Who We Are
Our Staff
Sarah Brajtbord Fahey
Program Director
Sarah (she/her) is deeply committed to supporting young people to recognize their power, discover their passions, and build the relationships needed to work together to create change. Sarah served as the U.S. Programs Manager and Camp Director of Seeds of Peace for 8 years. Recognizing that working with young people is a privilege and responsibility that demands accountability to one’s own learning process, Sarah joined the YES! Jam community in 2015 and is an organizing member and facilitator of both the North America Leadership Jam and Northeast Changemakers Jam. During the pandemic, Sarah helped to organize a powerful mutual aid project with Presente! Maine that delivered fresh, culturally relevant food to more than 500 families across Southern Maine every week for two years. She also helped to co-create Raise Your Voice Labs, a creative culture transformation company that combines the power of music and group facilitation. Sarah strives to lead a life of deep curiosity, joy, and authentic presence, finding strength in her beloved communities and continuously working to deepen her understanding of the complex systems around her.
Email Sarah at sarah@maineboystomen.org.
Megan Elliott
Development Manager
Megan has worked in the nonprofit sector for nearly twenty years, including in various development roles for several Maine organizations. On the Maine Boys to Men team, she has helped broaden funding opportunities that have enabled us to expand programming across the entire state.
Megan lives with her family in Cumberland and spends much of her free time trying to keep up with her two kids. Megan uses she/her pronouns.
Email Megan at megan @ maineboystomen.org.
Bruce King
Executive Director
Mark Priceman
Training Institute Program Manager
Mark joined Maine Boys to Men in 2023 as the Training Institute Program Manager, where he helps oversee the development, expansion, and facilitation of MBTM’s Training Institutes across the state of Maine and into the Boston area.
Mark says “I’m excited to be working for an organization whose mission I truly believe in and I’m grateful to be part of a team of people who share that mission and are working hard to help make our community a safer, more understanding place.”
Mark graduated from Indiana University with a BA in journalism and a minor in music. He currently resides in Yarmouth with his wife and two daughters. Mark identifies as a white cis man and uses he/him/his pronouns.
Email Mark at mark@maineboystomen.org.
Our Interns & Contractors
Eli Durand McDonnell
Contractor
Eli Durand McDonnell is a past intern that now works as a Contractor. During his internship he was especially involved with Youth Advisory Council, where he enjoyed finding ways to support young leaders as they tackle issues of masculinity, healthy relationships, and violence prevention. He also helped with our Men Connect for New Mainers program. He says, “I am particularly drawn to these programs because they center community-based approaches to gender-based violence prevention and help support direct stakeholders to create change within their own communities.” Outside of Maine Boys to Men, Eli is likely pulling weeds in the garden, paddling his canoe, or spending another luckless afternoon fly fishing.
Eli is a white cis man who uses he/him/his pronouns.
Kelsey Gillespie
Contractor
Kelsey (she/her) is currently a graduate student at the University of New England. Her internship at Maine Boys to Men was part of her master’s degree in social work, and she now helps with our program deliveries as a Contractor as needed. During her internship, Kelsey worked with our Youth Advisory Council and their podcast “The Youth Take.” She also helped to co-facilitate workshops for middle and high school students.
Kelsey says, “The discussions at Youth Council are always thought-provoking and educational. I love hearing each student’s perspective on topics like masculinity, gender, and healthy relationships.”
When Kelsey is not in school, she holds a job in HR. She also enjoy swimming, doing yoga, and going on adventurous walks with my dog while listening to true crime podcasts.
Chris Kelleher
Contractor
Chris began his work with the organization in 2015, leading the Boys Outdoor Leadership (BOLD) summer program. Chris says, “Working with MBTM has offered me the opportunity for continued personal growth and the chance to connect in deep and meaningful ways with communities all across Maine. I love working with groups and co-creating spaces where we feel safe showing up as our authentic selves, spaces where we can explore difficult topics while pushing our edges of vulnerability on the path to ending gender-based violence.”
Chris loves to find connection and adventure in the natural world; he travels deep into the mountains to find rocks to climb. In rock climbing, Chris finds “grounding and serenity so that I can show up as the best version of myself for the individuals and communities that we engage with.”
Chris graduated with a BS from the University of New Hampshire, majoring in outdoor education with a minor in therapeutic recreation. Chris lives in Freeport. He is a white cis male who uses he, him pronouns.
Danny Mejia
Contractor
Danny began working with Maine Boys to Men during a summer internship in 2016, conducting research on similar organizations and their successes with middle and high school programming around healthy masculinities. Upon graduation, he moved into the role of Facilitator for our Reducing Sexism and Violence Program (RSVP®). Danny became Program Director in 2021 and served in that role until 2024. After some travel out West this spring and summer, he plans to continue facilitating RSVP® as a Contractor with Maine Boys to Men.
Danny says, “I’ve seen firsthand the impact our programming has on young people, and remain committed to reducing gender-based violence in our community, specifically male-violence towards self and others. I believe that through a broader understanding of masculinity, we can encourage everyone to be whoever they choose to be and create safety for all.”
Guy Mpoyi Tshitoko
Contractor
Guy Mpoyi Tshitoko is a contractor for Maine Boys to Men since 2019, facilitating violence-prevention groups of immigrant, refugee, and asylum-seeking men with the Men Connect for New Mainers program. This work involves discussing complex issues of masculinity, healthy relationships, self-care, and identity and draws on Guy’s extensive experience in community-based work.
Additionally, Guy serves as a transportation leader for the Mobility for All campaign of the Greater Portland Council of Government (GPCOG). In this role, Guy advocates for accessible transportation for the immigrant community, and serves as a member of the project advisory committee for “Connect 2045” and as a bus ambassador owner. He is a community garden assistant, helping to cultivate community works to give people with low income in access to food in the Portland area. Guy speaks and reads English, French, Lingala, and Swahili.
Jake Roberts
Boot Camp for New Dads Facilitator
Jake has been facilitating our Boot Camp for New Dads workshop since 2012, helping expectant fathers in the community become better prepared and more confident as they embark on their parenthood journey.
Jake says “Boot Camp for New Dads helps expectant dads prepare for some of the things our family and friends don’t have experience with or may not be comfortable talking about. It is THE perfect place to ask all of the questions you’ve been wanting to ask, and have it answered by “Veteran” dads who are actually doing it.”
In his spare time, Jake enjoys anything that involves spending time with family and friends outdoors: coaching, sports, gardening, or just relaxing.
Jake resides in Berwick, ME, with his son Luc and daughter Maia.
Taryn Walker
Contractor
Taryn Walker jumped right in, facilitating our high school programs around Southern Maine. She is excited to bring RSVP® to groups of young people ready to engage in the important conversations and learnings that the curriculum addresses.
Taryn says, “I love working with groups to create change.When I am not facilitating with Maine Boys to Men programming, I run an AirBNB in my home and have my own company, To Walk Your Talk Travel, where I create and lead cross-cultural trips around the world. I’m still not entirely sure what this will look like since COVID, but I am eager to find out. After a lifetime of moving and living all over the United States, I have found a place in Maine to put down roots.”
Taryn loves spending time in nature, by the ocean, and with her dog Tucker.
Our Board of Directors
Miles Archer
Board Member
Vice President, Internal Audit at Unum
Falmouth, ME
Miles moved to Maine in 1997 to attend the University of Maine School of Law. After law school, Miles held several in-house counsel and management positions within the Unum law department prior to moving into his current role as vice president, internal audit, in 2015. In addition to his law degree, Miles holds a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Buffalo State and a certificate in executive management development from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. He and his wife, Jennifer, a Maine district court judge, reside in Falmouth with their son and daughter.
Miles says, “I am inspired to work with MB2M because I’m committed to supporting gender equity. Our programming changes the hearts and minds of the people we touch. It helps shape the future of our youth and empowers them to create communities of equity and respect for all. My work with MB2M also creates a personal reward and has helped me become a better son, brother, husband, father, and person.”
Miles is a white, cis gender male who uses the pronouns he/him/his.
April Bushey
Board Secretary
April brings decades of professional experiences in management of people, administration, office operations and legal support as well as volunteer experiences in support of non-profit organizations including fundraising, event planning and in executive committee roles.
April was first introduced to Maine Boys to Men as a volunteer to plan the 25th Anniversary celebration event and fundraiser in 2023. During that time, she learned about our mission and programs, participated in a few workshops, and became inspired to support our mission to end all forms of male violence and self-harm while advancing gender equity. She says “I’m inspired to support Maine Boys to Men’s work as my hope is for a future where all people in our communities are safe, respected and equally valued.”
April lives in South Portland with her husband and two cats. She enjoys capturing nature in photography, camping, collecting sea glass for jewelry and artistic creations, and organizing and hosting gatherings for family and friends.
Michael Griswold
Board Member
Physical Education Teacher
Winthrop Public Schools
Michael Griswold is a seasoned leader who shares diverse experiences working in nonprofit leadership, municipalities, public schools, and outdoor and camping administration. Michael was first introduced to Maine Boys to Men in 2016 and immediately became involved with the organization, attending various adult workshops. He is currently a trained facilitator for the RSVP® program. Michael is always seeking new ways to broaden the reach and spread awareness of Maine Boys to Men within the communities he serves.
As a husband and a father to three children, Michael hopes to lead people in all walks of life in courageously engaging with and helping to change the narrative of masculine culture in today’s society. Michael currently resides in Winthrop, Maine.
Ken Holmes
Board Member
Senior Manager, Digital Marketing and Communications
United Way of Southern Maine
Ken graduated from Binghamton University with a master’s degree in public administration and a graduate certificate in nonprofit management. Ken has worked in the nonprofit industry for his entire career, including at multiple United Ways, the Consumer Directed Personal Assistance Association of NYS, the Rural Health Network of South Central NY, and the Binghamton Neighborhood Assemblies Project, where he co-founded the youth empowerment organization “Fresh Cycles.” Ken moved to Maine in 2014 with his partner, Angela. They now live in Portland with a daughter in preschool.
Ken says, “I watched a video clip at a recent MB2M training that showed elementary aged boys on a playground and the unbelievable amount of gender-related pressure that’s put on little kids to act a certain way. I’m inspired by a future where the playground is full of kids allowed to be their authentic selves, not pressured to act certain ways. And I’m inspired by the future for those kids too, able to grow up with a full range of empathy, better equipped to deal with the challenges of life.
Harry Kimball
Board Member
Harry works as a public education, brand marketing, and communications consultant. He also recently served as director of marketing and communications at the nonprofit Child Mind Institute in New York City and held the Interim Executive Director role at Maine Boys to Men during our recent search for a new leader. He holds a BA in American history and literature from Harvard University and is pursuing an MPH at the CUNY School of Public Health.
Upon learning about Maine Boys to Men, Harry was struck by the power of an approach to violence prevention that also provides young people with an emotional education. Prior to joining the board, he completed an introductory course and the Training Institute.
Harry identifies as a white, cis man and uses he/him pronouns.
Chris Lyon
Board Member
SVP & Director of Corporate Impact, Androscoggin Bank
Chris has lead culture and impact work in multiple mission based organizations. His
goal is to help organizations chart a path towards fulfillment of their mission, vision and
values to benefit all stakeholders. Chris brings extensive community service and non-profit
experience with him. He currently serves as a Director on Androscoggin Bank’s
MainStreet Foundation and as Steward & Learning Team Member with White Men for
Racial Justice.
Since moving to Maine in 2021, Chris has admired Maine Boys to Men’s work in the
community, “With so much of my work, I’ve seen the outcomes of a system and culture
that doesn’t appropriately support the healthy development of our youth. I’m honored to
be supporting an organization that understands how important it is to empower our
youth to disrupt the norms and perspectives that lead to sexism and gendered
violence.”
Chris Lives in Scarborough with his husband, Brendan, and his dog and cat. He enjoys
running, biking and being outdoors. Chris uses he/him/his pronouns.
David Phelps
Board Member
Portfolio Manager, Spinnaker Trust
David has worked as a finance and accounting professional in the Greater Portland area since
moving to Maine in 2017. David works as a Portfolio Manager for Spinnaker Trust, advising
clients on wealth planning and investment strategy. He enjoys helping people and organizations
solve complex problems and navigate the complexities of the financial world. He is excited to
use his skill set to help Maine Boys to Men achieve its goals and help shape the future of
Maine’s youth.
Nick Whiston
Board President
Portland, ME
Nick Whiston (he/him/his) currently serves as the program director at The Telling Room, a creative writing nonprofit in Portland. He also works as a realtor in the greater Portland area. Prior to joining the board of Maine Boys to Men, Nick attended multiple trainings with the organization, and he has been a member of the program committee for over a year. As someone who has always been passionate about expanding the way we think about masculinity, Nick cares deeply about the work of Maine Boys to Men.