Open Door from the Maine Trust for Local News

On Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, publisher Lisa DeSisto sat down with Cummings, who began his academic career in Gorham as a high school history teacher and department head. He served as a faculty member at the Southern Maine Community College and was a long-serving member of the USM faculty. Prior to becoming president of USM, Cummings served as interim president of the University of Maine at Augusta.

In 2010, he served former Pres. Barack Obama as deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education and took over as president and executive director of the Good Will-Hinckley organization.

Cummings is also a former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, Majority Leader, and chairman of the state's Joint Committee of Education and Cultural Affairs.

Portland Press Herald Publisher Lisa DeSisto talks with Andrew Silsby about his career at Kennebec Savings Bank, which he joined in 1993. Silsby discusses why email isn't the best medium for solving problems, the bank's move into Freeport, and just how far ahead he likes to be with new technology. This interview was recorded July 27, 2017 in Augusta.

Portland Press Herald Publisher and CEO Lisa DeSisto chats with Chuck Hays, whose career took him from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, to marine nuclear engineering, to the helm of Maine General Medical Center. Hays talks about the role of MGMC in the community, and their objective, "... to be the leading community health care system in Maine, recognized for clinical excellence, customer satisfaction, financial stability and impact on community health."

Portland Press Herald President and C.E.O. Lisa Desisto talks with Laurie Lachance, the first female President of Thomas College, about how she came to that job and what Thomas College means to its students and the business community in Maine.

Mike Vail became president of Hannaford Supermarkets in 2015. He is responsible for all operations, including strategic direction, financial performance, product assortment, pricing, customer service and marketing. He also serves as a member of the Delhaize America Leadership Team.

Vail has more than 30 years of experience working in retail. Immediately prior to leading Hannaford, he served as chief merchant and supply chain officer for Delhaize America.

Lisa Whited has played a role in transforming the culture at many of Maine's top employers. As the Chief Transformation Office at WTF (Workplace Transformation Facilitation), Lisa shares best practices on how to deepen engagement with your employees. Learn how food, coffee and fitness are table stakes in today's most productive workplaces. Get expert advice on how to improve the morale and culture at your workplace in this episode of "Like a Boss"

http://workplacetf.com/

Meredith Strang Burgess, President and CEO of Burgess Advertising and Marketing sat down with Portland Press Herald President and C.E.O Lisa DeSisto to talk about the firm's thirtieth anniversary.

They also discussed how a soil science degree at UMO prepared Burgess for a career in marketing, her early work with McDonalds, her time in the Maine Legislature, Burgess' work with the Maine Cancer Foundation, her last-place finishes at the "Tri for a Cure" Triathalon, and moving from Congress Street to Falmouth after all these years.

To learn more about the Like a Boss Podcasts and live events, visit likeaboss.pressherald.com

Portland Press Herald CEO and Publisher, Lisa DeSisto, chats with Leeann Leahy, CEO of the VIA Agency. Leahy grew up as an account planner at big and small agencies in NYC working on clients like Coca-Cola, JPMorgan Chase, NFL, Godiva, and Johnson & Johnson, to name a few. Three years ago she moved to Portland, Maine to join The VIA Agency as President. During her tenure, she has helped the agency raise its profile and win a slew of new business, and as creator of VIA's "Go. Do." series, she's led VIA to be named in the top 10 Best Places to Work in advertising. Just ask Advertising Age.

Get more information about the "Like a Boss" Podcast and events at likeaboss.pressherald.com

Portland Press Herald CEO Lisa DeSisto, chats with Bernstein Shur CEO Patrick J. Scully about what it takes to lead a 100-year-old firm of over 100 lawyers. They discuss what the firm looks for in new talent, how the city of Portland is a great place for a law career and what keeps him up at night.

And there might even be some singing involved.

Links:

Portland Press Herald http://www.pressherald.com

Bernstein Shur: http://www.bernsteinshur.com

About Steve Smith

Steve began his career in 1992 at J. Walter Thompson in New York City. He moved to Maine in 1997 and rose to become the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Resort Sports Network. In 2011, he joined Walmart International where he gained general management responsibility, integrating e-commerce into the core business and improving annual sales growth. A year later, Steve became Chief Customer Officer of ASDA (part of Walmart International), a $30+ billion food, fashion and general merchandise omnichannel business in the United Kingdom.

In 2015, Steve became Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer for Yihaodian (part of Walmart Global Ecommerce) and in November of that same year, Smith was named the fourth President and CEO of L.L.Bean