Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT — Barbara Bossie, center, was the recipient of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday evening at the annual dinner meeting held at the Houlton Lodge of Elks. With Bossie are Jane Torres, executive director of the chamber, and Josh McLaughlin, chamber president.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
HOULTON — After 50 years in the health care profession, Barbara Bossie has achieved nearly every goal she set out to accomplish. The Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce lauded Bossie Saturday evening for her accomplishments when she received the organization’s highest honor — the Lifetime Achievement Award at the chamber’s annual dinner meeting.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes an individual for a lifetime of constant community contributions. It’s about the actions, achievements and contributions of the person that evoke admiration and respect throughout the community and beyond.
“This prestigious award goes to a woman who has dedicated the past 50 years of her life to one job,” said Josh McLaughlin, Chamber president. “Barbara recently retired from Houlton Regional Hospital after 50 years of service, starting first as a candy striper, then became a certified nurse’s aide, staff respiratory technician and then director of respiratory therapy. From there she took on more responsibility by becoming quality improvement and administrative director of physical rehab services and medical records. In 1995, Barbara became director of clinical support services also taking on the added responsibility for regulatory compliance.”
If all of this wasn’t enough, she has also served as past board member and president of the chamber and a member of and past president of LEAD (Leaders Encouraging Aroostook Development). In her capacity of president she had the honor of presiding over the Aroostook Day at the Legislature in Augusta and oversaw the first World Cup Biathlon in Fort Kent.
Bossie was instrumental in the planning and development of the Houlton Higher Education Center.
“I am so honored and humbled to receive this award,” Bossie said. “It means so much to me. Throughout my entire career in health care, any time I set out to achieve a goal it was accomplished due to the support and help of so many people. It didn’t matter if I was trying to achieve a successful licensure survey for my hospital; whether I was planning and starting a respitory department; whether I was opening our new sleek lab; or whether I was just trying to assure that our hospital reached its strategic goals, I only did so because so many people came together and we always got it done.”
During her term as president of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, their agenda was to bring a community college to Houlton.
“That was not an easy task, but I shall never forget how so many people came together around a table from the university system, community college, SAVE (Region 2), we all worked toward a common goal,” she said. “There was so much give and take. It was a proud day when we opened the doors to the Houlton Higher Education Center for this community. So many were able to further their education, many of whom were from our hospital.”
Bossie resides in Houlton with her husband Will.
Previous winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award include: Debbie Nesbitt (2014), Terry Wade (2013), Peter Chase (2012), Ed and Dawn Degenhardt (2011), Walter Goodrich (2010), Michael Clark (2009), Frank Dunn (2008) and Robert Anderson (2007).
