Thank you for your interest in learning more about the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center! You likely have questions about who we are, what we do, and curiosity about our board and the governance enterprise. The following materials have been created with you in mind to help you get to know us better.
We invite you to spend a few minutes reviewing this material, provided within the pages of this Board Membership Information packet. We offer this portfolio to help you become better acquainted with our mission and vision, and the pride and value we place on the services we provide. We hope you enjoy learning more about us and welcome your feedback.
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Governance at a Glance
Governance Core Guiding Principles
Organizational Structure 13
Mission, Vision, and Brand Promise
Board Roster and Executives Team
Meet The Team
The Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center is a 501(C)(3) provides compassion, support, wellness groups, advocacy and education for patients, families, and friends in the midst of a cancer diagnosis, treatment and/or remission. Established in 2004, the center is located in Ellsworth, and supports both Washington and Hancock counties. The nonprofit resource center was born from an organization created by Beth C. Wright, who died of breast cancer in 2000. Beth Wright envisioned a Down East Maine community where cancer patients would have access to all essential aspects of support, such as transportation to medical appointments, educational programs, and support groups. It was her intention that no one in Washington or Hancock County would go through the cancer journey alone. Learn more at https://www.bethwrightcancercenter.org.
Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center is governed by 13 member volunteer Board of Directors. The board has the final authority and responsibility for everything Beth Wright Center is, does, and becomes, performing the function of responsible stewardship on behalf of its stakeholders and the communities it serves.
Understand and support the mission of the organization
Understand and follow the organization’s policies, including conflict of interest and confidentiality policies
Be informed about the organization's services, policies, and programs
Follow trends and important developments related to this organization
Assist with fund-raising and give a significant annual gift to the organization. Assist the board in carrying out its fiduciary responsibilities, such as reviewing and understanding the organization's financial statements
Review agenda and supporting materials prior to board and committee meetings
Serve on committees and offer to take on special assignments
Attend all board and committee meetings and functions, such as special events
Have a respectful and supportive working relationship with the chief executive
Follow policies and procedures regarding Board member communication and interaction with staff. Respect channels of communication. Refrain from making special requests of the staff.
Act as a good-will ambassador to the organization
Suggest possible nominees to the board who can make significant contributions to the work of the board and the organization
Contribute to making board service a satisfying and rewarding experience for self and for peers.
No individual board member or officer has the authority to act on behalf of the Board of Directors in any matter concerning the organization or in any manner in regard to any staff member unless given the authority by the entire board.
Ability to listen, analyze, think clearly and creatively, work well with individual people and groups.
Willingness to: prepare for and attend board and committee meetings, ask questions, take responsibility and follow through on a given assignment, contribute personal and financial resources in a generous way according to circumstances, open doors in the community, evaluate oneself.
Willingness to develop certain skills if you do not already possess them, such as to cultivate and solicit funds; cultivate and recruit board members and other volunteers; read and understand financial statements; and learn more about the substantive program area of the organization.
Possess: honesty, sensitivity to and tolerance of differing views; a friendly, responsive, and patient approach, community-building skills; personal integrity; a developed sense of values; concern for your nonprofit's development; a sense of humor
Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center strives to provide exceptional advocacy with a passionate pursuit of excellence in patient safety, quality of care, and service. Our mission is to care for cancer patients, caregivers, families, communities, and one another.
To offer hope, knowledge and support to cancer patients, their families, caregivers, and friends by providing a source of information, social services, and compassion through all stages of the cancer journey.
We provide excellent education and support services, often in collaboration with partner organizations, for all stages of the cancer journey throughout every community in Washington and Hancock counties;
Newly diagnosed cancer patients, their families, and caregivers learn about our Center from numerous informed sources;
We keep our services current via ongoing assessment of community needs; We have a well-organized and dedicated cadre of volunteers who skillfully carry out the Center’s mission and are accountable to and overseen by a Volunteer Coordinator;
The Center is financially healthy through the aggressive pursuit of endowments and grants , and by development of a multi-faceted fundraising strategy; An energetic and visionary board of directors brings experience and dedication to advise, govern and oversee the operation of the Center.
We make cancer care work for you.
Thelma Beal, President | Ellsworth
Thelma Beal, born and raised in Ellsworth She was the owner of Port-of-Call Seafood Market from 1975 to 1986. She went to work for Hannaford in ’86 as a department manager and was there for the next 27 years.
Lorna Greene, Vice President | Addison
Lorna is a native of Addison where she resides with her husband Peter. They have five grown children and eleven grandchildren. Their youngest son was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when he was twenty and he has been cancer-free for the past ten years. Lorna is the principal at the Daniel W. Merritt School in Addison where she previously taught kindergarten, second grade, and fourth grade. Lorna’s loves are family, children, and education.
Kathleen Cravens, Secretary | Ellsworth
Kathleen moved to Ellsworth 27 years ago from Alaska, where she worked as a nurse in a remote Eskimo Village. Upon moving to Ellsworth, she initially worked part-time as a med-surg nurse at Maine Coast Memorial Hospital While raising her family she worked at Kid’s Peace as a nurse before returning to MCMH in 2007 to work in the Mary Dow Center as an oncology nurse; a position she currently holds. She was honored to be asked to be on the Board of Directors for her true nursing passion in caring for oncology patients. She and her husband Bob live in Ellsworth. They have three grown children.
Nancy B. Owen, Treasurer | Ellsworth
Nancy has worked at the Machias Savings Bank in Ellsworth for over nine years and has been in banking for more than twenty-two. She has been on the Board for five years. Nancy lost her husband to melanoma cancer in January 2008. She credits the Beth C. Wright Resource Center for its support in time of family crisis and for its continuing help.
For over 40 years, Nancy has lived in the tight-knit island community where Beth grew up. Her daughter was friends and classmates with Beth from the age of 3 and was at her bedside when she passed in 2000. A 1962 graduate of Vassar College, Nancy has been a freelance journalist since 1970 and a self-employed title abstractor since 1992. She has lost a son-in-law to bone cancer and her husband, Ossie, to lung cancer in 2003
Nancye is a biomedical marketing consultant with extensive industry experience in the research and diagnostic markets with leading-edge technologies for cell identification and analysis in immunology, oncology, and genetics. Previously she worked in academic research immunology at Harvard Medical School, Rockefeller University, and the Swiss Cancer Research Institute. She received her degree in biology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Brandy has worked for Bar Harbor Bank & Trust since 2014 in the Enterprise Risk Management Department. She was born and raised in Central Maine but moved to the Hancock County area in 2014. She is the Event Lead for Hancock County Relay for Life with the American Cancer Society. Brandy has had personal experiences with cancer through family members being afflicted with this disease Therefore, Brandy remains committed to doing anything that makes a difference to find a cure for this terrible disease.
Haley Strout is a life-long resident of down east Maine, currently residing in Harrington with her husband and three children. As a niece of Beth Wright, she grew up hearing inspiring stories of Beth and her vision to help others. Haley is eager to help continue the work that her Aunt Beth started 20 years ago Haley is a registered nurse, currently pursuing her Master of Nursing to become an FNP.
Kayla Thompson is a Washington County resident and is passionate about improving the lives of those who also reside in DownEast, Maine. She has her Bachelor of Social Work and is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Maine, where she works as a graduate research assistant. As Beth Charczynski Wright’s niece, she has been a volunteer and a part of the Beth C. Wright Walk For Life for years. The mission of the center has always been ingrained in her by her family.
Molly Collins, MD, Emerita | Lamoine
Molly is a general surgeon with a special interest in breast disease. She received her medical degree from Albany Medical College and completed her medical training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center. She began medical practice in Ellsworth and Blue Hill over fifteen years ago and serves on the staff of Blue Hill Memorial Hospital and Maine Coast Memorial Hospital. She is one of the founders of the Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center.
Donna Fricke, Ph.D., Emerita | Hancock
Donna is a career educator, professor emerita from Maine Maritime Academy where she taught in the Arts and Science Department and administered the graduate program in Maritime Management and International Business. Donna has served on several state government task forces and was one of five directors of the Maine Port Authority. She has been a humanist scholar at the Maine Humanities Council since 1985. Donna is a cancer survivor.
Meredith Friend, Emerita | Ellsworth
Meredith Friend has been a part of the Ellsworth community for 43 years when she moved to Ellsworth and joined her husband Cooper in establishing their business Friend & Friend Inc. While raising their family, finding opportunities to serve Ellsworth has always been important to both Cooper and Meredith. Meredith was first introduced to the cancer community as a caregiver for her sister who fought and lost a courageous battle against cancer. Inspired by her sister, Meredith has felt especially grateful to be a part of the work of Hospice, Friends in Action, and the Beth C Wright Center
Angela Fochesato
Maine law requires that each Director discharge his or her duties:
in good faith;
with the care an ordinary prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances;
and
in a manner the Director believes to be in the best interests of the Corporation.
Directors will:
Know the organization’s mission, vision and goals, policies, programs and services, history, strengths, and needs; Prepare well for policy discussions and decision making;
Serve in leadership positions and undertake special assignments willingly;
Refer all matters of potential significance to the attention of the President or the Board Chair as appropriate, including potential conflicts of interest;
Direct requests for information from any source (community member, media, employee, etc.) to the President or Board Chair;
Understand the respective roles of the Board and the President;
Directors will:
Support the President through difficult relationships with groups or individuals;
Give annually in order to meet the organizational goal of 100% Board participation in fundraising; Support fund-development strategies through personal influence with others, e g corporations, individuals, and foundations; Participate in educational opportunities to remain current on trends and issues affecting governance; Advocate for decisions of the Corporation.
The Board exists, in both a legal and functional sense, when it meets. Consequently, Board and committee meetings are at the center of governance The role of committees is to bring to the Board the results of considered analysis of the issues specific to each committee’s charge. Furthermore, certain committees have delegated authority to act on behalf of the Board (for example, the Audit and Compliance Committee which has authority to meet independently of management with its internal and external auditors).
Therefore, Directors are expected to:
Prepare well for Board and committee meetings;
Attend and actively participate in Board and committee meetings with critical thinking and analysis, and attention to results;
Ask timely and substantive questions at Board and committee meetings, and freely suggest agenda items on significant topics;
Maintain confidentiality of the Board’s meetings and executive sessions, and speak for the Board or Corporation only when authorized to do so;
Discuss business of the Board only in convened meetings of the Board or its committees. This includes limiting discussions between individual Board Directors outside of established meetings, but does not preclude consultative discussions among the Board officers;
Committee members need not be members of the board with the exception of the Committee Chair who must be a member of the Board of Directors.
The Executive Committee, the membership of which shall include the officers of the Board, act in the name of the full board when it is not in session, or to deal with emergencies that require immediate attention. The Executive Committee is accountable to the Board of Directors.
The Finance Committee is responsible for ensuring BCWCRC’s financial statements and procedures are evaluated to determine that adequate fiscal controls and procedures are in place and that the Corporation is in good financial health. The Finance Committee should maintain oversight of fundraising activities and all real and projected expenses. The Treasurer of the Board shall always be a member of the Finance Committee.
The Marketing Committee promotes the interest of Beth C. Wright Cancer Resource Center and its members through actions that will increase the visibility of programs and activities that reflect the Center’s mission.
The Building & Grounds Committee shall have responsibility in all matters relating to the building occupied by the Beth C Wright Caner Resource Center as well as the surrounding grounds, and equipment. The Committee shall exercise oversight of the care, maintenance, and security of the Center’s buildings and grounds; the selection of architects, artistic alterations and additions, as well as the construction and naming of new buildings; the care and preservation of all furnishings and equipment; and such matters relating to the buildings and grounds of the Center as may come before it. On behalf of the Board., it shall approve the location and design of new buildings and/or expansions and shall make progress reports to the Board on its actions.
ARTICLE IV: Committees (see appendix for full committee charters)
The Committee is responsible for ongoing review and recommendations to enhance the quality and future viability of the Board and its governance documents The committee is responsible for recruiting ne Board members and ensuring that each is equipped with the proper tools and motivation to carry out his or her responsibilities.
The Program Committee is responsible for overseeing and approving all programs and services provided by the Center to its clients and members of the community. The Program Committee is responsible for ensuring that all services and programs provided reflect the organization’s mission and vision.
The Volunteer Committee is responsible for recruitment and retention of all volunteers and volunteer programs utilized by the Center. The Volunteer Committee is responsible for ensuring that all volunteer services and programs provided reflect the organization’s mission and vision.
The Board of Directors may create and appoint members to such other committees and task forces as they shall deem appropriate. Such committees and task forces shall have the power and duties designated by the Board of Directors and shall give advice
The estimates provided below approximate the time commitment that an elected board trustee/director will likely need to make as an engaged member of our board. Meetings may vary in length and frequency in any given month; thus estimates may vary from one month to the next. But in general, the following graph illustrates an assumption of hours when a board member may be engaged in meetings and preparation, as well as education and special governance events.
Appendix:
Board of Director Roster
Committee Assignments
Committee Charters
2023 Calendars of Events
Board of Director Handbook