Matt Fulton

Chief Product Officer

In his role, Matt oversees the consumer marketing and digital product development teams and their efforts to drive audience growth, engagement, subscribership, and retention. He previously worked in various development and technical leadership roles in advertising and digital media, including The Boston Globe, where he served as Manager of Advertising Technology. Matt and his wife live in North Yarmouth with their three daughters.

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Carolyn Fox

Executive Editor

Since 2006, Carolyn has led organizations through the transition to digital journalism, first as a producer for USA Today, then rising from digital producer to director of content initiatives at National Geographic. In 2014, she became director of entertainment for Advance Local, providing content strategy at 11 newspapers across the U.S. From there, she moved to New Orleans to become managing editor of NOLA.com | The Times Picayune. In 2019, Carolyn joined the Tampa Bay Times. As managing editor, she led a 100-person regional newsroom. In 2024, she was named the Maine Trust for Local News’ first executive editor. She oversees the journalists across all of METLN’s titles. Carolyn and her husband live in Gorham with their three-year-old daughter and two rescue mutts.

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Erin Glendenning

Operations Lead

Erin began her career in the media industry in 2004, gaining experience in customer service, retention, and circulation logistics management. Her dedication and expertise led to her promotion in 2017 to Circulation Director, where she took on a leadership role overseeing operations, customer service, subscriptions, and systems. In February 2024, Erin was named Vice President of Circulation at METLN. A lifelong resident of Maine, she continues to bring valuable insight and leadership to her role at the company.

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Stefanie Manning

Managing Director

Stefanie leads the strategic direction of the Maine Trust for Local News, including its four daily newspapers – the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Morning Sentinel, Kennebec Journal, Sun Journal – and their websites. The network also includes 17 weekly newspapers and a commercial printing operation in South Portland. Stefanie previously served as Chief of Staff, working between departments to facilitate communication and help execute key initiatives while leading the human resources, creative services, communication and fundraising/development teams. Stefanie also serves on the boards for the Local Media Consortium, Portland Public Library and Press Herald Toy Fund. Stefanie spent most of her publishing career in New York City, most recently as Associate Publisher of O, The Oprah Magazine at Hearst, for 13 years. Stefanie and her family moved to Maine in 2013 to take advantage of life the way it should be – she’s been working to sustain local journalism in Maine since.

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Shanna Cox, Lewiston

Shanna Cox, President and CEO, Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

Shanna creates and implements strategies to attract and develop businesses, enhance quality of life, and grow the economy of Androscoggin County. Pulling on her experience as a community developer, small business owner, and strategy consultant, she is grateful to be able to use her UMaine Economic degree in her daily work. Shanna lives in Lewiston Maine with 4 sons, partner, and dog – endlessly tackling DIY projects in their 1912 Craftsman Bungalow.

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Sam Hight, Skowhegan

Sam graduated from Skowhegan Area High School and earned his B.A. in economics from Bowdoin College, graduating Magna Cum Laude with Phi Beta Kappa honors. He was an investment banker with Deutsche Bank in Boston before returning to Skowhegan in 2008 to start Hight Ford, part of the Hight Family of Dealerships begun by his great-grandfather Walter H. Hight in 1911. He is now Dealer Principal at Hight Ford and Hight Chevrolet Farmington, and part owner of Hight Properties LLC and LINE-X of Skowhegan, and 55 Weston Avenue LLC. Sam and his wife, Amanda, live in Norridgewock at Somerview Farm with their six-year old daughter, Hadley, poodle, Maple, goldendoodle, Willow, and their goat friends. He serves on other boards including Redington Fairview General Hospital, Skowhegan Savings Bank and its charitable foundation, the Somerset County Jail Board of Visitors, Educare Central Maine, the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce, Governor appointed Paid Family and Medical Leave Authority, Governor appointed Motor Vehicle Franchise Board, and is Chair of Maine Automobile Dealers Association. Sam focuses on community development through economic initiatives such as new business development, affordable housing, volunteerism, and philanthropy.

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Roger Katz, Augusta

Roger Katz is an Augusta trial lawyer who has also served as Mayor and State Senator.

A proud graduate of Cony High School, Katz earned his BA from Harvard College and his law degree from Boston University. Katz is a former president of the Maine Trial Lawyers Association.

Following four years as Mayor, Katz was elected to the Maine State Senate from 2010-2018, serving in Republican Senate leadership, on the Appropriations Committee and chairing the Government Oversight Committee and Marijuana Legalization Implementation Committee.

Roger previously hosted “The Maine Event” – a weekly statewide program on Maine Public Television that explored Maine politics and public policy.

Roger is married to Ericka Katz. He has two adult children, Jonathan and Shari, and four grandchildren.

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Josephine Katandula, Portland

My name is Josephine Katandula. I’ve lived in Maine for almost ten years, originally hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Transitioning from two seasons to four has been quite a journey. I’ve made friends and have called Maine my home ever since. I’ve been in the banking industry for three years; currently, I serve as the community development and CRA coordinator for Bangor Savings Bank. Before this, I worked in the social service division as a Financial Eligibility Specialist for Portland. My alma mater is the University of Southern Maine, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, majoring in Business Management and Finance. I’m an active volunteer, serving as an assistant treasurer for JARME and contributing to the Immigrant Welcome Center and my alumni engagement council, among other activities.

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Georges Budago Makoko, Westbrook

Georges is the founder and President of Ladder to the Moon Network and co-founder and publisher of Amjambo Africa. Georges was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Rwanda in 1994 due to political unrest in his country. He graduated from National University of Rwanda with a degree in Business Administration, and moved to the United States in 2002, where he sought and received asylum. He is the author of Ladder to the Moon: Journey from the Congo to America, a book about his life. Georges worked as Senior Property Manager with Avesta Housing for 15 years. In 2012, he was awarded Site Manager of the Year, a joint award from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Housing Service and Maine Rural Development. He is currently the Director of Residential Services at Serenity Residential Care, LLC. He has worked with the Governor office of Policy Innovation and the Future as community outreach coordinator in the initial process of establishing the office of New Americans in Maine. 

He serves as a motivational speaker and professional interpreter, and speaks more than six languages, including English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Lingala and Kinyamulenge. He strongly believes in advocating for peace, reconciliation, and justice for all.

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Mark Stodder, Cape Elizabeth

Mark Stodder is a builder of local news and information businesses, leader of government technology startups, and former news media executive who cares deeply about transparency in government, civic engagement, and preserving and reinventing local news and civic information platforms. He is a consultant for information companies, advising on growth and acquisition strategies and the challenges of technology and product modernization. Mark earlier served as president of Xcential Legislative Technologies, which drove modernization of core lawmaking systems in legislatures and regulatory agencies in the U.S. and around the world. Prior to that, he was executive vice president of Dolan Media Company, leading the company’s newspaper and digital information operations across the U.S. Beginning his career as a community newspaper reporter and photographer, he went on to lead newspaper groups in Colorado, Southern California and Wisconsin. He has been an active volunteer with student journalism organizations and state press associations and with groups focused on freedom of information legislative challenges. He lives in Cape Elizabeth with his wife, author Muna Shehadi Sill.

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