AUGUSTA — The Maine Commission for Community Service, the state commission that oversees AmeriCorps and other volunteer service grants in Maine, has a new board leadership team.

F. Celeste Branham, vice president of Student Services at the University of Maine Farmington and a Brunswick resident, began her two-year term as chairwoman Sept. 20. She was appointed to the commission in 2011.

Nicole Pellenz of South Portland will be chairwoman-elect for 2018-2020. She is senior vice president for deposit relationships. Since her appointment to the commission in 2015, she has served on the grant selection and professional development committees.

Ed Barrett of Lewiston was elected vice chairman for the next two years. He is Lewiston city manager and has served on the grant selection committee since his appointment in 2014.

Branham presented outgoing chairman John Portela with a token of appreciation from the group. Portela, a sandblaster at Bath Iron Works, led the efforts to establish the commission’s foundation arm and development of the plan for the commission’s future direction.

The Maine Commission for Community Service builds capacity and sustainability in Maine’s volunteer and service communities by funding programs, developing managers of volunteers, fostering adoption of high quality volunteer management practices, raising awareness of issues impacting the volunteer sector, and promoting service as a strategy for tackling community problems.

FMI: contact Executive Director Maryalice Crofton at 207-624-7792, email service.commission@maine.gov or visit the website at www.MaineServiceCommission.gov.

F. Celeste Branham

Ed Barrett

Nicole Pellenz