Junior League of Portland ME

 

Leah Wallof, Assistant to the President

Leah joined JLP in 2015, after researching ways to become more active and involved in her community. She has served in leadership roles on fund development, as a past VP of Community Impact, and is currently double placed as both the Assistant to the President and LDME Chair. She was awarded the Hope P Bramhall Volunteer of the Year Award in 2017 and the Sally Vamvakias President's Award in 2022. Her other work in the community includes past volunteer roles with the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland and the Maine Women's Network.

Leah has a B.A. in communication studies from Grove City College. She is currently employed at Covetrus, as the New England compounding pharmacy rep. Covetrus is a global animal-health technology and services company supporting the companion, equine, and large-animal veterinary markets.

Leah grew up in Scarborough, Maine and currently splits her time between Portland and Boston with her boyfriend, Pete, and their tiny cat terror, Otto von Bismarck. She enjoys snacking and naps. 

 

 

 

Jenney joined the Junior League of Portland, ME in 2017 and is serving as the 2022-2023 Treasurer. She most recently served as the Assistant Treasurer and previously held positions on the Marketing and Communications, Leadership Development and Events, and Fund Development committees. Jenney joined the League after moving to Maine from Hawaii and looking for a way to meet people and get involved in her new community.

Jenney received a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Asian Studies from Colgate University and a Master of Arts degree in Diplomacy and Military Studies from Hawaii Pacific University. For the past 15 years, Jenney has worked as a Senior Knowledge Manager and Analyst supporting the Department of Defense. She currently volunteers at the Falmouth Food Pantry and serves as an Alumni Admission Representative for Colgate University.

Jenney enjoys traveling the world with her family and taking excessive amounts of pictures. Her latest obsession is learning to golf.

 

Emily Machesney, Vice President of Community Impact 

Emily joined the Junior League of Portland in 2016 at the encouragement of her mother, a past JLP member. Quicky, she became immersed with the JLP's work in the community and dedicated to servant leadership. She has served as Chair of the Community Committee and sat on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Taskforce. In 2021, she was honored to be named the Hope P. Bramhall Volunteer of the Year.

Emily is an alumna of Emory University and Cheverus High School, two institutions she credits with her passion for social justice and motivation to be a "person for others". She channeled these drives into helping launch the JLP's Free the Flow Initiative in 2020-2021.

Emily represents the third generation in her family's business, Pratt Abbott Cleaners. She lives in South Portland with her Mini Australian Shepherd Skywalker. When she's not working or volunteering, you can find Emily enjoying Maine's natural beauty skiing, hiking, cooking, or kayaking.

 

 

Allie Floyd, Vice President of Fund Development and Member Events

A born and raised Mainer, Allie grew up in the small town of Castine before moving to Southern Maine for high school. After high school, Allie attended Norwich University for two years studying Biochemistry before transferring to the University of Maine at Augusta and changing her major to Business. At UMA, Allie was a member of the women's cross-country team and had the honor of being on the school's first team to run at USCAA Nationals. After completing her bachelor's degree, Allie interned with the Portland Sea Dogs and started working towards an MBA in International Business with a concentration in Social Media Marketing. Upon completion, Allie joined Evergreen Credit Union as their Marketing Coordinator, where she worked for the past 2.5 years learning the ins and outs of marketing.

Allie joined the board of PROPEL Portland, the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce young professionals group, in 2018, and served as President from 2021-2022. As President of PROPEL, Allie works to provide engaging networking opportunities for young professionals in Maine. In 2020, Allie joined the Junior League of Portland, Maine, looking to expand her network by interacting with like-minded women who are dedicated to serving their community. In April of 2021, Allie joined the Marketing department at Portside Real Estate Group as a Marketing Manager, where she is the voice behind their social media accounts and works on their foundation events.

When not working, Allie loves to spend her time outdoors. Allie is an avid skier and can be found at Sugarloaf or Sunday River on most weekends during the winter. During the summer months, she enjoys walking the beach with her rescue dog, Rex.

 

Dr. Jessilin Quint, Vice President of Marketing and Communications 

A Texas native, Dr. Jessilin Quint joined the Junior League of Portland in 2021 in hope of finding a new way to serve her local Maine community. Jessilin is passionate about making a difference and connecting with likeminded women to serve a common goal.

Professionally, Jessilin is an optometrist and co-owns both Smart Eye Care and Smart Eye and Med Spa. She graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and completed Master in Business Administration and Master of Science in Biology degrees at West Texas A&M University. Dr. Quint received a Doctorate of Optometry degree from Indiana University. After graduation, she completed a post-doctoral Residency in Ocular Disease with an emphasis on ocular emergency and trauma at the Illinois Eye Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Quint has been an active volunteer, presenter, and author in eye care industry publications. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Board-Certified Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. Dr. Quint enjoys providing comprehensive family eye care with a distinct interest in specialty contact lenses and dry eye disease.

In her free time, Jessilin enjoys traveling, golfing, skiing, and hanging with her golden retriever, Baylor.

 

Anna Lowell, Vice President of Membership

Anna joined the Junior League of Portland, ME in 2017 as a way to meet new friends and become more connected and involved with the Portland community. Anna has spent all of her time in the League dedicated to welcoming and training the League's newest members through the New Member Committee. She has held the roles of committee member, Assistant Chair, and Chair of the New Member Committee, and was also part of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Taskforce.

Anna received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art from Kenyon College in 2010. She currently works for a technology company in Portland as a member of the Client Success Team. She has held previous client facing and sales roles with other organizations throughout the Portland Area.

When she is not working or volunteering, Anna enjoys spending time with her husband and active one year old son on their mini homestead in Brunswick where they have dogs, chickens and gardens keeping them very busy!

 

Lillian Shields, Vice President of Mentoring and Placement

Lillian joined the League in 2015 and is currently serving on the Board of Directors as VP of Mentoring and Placement. Lillian joined the League to make a meaningful impact in her community and join a network of strong women leaders. Prior to serving on the Board of Directors, Lillian served the JLP as Chair of the Mentoring Committee, Business Development Committee, and Fund Development Council. Lillian was awarded the Sally G. Vamvakias President's Award in 2019 and the Hope P. Bramhall Volunteer of the Year Award in 2018 for her contributions to the League.

Lillian has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maine and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Women's Studies from Providence College and served in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Tucson, Arizona and AmeriCorps in Waterbury, Vermont. Lillian works for a large medical group in Cumberland County, designing and implementing clinical and operational programs, and she also co-owns a construction company, Clifford Structures, Inc.

A native Vermonter, Lillian lives in Brunswick, Maine with her partner Eric and beloved kitty, Minnie Mae. They spend their free time in toolbelts working for their construction business and trying to spend as much time outdoors as they can, Maine mosquito season and all.

 

Diane Lebson, Sustainer Co-Director

Diane grew up as a first-generation American in Connecticut, the daughter of working-class Polish immigrants who instilled in her a strong work ethic and desire to "do good". After studying international relations in college, Diane stayed in Washington, DC and began her nonprofit career on the national staff of United Way, the largest charity in the United States. Over the course of seventeen years, she managed United Way's national literacy program, directed the national board of trustees, and built a women's giving program that has to date raised over $2 billion and mobilized over 70,000 philanthropists.

After leaving United Way, she went on to lead U.S. fundraising operations for an interantional nongovernmental organization that served orphans and abandoned children, lead a public library foundation, serve as the Chief of Protocol at the U.S. Embassy in Canberra, Australia, and lead the women's giving program for the American Red Cross. In 2018, she and her husband cofounded Evergreen Philanthropic Solutions, a national consultancy that helps nonprofit organizations, individuals, corporations, and foundations achieve their philanthropic goals. She is the author of For A Good Cause: A Practical Guide to Giving Joyfully, a manual for women on how to "do" philanthropy.

 

 

Beth joined the Junior League of Portland in 2009, looking for a way to volunteer in her community. She has been a member of the Community, New Member, and Placement committees, served as Corresponding Secretary, as well as a member of the Board as the Community Impact VP and Treasurer. Beth has just completed a three-year stint as an OLA (Olympia's Leaders' Advisor) through the Olympia Snowe Women's Leadership Institute.

She works as a practice manager and paralegal at a Portland law firm, where she has worked for 16 years. Beth received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Maine at Farmington, studying special education and psychology, as well as a Master of Arts from Springfield College, studying Sport Management.

Christine Babb, President-Elect

After hearing about the organization through a social media post, Christine joined the Junior League in 2014 and is currently serving as President-Elect. Previousl, Christine has served as the Assistant Chair of Leadership Development and Member Events (LDME), Assistant to the President, Corresponding Secretary (twice), and Treasurer (three times), as well as participated in the League's Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force. She is committed to embedding diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging into all aspects of the JLP's work and organizational culture.

In her role as this year's President-Elect, Christine is leading an ad-hoc committee tasked with conducting an in-depth review of the JLP. The goals of this review include: creating a more nimble, "right-sized" organization structure to better position the League to successfully execute our mission; updating our bylaws and policy documents; creating realistic and meaningful membership requirements that match our members' resources to the work of the League; and identifying opportunities to better leverage our community impact, now and in the future. Once these areas are addressed, the task force will develop a Strategic Plan to guide the League going forward (2023-2027). 

Professionally, Christine works as an administrative and finance consultant for Maine Recovery Funds, a nonprofit organization that supports individuals in recovery from substance use disorder, re-entering from jail and prison, and returning veterans and new Americans as they re-establish a productive life through economic viability. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking for people who love to eat and perfecting her favorite classic cocktail recipes. As often as she can, she spends time visiting extended family members in Phoenix, AZ (where she grew up) and Seattle, WA (where her son and daughter-in-law live). Christine resides in Falmouth with her husband, Nate, daughter, Bea, and their standard poodle, Lucy, who makes frequent "photobomb" appearances at JLP Zoom meetings.

Having joined the JLP as a somewhat "senior" Junior League member when she was 50, Christine is looking forward to reaching Sustainer Gold status in the same year she will celebrate her 100th birthday.

 

Photos taken by Tracy Orzel Photography.