Hearty Roots is thrilled to welcome four new board members to their team: Alyssa Allen, Lisa Steele-Maley, Deborah Mills-Scofield, and Mary (Polly) Vaughan.

Alyssa Allen has been a longtime supporter of Hearty Roots on behalf of First National Bank as the bank works closely with businesses, non-profits, individuals, municipalities, and organizations to address the needs and happenings throughout their communities. Alyssa, the Business Development Officer for First National Bank, feels strongly about civic duty and giving back when able through service and volunteerism. “Prioritizing student mental health and emotional intelligence better prepares kids for school, home, social, and eventual workplace environments. Not only is this advantageous for the child, but it lends critical support to schools, teachers and fellow students. Hearty Roots is building that beautiful foundation in our communities,” Allen stated. 

Lisa Steele-Maley is also keeping her eye on the big picture, and her hands in the details. Lisa has worked in the wilderness and in cities, with infants and with elders, on the west coast and the east coast, and in many forms and places in between—always in pursuit of encouraging and supporting the healthy, sustainable, productive, joyful, interconnected lives we are here to live. As an author and ordained Interfaith Minister, Lisa found the mission of Hearty Roots resonated with her own mission “to support people in connecting deeply with themselves, one another, and the Earth. Engagement with the natural world can be powerfully transformative and promote a deep sense of belonging,” she shared.  

Deborah Mills-Scofield couldn’t agree more: “While there are many reasons for our current mental health crisis, I believe a key reason is our loss of connection to nature—sights, smells, sounds, silence—to ground us as humans.” Deb arrives at Hearty Roots with deep roots in venture capital, growth strategies, and entrepreneur mentorship. A Brown graduate, she went to Bell Labs, creating one of AT&T and Lucent’s highest-revenue generating patents in use today.  

Polly Vaughan knows how important a healthy start is for all humans and attended medical school with a residency in OB/GYN, with a subspecialty in pediatric and adolescence. She directed a teen pregnancy clinic and coordinated a multi-specialty clinic which treated adolescents with complex medical and social issues, coordinating medical care and mental health supports for teens navigating cancer, developmental delays, autism spectrum disorders, kidney diseases, cardiac and pulmonary disease, and more. She believes in helping people work together and is thrilled her grandchildren attend Hearty Roots summer programming.  

Board expansion bolsters the work being done at Hearty Roots as they build out their “Campus for Mindful Adventure” in Bremen, an outdoor campus dedicated to supporting mental wellness in youth. Their work occurs in seven schools throughout Lincoln County and summer programs are right around the (muddy) corner. Hearty Roots is an organization guided by the power of relationships and the benefits of nature, andcould not be more thrilled with their growing board.   

For more information on additions to the team, head on over to heartyroots.org. There, you’ll also find information for the upcoming women’s mini-retreat, “InterlUde,” as well as Paddle for a Purpose, and upcoming volunteer opportunities. Hearty Roots welcomes you to stop by their office headquarters at 18 Water Street, an in-town presence made possible by the generous, community-minded team at First National Bank. Hearty Roots offers year-round programming, in-school offerings, and adult saunters—all under the canopy of the great outdoors. The team at Hearty Roots can’t wait to join you in Maine’s wild, where journeys overlap.