volunteer in the region, including achieving the rank of Eagle Scout and graduating from Mt. Ararat High School in 2013. In the summer of 2016, Max joined our organization as an intern through the Margaret Chase Smith Program. Max graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada in 2017 with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Affairs and Policy Management with a minor in Law, and immediately joined MCOG as a full-time staff member. Since graduating, Max has provided planning and technical assistance to a variety of communities, which includes working directly with Planning Boards and municipal leaders, obtaining federal and state grants to improve the local economy, and providing direct assistance on updating Comprehensive Plans. Today, Max serves as the Senior Planning Consultant for MCOG and still enjoys having direct conversations with municipal leaders that are looking for ways to improve the quality of life in the region.
Job Titles:
- COMMUNITY RESILIENCY PLANNER
For nearly 30 years, Meg Rasmussen has been making communities better places to live, work, and play. Most recently, as the executive director of the Georges River Land Trust, she led the charge in conserving Maine's great outdoors and made sure wild places would be protected for generations to come. Meg knows how to get things done: she has worked as a senior landscape architect and project manager, creating public parks that enhanced cities and towns, supporting sustainable economic development. One project turned a derelict oil storage facility on the banks of the Hudson River into a vibrant waterfront park, and elsewhere she helped build an award-winning public preserve, bringing the rich history buried in the ruins of a civil war era foundry to light. Public engagement is at the heart of it all and Meg enjoys supporting others who want to shape their communities right now and into the future. Her passion is playing outdoors in any season, which she shares with her husband and daughter every chance she gets.