Camden National Bank has announced the winners of the 2023 Leaders & Luminaries Awards, which provide $22,000 in grants for their respective nonprofit organizations.

The 2023 honorees include the following board members: Heather Abello of Hearty Roots, Dottie Chalmers Cutter of the Institute for Family-Owned Business, Kathie Marquis-Girard of the Percival P. Baxter Foundation for Maine’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, and Jamie Plourde of the Children’s Discovery Museum of Central Maine.

In addition to these $5,000 grants, a $2,000 Spotlight Award was presented to Vera Rand Roberts of New Hope Midcoast, according to a news release from Renée Smyth with the bank.

Camden National Bank honors nonprofit board members who demonstrate innovative thinking and outstanding governance to advance their organization’s mission and impact.

Donations were funded through the bank’s private charitable foundation, The Bank of Maine Foundation.

Jamie Plourde, vice president of the board of the Children’s Discovery Museum of Central Maine in Waterville, was one of the winners.

For nearly 30 years, the museum has invited children and families to play, learn and grow. Formerly based in Augusta, the museum now encourages children to explore their world, make friends, gain confidence, and problem-solve from their location in Waterville, which opened in 2020.

Plourde’s tenure on the board is a testament to the power of returning to one’s roots and using one’s talents to uplift a community in need. While serving as vice president, she has primarily focused on one of the museum’s most significant needs, buildings and facilities, by forming a committee to oversee the museum’s expansion project and every detail that goes into the construction. Always willing to assist where needed, Plourde has also helped helm the organization by taking on some leadership tasks usually designated for the executive director.

Other winners included Heather Abello, treasurer of the board of Hearty Roots in Bristol; Dottie Chalmers Cutter, chairwoman of the board of the Institute for Family-Owned Business in Portland; and Kathie Marquis-Girard, vice president of the board of the Percival P. Baxter Foundation for Maine’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in Falmouth.

The 2023 Spotlight Award winner is Vera Rand Roberts, president of the board of New Hope Midcoast in Rockland.

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