joseph pratt, president-elect

Joseph Pratt is the Senior Vice President, Senior Wealth Manager, at Bar Harbor Wealth Management. He earned a B.A. in International Affairs at the University of Maine in Orono and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.  He left military service in 1992 as a Captain and returned to the U.S.  Joe earned his Series 7, 65, and insurance licenses and joined American Express Financial Advisors in Portland, Maine.  He moved to Key Bank in Bangor in 1995 and TD Bank in 1997 in positions of increasing responsibility.  Joe joined Bar Harbor Trust Services in 2000 as Vice President.  He was appointed Managing Director in 2004 and Senior Vice President in 2019.  Today he oversees wealth services for Maine including a staff of 12, about 500 client relationships, and about $700 million in client assets.  Joe is a graduate of Cannon Trust School and is the Founding President of the Maine Planned Giving Council.  He is a frequent presenter for the Maine Association of Nonprofits and has enjoyed board service with nonprofits throughout Maine including United Way of Eastern Maine, Maine Philanthropy Center, Bangor Public Library, Bangor Mechanic Association, Bangor YMCA, University of Maine Lobster Institute, Bangor Rotary Charities and more.  Joe has two grown daughters and lives in Bangor with his wife Becky and their golden doodle Jameson.

ZACKARY LAVOIE, TREASURER

Zackary Lavoie serves as the Director of Development and Community Relations at New Beginnings, where he leads the organization’s fundraising and engagement initiatives to support youth experiencing homelessness across Maine. Through thoughtful relationship-building, strategic storytelling, and a deep belief in the power of community, Zack connects donors, partners, and advocates to New Beginnings’ mission of helping young people find safety, stability, and hope.

Before joining New Beginnings, Zack worked as a Philanthropy Advisor at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, where he helped grow philanthropic support for one of the state’s most beloved destinations. He began his development career at Colby College, contributing to the Annual Fund, First-Generation, Low-Income, Financial Aid, and Athletics programs—an experience that shaped his understanding of donor engagement and mission-centered philanthropy.

Zack holds dual degrees in English and Creative Writing from the University of Maine at Farmington. His fundraising philosophy is rooted in authentic relationships, powerful storytelling, and advocacy that uplifts the voices of those served.

A lifelong Mainer, Zack lives in Brunswick with his dog, Lola, where he enjoys the quiet peacefulness of Maine’s small-town charm.

j. bradford coffey, esq.

Brad is president of Covenant Health Foundation and a senior vice president at Covenant Health, where he has worked since 2015.  Covenant Health includes three hospitals and 11 post-acute care centers. Prior to being employed at Covenant Health, Brad was vice president of philanthropy at EMHS Foundation and a planned giving officer at the University of Maine Foundation.  Brad is an attorney who practiced law for 10 years before moving into philanthropy in 2001.  He is a graduate of George Washington University (B.A.) and the University of Maine School of Law (J.D.).  Brad served previously on the Maine Planned Giving Council from 2006-2012.  Brad and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Bangor and have three children.

ANNA j. COONEY, cfre

Anna J. Cooney serves as Director of Advancement and Philanthropy at Maine Children’s Home, where she works with a small, dedicated team to help generous people strengthen Maine families and children through adoption services, mental health counseling, education and mentorship for young parents, and seasonal assistance for children from infancy through age 17.

Anna’s path in philanthropy began with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and continued through roles at the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation and MaineGeneral Health. Her perspective is informed by experience in information accessibility for people with disabilities and decades as a professional harpist and vocalist performing with orchestras, choirs, and ensembles across several states. In 2023, she earned the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential.

She and her husband make their home in central Maine, where they enjoy being part of their local church and community. Anna loves reading, attending concerts and theatre, baking allergen-friendly treats, and spending time with friends and family near and far.

SUSAN DUNNING

Susan Dunning is the Associate Director of Gift Planning at Bates College where she has worked for 20 years. Her passion for gift planning and fundraising is rooted in her commitment to relationship-building and problem-solving. Before Bates, Susan worked in nonprofit administration for a national childcare advocacy organization, an arts education agency, and an Episcopal parish. She also has a background in music having earned a degree in vocal performance from Boston Conservatory at Berklee. Susan lives in her fourth-generation family home in Freeport with her husband and two school-age boys.

KAREN KEMBLE

Karen D. Kemble, Esq. is the Associate Director of Planned Giving at the University of Maine Foundation in Orono, where she has worked since 2015.  Karen helps individuals who wish to support the University of Maine by making planned gifts such as charitable bequests in their wills/trusts or other planning documents, donating real estate or other property, or creating life-income gifts.  She also works with professional advisors whose clients wish to support UMaine.  In her former life, Karen practiced law in Bangor for ten years and then handled equal opportunity issues for the University of Maine as the director of the Office of Equal Opportunity.  She is a graduate of Bates College (B.S., Chemistry) and Cornell Law School (J.D.).  Karen and her husband, Jay, live in Bangor and have two grown children and a Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Baxter. 

REBECCA LAZURE

Rebecca Lazure is the Director of Gift Planning at Bates College. She joined Bates in 2019 and has been a part of the Annual Fund and Reunion program as well as Leadership and Planned Gifts Officer teams. Prior to Bates, Rebecca spent 10 years in the publishing industry as a project manager and journalist. Her passion for non-profit administration and fundraising developed through work in public history and museums. In Maine, Rebecca was the founding Executive Director of the First Amendment Museum and worked in development and education at Portland Harbor Museum and the Osher Map Library. She is a graduate of the University of Delaware (B.A.) and the University of Southern Maine (M.A.) in American and New England Studies.

Rebecca lives in Monmouth with her husband and two daughters. She has served on the Cumston Public Library’s board of trustees and is an active member of the Kennebec Performing Arts Company. In her free time, you will often find Rebecca and family at the Kennebec Valley YMCA or at swim meets around the state.

GRIFFIN LESCHEFSKE, ESQ.

Griff Leschefske’s practice centers on estate planning, charitable giving, and probate, trust, and fiduciary litigation, in which he represents individuals, families, fiduciaries, and institutional clients in all aspects of trust and estate planning, administration, and controversy. Griff also represents charitable organizations, educational institutions, and corporate clients with respect to planned giving and philanthropy matters.

In his estate planning practice, Griff provides counsel on wealth transfer and charitable planning, including through the use of sophisticated, tax-focused planning strategies, and planning for special assets. Griff also represents clients faced with unexpected trust and estate administrative problems arising after death, whether in the nature of under-performing or inappropriate estate plans, late tax elections, domicile issues, or ambiguous provisions.

Griff has notable experience with trust and estate litigation, where he provides comprehensive, solution-focused representation at all phases of controversy, drawing upon hands-on experience with sophisticated trust, estate and charitable planning to the strategic advantage of his clients.

Griff is a proud member of the firm’s Pro Bono Committee and is committed to ensuring access to justice and legal services for all. Griff was the firm’s "Pro Bono Attorney of the Year" in 2016 and 2017.

MATT MULLEN

Matt Mullen joined the LifeFlight Foundation in October 2025. Prior to that, he spent seven years with the University of Maine Foundation as a philanthropy officer and associate director where he focused primarily on the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, working most closely with the Dean of the College. Formerly the director of parent giving and programs at Colby College, over the course of nine years, he worked with parents and supporters of athletics. Previously, Matt worked with the Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) and Sidwell Friends School in a variety of advancement positions.

A seventh generation Mainer, he and his family now live in Augusta when not enjoying time with family at their camp in Winthrop. He studied History and Education at UMaine and is pursuing his master’s degree in organizational leadership. He serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the Kennebec Land Trust, as Secretary and Trustee for the Lithgow Library, and on the Board of the Maine Planned Giving Council.

JENNIFER RICHARD

Jen Richard is the Senior Director of Gift Planning at the Maine Community Foundation where she works with professional advisors throughout the state to help their clients meet their philanthropic goals in a meaningful and tax effective manner.  Prior to joining the Maine Community Foundation, Jen was a practicing trust and estate attorney in Portland for 20 years.  She received her undergraduate degree from the University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics and her law degree from Franklin Pierce Law.  She has served on the Board of Directors of the Maine Estate Planning Council, the United Way of Greater Portland Foundation, and Make-A-Wish Maine.  Jen is currently a member of the Higgins Scholarship Committee at the Maine Community Foundation and a Director of the Maine Planned Giving Council. Jen and her husband, Neal, live in Portland and have three children.