Portland Press Herald Podcast

High-speed internet service is essential to Maine businesses, but access is often determined by where you live. Gov. Janet Mills pledged to make statewide broadband access a priority. What changes are needed? What are providers doing? What is working? This event was recorded live on May 22, 2019 at the Portland, Maine Public Library. Hosted by Business reporter J. Craig Anderson Panelists include: Tracy Scheckel, Otelco Peggy Schaffer, Director, ConnectME Authority Fletcher Kittredge, GWI

Like A Boss is a live Q&A business event where you can hear insightful, first-hand accounts of the realities of running a business. Our CEO and Publisher Lisa DeSisto interviews local CEOs and business leaders for a behind the scenes look at their career paths, the ups and downs of running their businesses and the trends shaping them. About Michelle Hood Michelle Hood is the president and CEO at Northern Light Health in Brewer, Maine. She came to Northern Light Health in 2006 after she served as president and CEO of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System, Montana Region, as well as president and CEO of its flagship hospital, St. Vincent Healthcare. As president and CEO of Northern Light Health, she focuses on health care policy and design models at the state and national levels, positioning the system to be successful in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.

Portland Press Herald food writer Meredith Goad interviewed the chefs on stage on April 23, 2019.  Maine chefs Matt Ginn of Evo in Portland and the Chebeague Island Inn and Christian Hayes of Dandelion Catering and the soon-to-open Garrison in Yarmouth revealed what it’s really like to be on Food Network’s cooking competition show “Chopped” in an on-stage interview Tuesday at One Longfellow Square. The consensus? Not exactly fun. In their conversation with Portland Press Herald food writer Meredith Goad in front of a live audience, both chefs said they were initially hesitant to participate in the show, but admitted that winning was ultimately rewarding, though they paid for it with hours of waiting in a hot room, among other less-than-comfortable situations – one of which made #braincream a thing.

Maine’s labor crunch is never more apparent than in the spring when the state’s $6 billion tourism industry scrambles for workers. Construction and landscaping services ramp up, too. They are finding success in some surprising places. On the panel   Host: Press Herald Business Reporter Peter McGuire covers Maine trade, transportation and tourism. A proud native of the western Maine mountains, Peter has covered local news for newspapers in Oxford County, Brunswick, Waterville and Portland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Boston University. PANELISTS Allyson Cavaretta, General Manager, Meadowmere Resort Laura Dolce, Kennebunk Area Chamber of Commerce Greg Dugal, Director of Government Affairs at HospitalityMaine Greg Dugal has served as the President and CEO of the Maine Innkeepers Association and the Maine Restaurant Association. Greg now finds himself as Director of Government Affairs for both assoc

Portland, Maine writer Monica Wood, whose second play “The Half-Light” premiered last week at Portland Stage, talked about her writing process, her mutually supportive marriage and the importance of teaching the arts, among other things, in front of a sold-out audience Tuesday at One Longfellow Square in Portland. Portland Press Herald arts reporter Bob Keyes interviewed Wood on stage for the latest installment of MaineVoices Live, a series put on by the newspaper.  Wood, who grew up in the western Maine mill town of Mexico and now lives in Portland, is the author of beloved memoir “When We Were the Kennedys” and the novel “The One-in-a-Million Boy.” Her first play, “Papermaker,” was the best-selling play in the history of Portland Stage.

Millennials, people from their late 30s to early 20s, are expected to make 45 percent of home purchases in the U.S. this year. That influx is changing the way people buy and sell homes, and creating new challenges for real estate agents. iBuying, anyone?   On the panel Host: Press Herald Business Reporter Pete McGuire Peter McGuire is a business reporter covering Maine trade, transportation and tourism. A proud native of the western Maine mountains, Peter has covered local news for newspapers in Oxford County, Brunswick, Waterville and Portland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia and a Master’s Degree in International Relations from Boston University. Dava Davin, Broker and Principal, Portside Real Estate Group Dava Davin founded Portside Real Estate Group in 2012. Portside has four locations and annual sales of $310,000,000. Portside donates over $40,000 a year to Maine non-profits through hosted fundraiser events. Davin leads a sales team which sold

Shopping, whether in store or online, has become a magnet for innovation. Pick a product off a shelf and see a video display of its uses. Overwhelmed by online choices?  A personal shopping guide is at the ready. Concierge services are becoming the norm as retailers offer customized convenience in exchange for your purchase. On January 23, 2019, we heard from some Maine companies at the fore of these innovations, and where they are going next. Host: Press Herald Business Editor Carol Coultas has been practicing journalism in Maine since the mid-‘80s and focusing on business journalism since 2003. She’s been the business editor at the Press Herald, overseeing an award-winning staff, since 2014. Matthew Bray, Head of Community Happiness, Grove Collaborative Grove Collaborative is a San Francisco based certified B-Corp that is an e-commerce platform consumer package goods retailer selling exclusively natural products. Bray headed Grove’s expansion to the east coast, scaling the Community Happiness department to

Since 1995, Tom Caron has been a studio host on NESN, covering the Boston Red Sox, Bruins and play-by-play announcing for college hockey. His weekly column on the Red Sox, Bruins and Patriots runs on Tuesdays in the Portland Press Herald. A graduate of Lewiston High School, he began his broadcasting career in upstate New York, covering the Montreal Canadiens and Expos but eventually moved to Portland, anchoring sports segments for WGME from 1988 to 1993. Before leaving Maine for NESN, Caron was the play-by-play radio announcer for the Portland Pirates in their Calder Cup championship season, work that earned him a spot in the Pirates Hall of Fame. He has also won three New England Emmys, and a number of other media awards for his work in hockey broadcasting. Portland Press Herald Link

Less than a month after Election Day, Business Editor Carol Coultas sat down with a panel of analysts to assess the effects of election results on Maine businesses and the Portland business community in particular.   Michael Saxl, Managing Principal, Maine Street Solutions Michael Saxl joined Maine Street Solutions following his service as Speaker of the House from 2000-2002. Prior to serving as Speaker, Saxl served as Majority Leader (1998-2000) and Majority Whip (1996-1998). As a legislator, Saxl developed on diverse issues ranging from health care and higher education to tax reform and domestic violence. Maine Street Solutions is a government relations and public affairs firms affiliated with Verrill Dana, LLP. The venture provides the firm with a variety of capabilities, including traditional legislative advocacy, public relations, grass-tops and grass roots advocacy, and campaign management. Joshua Tardy, Attorney, Rudman Winchell Joshua Tardy practices with the Rudman Winchell Litigation Team work

Ilma Lopez grew up in Venezuela, cooking in the kitchen alongside her grandmother. After getting her start in Caracas, she was accepted to the pastry program at Stratford University in Virginia. Today, Lopez is the Pastry Chef and co-owner of Piccolo and Chaval in Portland. She is a veteran of some of the most demanding and rewarding kitchens in the industry, such as DB Bistro, Corton, Tailor, El Bulli, Café Boulud, and Le Bernardin. In 2014, Lopez earned a StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Star Pastry Chef Award. In 2018, she was chosen as a James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef semi-finalist for the second year in a row. Recently, she has been featured in the children’s book Kalamata’s Kitchen and was recently described by Bon Appetit as “one of the most talented pastry chefs in town.” Cara Stadler began her career at 16, working at Café Rouge in Berkeley, followed by Striped Bass in Philadelphia, before heading to Paris to hone her fine dining skills. While in France, after staging at Guy Savoy, Cara work

Portland Press Herald CEO and publisher Lisa DeSisto sat down with Deanna Sherman, president and CEO of Dead River Co., on Friday, Oct. 26, to chat about her work in the energy industry. Sherman oversees one of the largest energy companies in Northern New England. Founded in 1909, Dead River Co. is family-owned with over 1,000 employees serving customers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and northern Massachusetts.= Sherman joined the company in 1986 and has worked in leadership roles including district manager, regional manager and vice president of the Energy Division. She became Dead River’s president and CEO in 2016. Sherman is active in the community through her present and past board involvement with United Way of Greater Portland, Educate Maine, Junior Achievement of Maine, the Maine Energy Marketers Association and the University of Southern Maine Foundation. Like A Boss is a live Q&A business event where you can hear insightful, first-hand accounts of the realities of running a business. DeSisto i

There’s a lot of new office space under construction or in the pipeline for Portland and surrounding towns: Wex’s new HQ on the waterfront, a mixed-use development including offices at Widgery and Union Wharfs, and Rock Row in Westbrook. A panel of local experts with look at how a boom in office space will affect the real estate market for existing commercial spaces and start to tackle the issue that confounds every growing city: with an influx of commuters, how long will we be sitting in traffic and where will everyone park? Story: https://www.pressherald.com/2018/10/17/business-breakfast-forum-office-park-portland-2/

Press Herald Business Editor Carol Coultas moderated the debate on October 10, 2018 at the University of New England, with columnist Bill Nemitz and Editorial Page Editor Greg Kesich as panelists. Candidates were Alan Caron(I), Terry Hayes (I), Janet Mills (D) and Shawn Moody (R). Read the coverage of the debate at https://www.pressherald.com/2018/10/10/candidates-for-governor-will-debate-in-portland-tonight-and-well-be-streaming-it-live/

On Friday, Sept. 7, publisher Lisa DeSisto sat down with Cummings, who began his academic career in Gorham as a high school history teacher and department head. He served as a faculty member at the Southern Maine Community College and was a long-serving member of the USM faculty. Prior to becoming president of USM, Cummings served as interim president of the University of Maine at Augusta. In 2010, he served former Pres. Barack Obama as deputy assistant secretary for the U.S. Department of Education and took over as president and executive director of the Good Will-Hinckley organization. Cummings is also a former Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, Majority Leader, and chairman of the state’s Joint Committee of Education and Cultural Affairs.

On Monday, July 23, Maine-born actor Patrick Dempsey joined Portland Press Herald staff writer Mary Pols on stage at Aura for a wide-ranging discussion about his work in Hollywood, his life in Maine, his love of fast cars and his work with the Dempsey Challenge, a bike ride that raises money for cancer care at the Dempsey Center at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine.   see video of this event here: https://www.pressherald.com/2018/07/24/patrick-dempsey-talks-about-his-nickname-paul-newman-and-other-topics-at-mainevoices-live/

In this episode, Donna Dion talks about her long history in the politics and history of Biddeford.

In this episode, state Rep. Ken Fredette talks about growing up in northern Maine and his history of public service.

In this episode, lobbyist Betsy Sweet talks about spending her summers on North Haven and her love of the state of Maine.

In this episode, former state Rep. Diane Russell talks about roots in Bryant Pond, learning to shoot guns and her tight-knit family.

In this episode, Attorney General Janet Mills talks about her well-known family and her iconoclastic spirit.