Fall 2026
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We Serve Maine by connecting customers, communities, and commerce through a safe and reliable toll road experience.
A Letter from the Executive Director It's Fall... Time for Town Halls (& Thinking About Winter!) Catching up with staff across the Turnpike — and getting ready for what's ahead.
MTA Colleagues—It’s my favorite time of year in New England…autumn colors, fall football, and hiking along our beautiful Maine trails. It’s also time for MTA’s new annual tradition of town halls. I’m looking forward to seeing each and every one of you again at one of the several planned town halls being held up and down the length of the Turnpike. Without spoiling too many of the surprises, we will be discussing the following topics: • My 10-year vision for the Maine Turnpike Authority. • 2027 Strategic Plan updates including cross-functional workgroup updates. • Updates on the strategic plan as we look ahead to 2027 & cross-functional workgroups. • New employee awards and recognition program. • Ongoing tech modernization program. • Topics surrounding workplace safety and various topics from our C-Suite. The most important part of the Town Halls is the opportunity to hear from you. Come with your questions, comments, feedback, and ideas for improvement. The C-Suite and many directors will be available for questions, so take advantage of these opportunities to make your views heard! I often say that every truly great initiative I have been a part of throughout my career started as a comment or idea from a front-line employee. Let’s make these town halls productive and worthwhile for all of us! But when it’s fall, that means winter is just around the corner. We also have many winter maintenance improvements and programs to discuss during the townhalls, so stay tuned for those as well. Thank you all for a very successful and safe summer maintenance season, construction season, and tourist season (at the tolls), and happy autumn!
Andre Briere, Executive Director
A Letter from the Chief Operations Officer A Career Built on Maintenance, Operations, and a Few Good Stories My time at the Maine Turnpike Authority began in 2015 as the Director of Highway and Equipment Maintenance. Before that, I spent 18 years working for the State of Maine – the majority of that at Maine Department of Transportation in various capacities in the Bureau of Maintenance and Operations. In my new role as Chief Operations Officer, I oversee two directorates: the Traffic Management & Communications Center and Special Services (Radio Room for us old timers), led by Greg J. Stone; and, Highway and Equipment Maintenance, led by Ralph Norwood. Although I am still adjusting and learning my new role as Chief Operations Officer, it gives me great comfort knowing that my two directorates are being led by professionals and equally importantly just great people. I love maintenance and operations work because it is where the action is. You never know what can happen from one day to the next. Snowstorms, hurricanes, and floods are events everyone thinks of, but some of my favorites are the ones you just can’t make up if you try – wine truck crashes, cows in the road, and even airplanes that land in the road. Sometimes, when I go home and tell my wife stories about stuff going on the road and she just can’t believe it. Our newly developed mission and renewed focus here at the MTA really excites me. Working for an organization whose mission can be summed up as We Serve Maine – what could be any cooler than that? We have a lot of work to do and challenges ahead but all of them will strengthen the MTA and make our roadway better for Maine.
John Cannell, P.E.
IT Department Highlight Behind the scenes, keeping the Turnpike connected
Let’s be honest, most people don’t know how or why their computers work. All they know is that when something breaks, there’s a team of people that mobilizes to make things right. That team is hiding in their basement lair, waiting to spring into action at the first sign of distress. Whether it’s a bad mouse, setting up a new user with equipment, setting up a meeting on short notice, or implementing a new application that changes the way we do business, the MTA has built a team that thrives on bringing quality products to our customers and employees alike, both internally and externally. All of this is done in a world where our best work is invisible to users. From making sure the Internet is available, to restoring lost files or accessing programs on our servers. Blocking a malicious email or adding features to existing products to streamline processes. Most of the work done by the team is unknown to the people we serve. When someone says, “Can’t we just?” or “It should be as simple as...”, it means that countless hours are going to be spent by a number of people to make magic happen. IT is kind of like good plumbing. If it’s going right, no one notices. The IT Department has been fortunate to have strong support from management over the years to build our team. Because of that, one of our greatest strengths is our diverse experience. We have a great mix of employees that have been here more than 20 years, as well as new employees that are just starting their journey here. This gives us both a deep bench of historical knowledge, as well as new and invigorating ideas from people who are the future of the team.
Until recently, we could boast that we were the only E-ZPass member that created and operated our own back office. In talking with some of our sister agencies in the E-ZPass InterAgency Group (IAG), more of them are re-evaluating their relationship with, and dependence on, their third-party vendors. Many of them are pivoting to our model; buy what we can, build what we must. They have seen that farming out the relationship with their data and customers to a third party doesn’t always yield the best results. For instance, if there’s a problem with the software, your problem isn’t dumped into a queue and answered by someone in a foreign country who couldn’t pick Maine out on a map, let alone know why traffic is heavy at York Northbound during the summer. The people that created the back office are a simple call or email away and getting your problem resolved is our first priority. Overall, I can’t tell you how proud I am of the team we’ve assembled over the years. The Operations and Development teams have put years into creating quality products, experiences, and relationships that we look forward to bringing into the future. We’re IT. How can we help?
A few of the IT department members at "The Defender" press conference.
Photo (left to right): Ryan Rutledge, Parker Dowdy, Eb Akakpo, Charles Brodeur, Dennis Crews, Deno Mahadeo, Bill Yates, Herb Rea
Bill Yates, Director of IT
Upcoming Town Hall Dates
Town Halls are an annual all-staff gathering where Director Briere and the executive staff share updates on what's happening across MTA and answer questions. It's less a presentation, more a conversation — a chance to hear information straight from leadership, and share what's on your mind. Check below for a date, time and location near you.
Monday, October 19 | 3:00-5:00 PM | HQ, Authority Room Tuesday, October 20 | 9:00-11:00 AM | Kennebunk Maintenance Tuesday October 20 | 1:00-3:00 PM | HQ, Authority Room Wednesday, October 21 | 9:00-11:00 AM | Auburn Maintenance Monday, October 26 | 3:00-5:00PM | HQ, Authority Room Tuesday, October 27 | 9:00-11:00AM | HQ Authority Room Thursday, October 29 | 9:00-11:00AM | HQ, Authority Room Thursday, October 29 | 1:00-3:00PM | HQ, Authority Room Tuesday, November 10 | 1:00-3:00 PM | HQ, Authority Room (Backup Date)
Board Recognitions July Recognition | Cecile Champagne Thompson At July's "away" board meeting held at Maine Motor Transport in Augusta, Director of Human Resources Richard Stewart recognized Deputy Director of Human Resources Cecile Champagne Thompson for her outstanding work, commitment, and dedication to the Maine Turnpike Authority. Cecile is known across MTA as a positive, welcoming presence — we're proud to have her on our team! (L-R) Rick Stewart, Cecile Champagne Thompson, Andre Briere, Erin Sullivan
Remaining 2026 Board Meeting Dates: October 15, 2026 November 19, 2026 December 17, 2026
New Deputy Director of Maintenance Please join us in welcoming Dan Mirabile as the new Deputy Director of Highway Maintenance. Dan joined the team on July 27, bringing 21 years of senior public works leadership experience with municipalities in New York, Florida, and in Portland, Maine. Most recently, he served as Airport Maintenance Manager at the Portland International Jetport. With his extensive public works background, Dan is a great addition to the Maine Turnpike team — welcome aboard, Dan!
Summer Activities Highway Maintenance BBQ's
York
Litchfield, Gardiner & Auburn
Kennebunk
Gray
Crosby
Night Crew
Summer Activities Fare Collections Sandwich Day
Headquarters Summer BBQ
MTA in Action
Hearts of Pine Employee Appreciation Game
20 Maine Turnpike Authority employees headed out to a Portland Hearts of Pine game in July for a night of team spirit. Miles was on hand to hype up the crowd and even got to meet Moxie the Moose, the team's official ambassador.
Labor Day Welcome
The Communications Department welcomed incoming travelers over Labor Day weekend with a little extra cheer — Miles the Moose made an appearance, and staff handed out free MTA-branded swag along the way.
Portland Area Mainline Neighborhood Meeting
Throughout the summer, members of the executive, engineering, and communications teams have hosted public and neighborhood meetings to keep the surrounding community informed about the Portland Area Mainline (PAM) Safety Improvements. These meetings include getting neighborhood input on noise wall design as part of the full safety option.
Fare Collections Sandwich Day National Dog Day
The Maine Turnpike partnered with the Animal Welfare Society at the Kennebunk Southbound Service Plaza to welcome travelers and their four-legged friends. The day was filled with treats, pup cups, and tips on how to travel safely with pets.
This marks the third year of recognizing toll collectors for their dedication — assisting patrons, accurately collecting tolls, and doing it all in every kind of weather. This August, we delivered sandwiches to toll plazas the length of the Turnpike, handing out 137 sandwiches and salads at 22 locations across the north and south ends. The tradition began following staffing changes that reduced the number of toll collectors, making it a meaningful way to show appreciation for the team.
York Night Out
In early August, MTA joined York's public safety departments for National Night Out at Bog Road Fields — an evening spent connecting with neighbors and celebrating the partnerships that help keep our communities safe.
MTA in Action
Intern Service Day
2026 Sea Dogs Game
The Dempsey Defender
Eight interns from Maine Turnpike Authority, HNTB, and the Greater Portland Council of Governments came together for a day of community service, helping to restore a walking bridge at the Jewel Falls–Rowe Trailhead in Westbrook. MTA interns included, Brayden Winship, Johnpaul Anaebo, and Olivia Guinard.
This summer, MTA hosted our annual employee Sea Dogs game, giving staff and their families a chance to connect outside the office. Mike Somerset, a Highway Maintenance 3 worker out of Crosby Maintenance, was picked to throw out the first pitch — a great moment for him and for MTA.
Maine Turnpike Authority debuted The Defender, a specially designed snowplow, at the Dempsey Challenge starting line in Lewiston September 18. The truck launches MTA's Clearing the Way to Care partnership with the Dempsey Center, honoring the caregivers, nurses, emergency responders, and road crews who help Mainers safely access care year-round. Executive Director Briere and snowplow driver Mike Somerset spoke at the press event, and you can now watch the full press conference on our YouTube channel. On September 19, Turnpike staff showed off the Defender to participants in the Dempsey Challenge and to Patrick Dempsey himself!
ALRM Press Conference
Global Road Safety Week
September 4, MTA announced our support for ALRM, a first-in-the-nation emergency notification app for Deaf and Hard of Hearing travelers, developed by 16-year-old Maine inventor Gavin Phelan. MTA is the first transportation agency in the country to host this technology in a public setting — ALRM detects sounds like alarms and sirens and delivers real-time visual alerts, and is now live at the Kennebunk service plazas.
This past June, MTA kicked off IBTTA's Global Road Safety Week by hosting a pledge board outside our headquarters. E-ZPass customers and MTA employees stopped by to take the pledge to drive safe — and even Miles the Moose joined in to encourage others to do the same.
Payroll & HR Updates September 9.29.26 | Quarterly VALIC/Corebridge Financial HQ Meeting with Mark Roberts & Stephanie Fecteau – All Day October 10.12.26 | Indigenous Peoples Day – Offices Closed 10.22.26 | Payroll Out of Office (Attending Conference) 10.23.26 | Payroll Out of Office (Attending Conference) November 11.02.26 | 2027 FSA Enrollment & Dependent Care Forms Available 11.11.26 | Veterans Day – Offices Closed 11.15.26 | Last Day to Submit FSA & Dependent Care Form for 2027 11.25.26 | Payday (Due to Holiday) 11.26.26 | Thanksgiving Day – Offices Closed 11.27.26 | Friday Following Thanksgiving – Offices Closed 11.28.26 | Sick Sale Final Calculation Determined December Tentative | Quarterly HQ VALIC/Corebridge Financial Meeting
12.11.26 | 2026 Sick Leave Sell-Back: Deadline to Sell 12.25.26 | Christmas Day – Offices Closed 12.31.26 | Last Paycheck of 2026 12.31.26 | Remaing Compensation Time Balance Paid Out (to applicable employees) 12.31.26 | Excess Vaction Time Paid Out (to applicable employees) Sick Sale Payout Timeline
Sick Sale Forms recieved by 2 pm, Friday, December 4, 2026, will be paid in the December 10, 2026 paycheck.
Payroll & HR Updates 2026 Deadlines 12.31.26 | Last day to incur expenses 03.31.27 | Last day to submit 2026 HRA/FSA Reimbursement Payments 03.31.27 | Last day to submit dependent care (reimbursement?) 12.31.26 | Wellness Reimbursement 12.31.26 | Boot Allowance (if applicable) 12.31.26 | Tool Allowance (if applicable) 12.31.26 | Clothing Allowance (if applicable)
A Note from Human Resources & Payroll HR would like to remind everyone: if you have moved or plan to move, please notify HR or Payroll to update your address so you continue receiving important mailings. Since we're now more than halfway through the year, this is also a good time to check in with HR or Payroll to make sure you've used, or have a plan to use, your wellness benefit by December 31, 2026 and any other applicable allowances. If you're unsure how much you have remaining for the year, don't hesitate to reach out — HR and Payroll are always happy to help with any benefit or pay questions.
Payroll Manager: Kaela White
Human Resource Benefit Specialist: Bonnie Emmertz
Payroll Administrator: Mike Haines
Human Resource Benefit Specialist: Lynna Izumi
Congratulations to the Following June 16, 2026 to September 16, 2026
Retirements Timothy Paquin | Automotive Mechanic III | Kennebunk | June 27 | 30 Years of Service Joyce Berry | Toll Collector 1 |Wells | June 27 | 13 Years of Service Dawna Crockett| Toll Collector 1 | New Gloucester Barrier | June 27 | 21 Years of Service Craig DeCourt|Toll Collector 1 |York | June 17 | 19 Years of Service Susan Cloutier|Toll Collector 1 | Gardiner | August 29 | 36 Years of Service
New Hires Glenn McCallum | Toll Collector 1 | Scarborough 295 |July 5 Johnpaul Anaebo| Engineering Intern|July 9 Daniel Mirabile | Deputy Director of Maintenance| July 27 Idajane Morton| Toll Collector 1 | York Toll ||August 2 Jared Croteau | Highway Maintenance III | York |August 3 Theresa Price| Toll Collector 1 | York | August 9 April McDonagh | Toll Collector 1 | South Portland |August 23 Logan Harrington | Toll Collector 1 | South Portland |August 23 Timothy Kostenbader | Highway Maintenance 3 | Auburn |August 24 Scott Davis | Highway Maintenance 3 | Auburn |September 8 Derek Olson| Transportation Planner/Traffic Engineer|September 10 Megan Brown | Toll Collector 1| Rand Road |September 13
Promotions Jordin Lakin | Attained CDL Liscense| Highway Maintenance 3 | August 10 Mark Meserve | Attained CDL Liscense | Highway Maintenance 3 | August 23
Want to Support your Communities? Employees interested in volunteering outside of work hours are encouraged to explore various volunteering opportunities. The Public Perception & Enagagment Work Group has created a Public Service Subcomittee working toward offering opportunities for employees to volunteer. For more information contact Piper Wetherby: pwetherby@mainturnpike.com
Thank you for reading! This newsletter is for you, and we want it to be useful, engaging and enjoyable to read. If you have ideas for topics, features, or ways we can improve, we'd love to hear them. Your feedback helps shape future issues and ensures we're sharing content that matters to our team.
Email us at newsletter@maineturnpike.com
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Summer 2026 Newsletter
Miles the Moose is on the Loose!
Miles the Moose is hiding somewhere in this edition, and it's up to you to find him! Any employee who spots Miles within 48 hours of this edition's release will be entered into a drawing to win a $10 gift certificate to the employee online store. Send us an email at newsletter@maineturnpike.com if you find him!