Birch Bay Retirement Village is a not-for-profit corporation holding a 501(c)(3) Internal Revenue designation governed by a voluntary Board of Trustees. The Trustees have overall responsibility for the community, including fiscal responsibility. Some of their duties include engaging the teams involved in the development and expansion of Birch Bay services, endorsing capital expenditures, and approving operating budgets. The Board meets every other month and sets overall policy.
The Chairman of the Board, the MDI Hospital CEO and Birch Bay Retirement Village’s Executive Director meet frequently to discuss matters of operational and strategic concern. The Executive Director is responsible for the day-to-day operation and works with the management team to fulfill operational and strategic objectives.
Meet our Trustees:
Enoch Albert, Board Chair
RN, Retired
Enoch moved to MDI in 2006 when he retired from the VA medical system (at Togus VA Medical Center in Augusta, ME) where he worked for 20 years as an RN. He then worked as a per diem nurse at MDI Hospital for 5 years where he was instrumental in developing a hospice and palliative care program at the hospital. He received BA and MS degrees in zoology (his first career was in education) then went on to receive AD and BS degrees in Nursing.
Enoch is active in the Bar Harbor community having served on the Conservation Commission, the Town Council, the town Charter Commission, as a volunteer for Acadia National Park and as a driver for Island Connections. He is on the board of directors of Local Solutions which was responsible for developing The Parish House in Bar Harbor, an apartment complex for young people with disabilities. He lives in Bar Harbor with his wife and dog. All three of his children and grandchildren live in Maine and he enjoys visits with them frequently. He also enjoys camping, hiking, kayaking and spending time on( Campobello Island in New Brunswick.
Terry Wagner,Vice-Chair
CIO of State University of New York, retired
Terry Wagner retired to Bar Harbor in 2018 after a 30 year career in health care information technology, serving many years as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the State University of New York health sciences campus and health system at Upstate Medical University. Terry’s portfolio included leadership of biomedical engineering and health information management departments and the university-wide Privacy Office in addition to the traditional information technology functions.
At Upstate, Terry was a member of the executive leadership team, sitting on the health system and university level leadership councils. She served on numerous other governance committees including Medical Records, the University Privacy Board, Hospital Finance Committee and Inpatient and Outpatient Services Committees.
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Terry also serves as a member of the Town of Bar Harbor Age Friendly Committee and is a volunteer driver for Island Connections.
Terry holds a Master of Science degree in Information Resources Management from Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. She graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with a Bachelors degree in Spanish.
Terry is thrilled to be a full time resident of Bar Harbor where she lives with her husband Kevin. They enjoy being close to family on MDI and especially love hiking, biking and walking in the area.
Stephanie Albert
Vice President of Legal Affairs at Preservation Management, Inc.
Stephanie Albert is the Vice President of Legal Affairs at Preservation Management, Inc. PMI has provided comprehensive property management service and expertise to a diverse affordable housing portfolio for over three decades. Before joining PMI in 2022, she was in private law practice for over a decade, focusing on commercial and residential real estate transactions, small business representation, secured transactions, and landlord-tenant matters. Stephanie has close family ties to Bar Harbor, and a personal interest in high-quality, vibrant housing options at all stages of life.
Stephanie is originally from central Maine. She attended the University of Maine School of Law and Wheaton College in Massachusetts.
Peter Collier
Real Estate Broker at Lynam Agency
Peter is a Broker at the Lynam Agency in Bar Harbor, with a passion for assisting buyers and sellers of Hancock County real estate including residential, commercial, multifamily, and raw land. Born and raised in the area, Peter is committed to his roots and seeks to help clients achieve goals in harmony with the greater needs of the community.
Peter earned Maine’s top “Broker” designation in 2022 and a Pricing Strategy Advisor (PSA) certification in 2021. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kenyon College (2004). In addition to his role on the Board of Trustees, Peter serves on the Board of Directors for The Mount Desert Island Historical Society, and the Governing Council for The History Trust. He is a member-supporter of Friends of Acadia, Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Blue Hill Heritage Trust, Downeast Family YMCA, and Maine Coast Heritage Trust.
Peter enjoys hiking, golfing, gardening, boating, and spending quality time with family and friends. As a Trustee, Peter is excited to contribute to Birch Bay’s continued success as a treasured local provider of vibrant living for the post-retirement community.
Ellen Gellerstedt
Physician, Retired
Ellen Gellerstedt lives in Bar Harbor and has a house on Little Cranberry Island. She is a retired physician and currently spends a great deal of time in the outdoors volunteering as a Maine Master Naturalist and a Master Gardener Volunteer at Wild Gardens of Acadia and Sweet Haven Farm.
In addition, she was Volunteer of the Year at MDI Hospital in 2021, aving participated in the Covid – 19 vaccine clinics. Ellen is on the Board of the Islesford Neighborhood House and is on the Board Quality and Safety Committee at MDI hospital.
Richard Fox
Jackson Laboratory, retired
Richard “Dick” Fox arrived in Bar Harbor with his family in 1959 to work for The Jackson Laboratory as a member of the Scientific Staff. Dick earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1956 from the University of Connecticut and master’s in science degree from University of Minnesota in 1958 followed by a PhD in 1959. He retired from the Lab in 1990 following a prestigious career.
Dick is community and civic minded having volunteered to serve on the Town of Bar Harbor Warrant Committee, Town Council, and school board. He has worked, active duty, for Bar Harbor Police Reserves, part-time school bus driver, and ambulance duty part-time. He has volunteered as a driver for Island Connections as well. Additionally, he has served on the boards of Bar Harbor Housing Authority for 22 years, the last 8 years as the Chair; Bar Harbor Rotary Club for 40 years along with being a member of the service committee. Dick returned recently as a member of the Birch Bay Retirement Village board after having served two three-year terms, the last two years of the second term as the board Chair.
Fred Benson
U.S. Army full Colonel, retired
Fred Benson retired as an Army full Colonel having served combat command tours in Vietnam and Korea, and Pentagon assignments in the offices of the Army Chief of Staff, the Secretary of the Army, and the Secretary of Defense.
Subsequently, he served as Vice President for National and International Affairs for the Weyerhaeuser Company and later was President of the US-New Zealand Business Council, a consortium of 31 US companies with an active business presence in New Zealand.
Benson was selected as a White House fellow in 1973 and subsequently served as a member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships under Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.
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He served as President of the Alumni Association and as a member of the Board of Trustees at Lafayette College.
In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit by Queen Elizabeth II for his work on international trade relations.
He served for ten years as a Board Trustee for the Center for Naval Analysis (CNA), a government-funded private company serving the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security.
Locally, he has served on the Boards of the Friends of Acadia and the Acadia Senior College and has delivered presentations on international affairs and military matters to Senior College, College of the Atlantic, and UMaine classes.
Brent Singer, Secretary
No photo or bio currently available
Peter York
No Photo or bio currently available.
Christina Maguire, Ex-officio
President and CEO of Mount Desert Island Hospital
Christina Maguire is the President/CEO of Mount Desert Island Hospital, recognized nationally as a top rural hospital for quality care and patient satisfaction. Located in Bar Harbor, Maine, the 25-bed critical access facility received a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2021. In addition to its critical access facility, the hospital organization operates six primary care health centers and the nonprofit retirement community of Birch Bay Retirement Village.
Since joining the organization in 2011, Maguire has worked to educate constituents, community members and stakeholders about how changes in national healthcare policy will affect patient care and the overall health of the organization. Throughout her 30-year career in healthcare and finance, Maguire has utilized her insight and experience to move organizations forward through increased productivity, innovative partnerships and process development. Her healthcare acumen and focus on innovation are most noted in the hospital organization’s ongoing strategic efforts.
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Previously, Maguire served as Controller for the Jackson Laboratory, a leading genetics research laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. Prior to joining the Jackson Laboratory, she worked a Controller for Maine Coast Regional Healthcare Facilities. During her extensive career in finance, she has worked as an accountant, a reimbursement specialist, controller, director of fiscal services, and ultimately chief financial officer. In addition to more than 30 years of experience in a variety of senior management roles in healthcare finance, Maguire is deeply committed to her community, evidenced by her active participation in various leadership and community organizations.
She currently serves as a member of the CFO Council for the Maine Hospital Association, the secretary of the Maine Chapter of HFMA, a member of the Steering 2.0 Committee of National HFMA, a member of the CFO Council for Critical Access Hospitals and a member of the Operations Management Team for the Maine Rural Health Collaborative, LLC. She is also a longtime member of the Ellsworth Lioness Club, a past president of the Ellsworth Chamber of Commerce and Ellsworth Economic Development Committee, past chair of the Lamoine School Board and the current member of the of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce Finance Committee.
Maguire graduated with a B.A./B.S. Degree in Accounting from Saint Joseph’s College of Maine in 1986 and is a current MBA candidate at the University of Maine.
Michelle Smith, Ex-officio Treasurer
Vice President of Finance/CFO/CCO, MDI Hospital
As Vice President of Finance/CFO and Corporate Compliance Officer, Michelle Smith oversees all finance and accounting activities for the Mount Desert Island Hospital organization, ensures regulatory compliance and manages the ongoing development of compliance policies and programming. Michelle greatly enjoys her work at MDI Hospital. “The organization is providing amazing care for its patients and is continuously challenging itself to always be better,” she says. Since joining the organization in 2015, Michelle has optimized financial performance and demonstrated positive financial and cash flow results.
Michelle joined MDI Hospital in 2015 and previously served as MDI Hospital’s Director of Fiscal Services. She has worked in healthcare finance since 1999, and previously served as a Controller for Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. Michelle graduated from Husson College in 1995 with a degree in Accounting. She also holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Augusta with a primary focus in Business Administration, Accounting and Human Resources.
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She serves as Board Treasurer for the Northern New England Chapter of the Health Finance Management Association. Michelle is also an active member of her community, and a lifetime member of Gouldsboro Fire & EMS, where she served as a volunteer firefighter and EMT for more than 15 years.
In her free time, Michelle enjoys spending time with her family, enjoying the outdoors, fishing, snowmobiling, ATV-ing, horseback riding, camping and traveling to new places with her husband.