PRESQUE ISLE, Maine – Northern Maine Community College welcomed four new staff and faculty members to the team this fall.
“Each of these new team members brings a level of expertise and insight that we depend on to maintain our position as a leader in higher education, and we’re excited to have them aboard,” stated NMCC President Timothy Crowley.
Robert Carlson is the college’s new English instructor. Originally from East Texas, Carlson earned his associate’s degree in foreign language from Del Mar College in Corpus Christi and a bachelor’s in English from Texas A&M Corpus Christi. Following a passion for reading and writing, Carlson pursued his master’s in English from University of Texas at Brownsville.
Prior to joining the college, Carlson worked as an English instructor for Texas Southmost College.
Lee Griffin, a Presque Isle native, has been named the new facilities manager. During his childhood, Griffin found himself captivated by mechanics and figuring out how things work. Following these interests, he pursued a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maine in Orono. After working as an engineering intern at Old Town Canoe, Griffin moved back to The County to work for Huber Engineered Woods in Easton, where he became a licensed professional engineer and focused his energies on plant optimization projects.
After 10 years at Huber, Griffin brings his engineering expertise to the college, where he’ll focus on optimizing the maintenance and custodial departments in an effort to achieve his goal of continuous improvement.
Jessica Lahey,RN, BSN, CMSRN, is the newest full-time nursing instructor. Originally from New Brunswick, she befriended a deaf man in her childhood and decided to learn sign language. In 2001 she graduated from St. Clair College of Applied Arts and Technology with an interpreting certificate and began working with special-needs children.
Wanting to expand her ability to help people, she earned her associate’s degree from NMCC in 2014 and her bachelor’s in nursing from University of Maine Fort Kent. She began work as an adjunct nursing instructor at NMCC in January, and now is a full-time faculty member of faculty. In December, she will begin her master’s program in nursing education at Capella University.
Her nursing philosophy is “to take care of patients the same way you would care for your own mother or family member.”
Gilles St. Pierre has been named the new water treatment technology instructor. For nearly 28 years St. Pierre worked as chief operator of the Presque Isle Sewer District. Additionally, he has worked as the superintendent of the Mapleton Sewer District for 30 years and still maintains that role today.
“I wanted to give back to an industry that’s given me a living for over 30 years,” he said.
St. Pierre earned a certificate in wastewater treatment from Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute (now SMCC) and his associate’s degree in business from Casco Bay College in Portland. In 1997 St. Pierre graduated from Husson with his bachelor’s degree in business administration.
Submitted by the Development and College Relations Office of Northern Maine Community College.
