(Pictured: Selena Brown and Azura, one of her 3 horses)

Maine DOE team member Selena Brown is being highlighted as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Selena in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with the Maine DOE?

Office Specialist I for the Certification team. I am responsible for helping educators with Chapter 115, answering calls from educators, and responding to educator and staff questions regarding initial applications, fees, and renewal application requirements. I assist and provide customer service to Maine’s education field, and direct them to additional information.

What do you like best about your job?

The best thing I like about my job is helping educators and staff by providing them with the knowledge they are looking for and providing a positive experience with the Maine Department of Education.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I had not planned on this as a career.  When the opportunity arose, I knew it was a wonderful fit for me to be able to work with an amazing group of people and continue to grow.  Working in the education field prior, I felt this was a perfect way to support education in a positive way.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I absolutely love being with my grandchildren/family and my animals.  I love cooking, being in nature, hiking, camping, gardening or just doing any kind of an adventure.  If it is outside, then I want to be involved.

Maine DOE team member Wendy Robichaud is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Campaign. Learn a little more about Wendy in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I head the School Safety Specialist program as part of the Maine School Safety Center. I organize school cohorts to take part in the program as well as maintain coursework and liaison with Eastern Maine Community College. I also assist my colleagues with tracking training and maintaining data.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the team I work with. Everyone is highly motivated and we accomplish a great deal. I also like making a difference and helping schools learn more about safety.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I worked with the Maine School Safety Center while I was employed with EMCC. I really enjoyed the people and the work, so decided to make it full-time

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

I enjoy hiking, traveling, and spending time with my family. My husband and I have hiked New England’s 67 highest peaks. We also converted a van into a camper to travel the US and hike in other regions. Of course, I adore spending time with my new granddaughter, as well.

Maine DOE team member Steve Airoldi is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Steve in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Project Manager, monitoring and regulating the CTE Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan (MJRP) grants.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the connections within the agency and the schools and the people from all across the State that I get to work with in support of Maine’s students and educators.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I chose education very early on in my career. I worked my way through higher education, private secondary schools, and then most recently public elementary schools. As my family moved to Maine I sought to find a position that kept me serving public educators and students and I was lucky to find a role on this team!

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

Outside of work I love to hang out with my wife and my two kids. We hike, play disc golf, and tour the tasty food and beverage options throughout the area!

Maine DOE Team member Laura Cyr is being highlighted this week as part of the Get to Know the Maine DOE Team Campaign. Learn a little more about Laura in the question and answer below.

What are your roles with DOE?

I am the Legislative and Constituent Services Specialist and the Rulemaking Liaison

What do you like best about your job?

A big part of my job is helping our content experts answer questions about the process of governing education, which can be very different from when we used to be teachers delivering education. I love being able to support our teams as they support educators in the field.

How or why did you decide on this career?

I began my teaching career shortly before NCLB in 2001. My students were middle-schoolers dealing with English language acquisition, housing instability, equity issues, and dramatic curriculum changes. I focused my graduate degrees on public policy and educational administration because I believed I could help more students outside of the classroom.

What do you like to do outside of work for fun?

Work during the legislative season keeps me pretty busy. At home, my husband and I have 3 dogs: an Italian mastiff, a Pitbull, and a Belgian Malinois. They like to drink my coffee, snore loudly during Zoom meetings, and begrudge me even one couch cushion. We have a cozy little farm in a 150-year-old farmhouse where we raise our own veggies, goats, ducks, and chickens. Our fun is usually something like building garden beds, renovating our old home, and watching our dogs act like fools.