BoomerTECH Adventures was begun in 2014 by three Maine educators who have worked with adults and technology for more than 100 years (collectively)! We provide expert guidance and personalized resources for the 55+ age group to develop competence and confidence using Apple devices. Our team: Ed Brazee—tennis player, runner, “refocused” professor & author/editor; Jill Spencer—traveler, enthusiastic gardener and photographer, middle school teacher, international consultant, and author; Chris Toy —chef, YouTube cooking sensation, long-distance biker, school principal, international consultant, and author.
Alice Bean Andrenyak is a Master Maine Guide and Maine native who lives at Mere Point in Brunswick. Owner of Alice's Awesome Adventures and Maine e-Learning, she trains future Registered Maine Guides and outdoor enthusiasts in navigation, canoeing, SUP, sea kayaking, snowshoeing, nature studies, and overnighting skills, and is a former Guide's Board Examiner. She has been visiting Malaga Island for over 30 years and leads regular sea kayak and hiking tours of Malaga Island.
Bill Babb is a retired teacher and home baker. He has searched for the perfect baguette for fifteen years taking several King Arthur Baking Workshops and attending Skowhegan Kneading Conferences along the way.
Trisha Badger has been a home cook for more than thirty years, and in summer does some private chef work on an island off the coast of Maine. By day she is Director of World Ocean Observatory, a Maine-based organization dedicated to communication and education about ocean and climate systems worldwide. She lives in Warren, Maine.
Ashton Benn has been in the golf business for seven years, the last two at Goose River. Currently a PGA apprentice studying to become a PGA Class A member, he previously worked at the Samoset Resort and Wawenock Golf Club. In the winter months he travels to work in Florida at courses which have included Frenchman’s Reserve, Bear Lakes, Trump National Jupiter, and Grand Harbor Golf Club. His goal is to introduce golf to as many people as he can.
Jesse Bifulco, elder law attorney, is passionate about helping his clients protect their family and property. A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, he is admitted to practice law in Maine and New York. Jesse belongs to national organizations devoted to the advancement of estate planning and elder law, as well as the Elder Law and Trusts & Estates sections of the Maine State Bar Association. Jesse has lectured in estate planning workshops since 1998 and he undertakes continuous training to keep informed of the latest in this ever-changing and complex legal practice area. His classes are designed to teach people how estate planning techniques can be used to preserve their family wealth and prevent needless family conflict.
Gianna Bird, art teacher, silversmith, and jewelry maker, is most happy making things and problem solving. A recent arrival to the midcoast from Massachusetts where she helped found Five Crows gallery, Gianna manages and hosts the online community "Crafting an Artful Life" teaching watercolor, bookmaking, art journaling, and myriad crafts.
Francis Boscoe is a retired university professor living in Camden. He leads an Italian conversation group at the Rockport Library, and has attended an Italian immersion school in Torino, Italy, each fall since 2023.
John Brock led the USGS National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program for over twenty-five years working in various positions as an earth and environmental scientist, making use of remote sensing in coastal studies and natural resource management and focusing on storm impacts, flood inundation predictions, sea level rise impacts, long-term coastal change, and the mapping of shallow benthic habitats.
Martha Brooks has been a Certified Zentangle Teacher since 2017, and her great joy is to share this fun, relaxing, and easy-to-do art method! She is also a retired Speech Pathologist who loves family and friend gatherings, greyhounds, goldendoodles, and the coast of Maine.
Tina Casteris is a self-taught knitter who loves sharing this craft with those who desire to learn and improve in a supportive environment.
Lilli Clark has fourteen years of dance experience and is here to teach the importance of being able to tell a story with sound and movement through tap dancing. With her knowledge of anything between hip hop, tap dancing, and ballet, she guarantees you will have a fun adventure that explores your creative side and gets your heart pumping, leaving you with an eagerness to return and learn more.
Sandy Clement has been teaching sewing classes for over 10 years. She has sewn since she was a child and has found it to be a valuable life-long skill. She has helped with costuming for local school and theater groups.
Charles “Kim” Coit, a veteran of Maine’s largest real estate agencies, founded the Center for Real Estate Studies to help people navigate the route to becoming a real estate agent, associate broker, or broker. He was later joined by top legal and real estate experts to offer pre-licensing and continuing education classes and courses for people pursuing careers in real estate.
Deborah Cook has been a practicing physical therapist for twenty-five years and a yoga instructor for eight. She has a master's and doctorate degree in physical therapy from Husson University and has studied and taught many holistic complementary practices such neuromuscular massage, stress management, Yoga Nidra and Hanna Somatics. She recently completed a nine-month advanced teacher training in Physiyoga which pulls all these practices together. She is very excited to share its wonderful benefits!
Kevin L. Cope is a retired faculty member from Louisiana State University now living in Maine. During his career as a researcher and teacher, he published numerous books and studies on Enlightenment culture, investigating both mainstream topics such as early modern philosophers and such delightful diversions as joke books, images of George Washington, hermits, and colossal statues. Kevin is currently preparing a comprehensive study on the subterranean world during the eighteenth century. He frequently appears on radio and television as a commentator on higher education in America.
Barbara Davis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Registered Expressive Arts Therapist (REAT) with over thirty years of experience, the last twenty in private practice. She is trained in contemporary psychoanalytic psychotherapy, addictions treatment, trauma-informed expressive arts therapy, and mind-body medicine. In addition she is a sculptor with a BFA and an MFA in visual arts. Barbara has a private practice in Camden, Maine, and offers expressive arts workshops and classes online and in the community.
Peter Eckhart took over Don Sabins’ forty-plus-year-old sewing machine repair business in 2017 after twenty-six years as a Design Draftsman at SteelPro. Since then he has serviced many vintage sewing machines, including ones that have not been used in many years. He also keeps the newer machines at Camden Hills Regional High School and Camden-Rockport Middle School in working order.
Nicola Eden, former Physical Education teacher and career movement educator, loves using an individually appropriate approach to guide others to discover the gifts of yoga.
Randy Fein is an award-winning ceramic artist. She has found her way with clay for more than 40 years, producing original one-of-a-kind pottery, commissioned tile installations, and clay sculptures. She has conducted over 100 artist-in-resident programs in public schools throughout Maine and has taught at Unity College in Maine; Castleton State College in Vermont; and Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Preethi Fernando is the founder of Kelum Training and Consulting, the author of fifteen books and a top keynote speaker on emotional intelligence. A past winner of Stephen King’s Haven Foundation Award, Preethi lives in Loveland, Colorado. Visit preethifernando.com.
Stephen Florimbi has exhibited work at various venues in Maine, Connecticut, and New York. His loose brushwork and impressionistic style have earned him an honorable mention at the 2024 Ogunquit Plein Air Festival and juried acceptance into the 2025 Cape Elizabeth Paint for Preservation event as well as into the 2025 Adirondack Plein Air Festival. His painting, Coming and Going, was chosen for this year's Maine Boat and Home Show poster. Stephen believes in making nurturing, fun opportunities for everyone to be creative.
Angel Frost has been crocheting since she was fourteen years old when she learned the basics from her stepdad. You will always find her carrying a bag with a project or two. Currently projects include a corner to corner blanket, a cardigan, a blanket for her daughter, a blanket for a gift, and a bralette! She’s married to her best friend, has a two-year-old daughter, and lives in Liberty.
Paul García is a translator who taught at secondary and university levels for many years. He has lived and worked in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Spain, and Argentina.
Elisabeth Goodridge has tutored and taught French for over fifty years from the Berlitz School in Montreal, to the Penobscot Bay Language School in Rockland, local elementary schools, and the University of Maine-Augusta. Having lived in both France and Quebec, she has a lifelong love of their language, cultures, and unique francophone heritage.
Jennifer Harris, Independent licensed training provider, is a lifelong Maine resident. She earned her degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Southern Maine. Jennifer has held numerous Red Cross certifications over the years including swimming instructor and lifeguard. With a passion for teaching, Jennifer prides herself on providing a learning experience that is engaging, fun, and informative. She resides in Washington with her husband Neil and has two young adult children who live in the area.
Joan E. Herzog is a Permaculture Garden Designer, retired Registered Dietitian and health columnist with a passion for organic gardening. In five years, she converted a ¼ acre city lot into a lush bird and insect haven with over 85 native plant species and large beds of fruits and vegetables. Joan has taught hundreds of food/nutrition workshops and is thrilled to transition to teaching permaculture garden techniques. Joan, only recently, has been diagnosed with a brain injury that changed her life in surprisingly positive ways. She also swears gardening is your best bet against an aging body and brain.
Sherwood Hilt first discovered wood carving at Camp Bomazeen in 1990 where he learned how to do relief carvings, neckerchief slides, signs and a variety of other items. In 2012 he started carving shorebirds and ducks. He has taught merit badge wood carving for the Boy Scouts for many years. Sherwood has a degree in building construction and worked at Lyman-Morse as a cabinet maker until retirement.
Angie Jones was a special ed educator for twenty-five years and is currently teaching at the Giving Tree School. She enjoys rehabbing furniture, decorative welding, stone carving, pottery, abstract painting, sewing, and especially working with children using found objects to make recycled art.
Ava Kabouchy has traveled extensively for work and pleasure and upon ending a long career in teaching and in other fields, she went to SW France to study French language and culture full-time and came across references to the Camino de Santiago one day and decided to see what it was all about. She has now been on two Caminos in Spain as well as one in France and another in Portugal. She has published travel articles on The Camino de Santiago, Saudi Arabia, France, Iceland, and coming home to Portland, Maine.
Sofija Kleinschmidt learned the art of farm-to-table cooking in her grandmother's Lithuanian farmhouse kitchen. Her family came to Maine during the breakup of the Soviet Union. A young, music world visionary and former professional opera singer, she aims to cultivate a safe and inspiring learning environment in which students feel safe and excited to learn—whether singing or cooking!
Germaine Koomen is a fiber enthusiast, hiker, and teacher.
Patti (Prema) Kristiansen is a Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) and Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT) who brings over thirty years of therapeutic practice and tailors each class to individual needs as each person has their own "body story" such as old injuries, joint limitations, etc.
Sasha Laurita has been working with clay for 25 years, first as a potter and then as a sculptor. She holds a Master’s degree in Sculpture and Visual Arts from Fontbonne University where she completed one of the few programs in the country focusing on the art of the human figure.
Jacinda Martinez has been a professional farmer and gardener for over sixteen years. She loves teaching and sharing what she's learned.
Michelle McAnaney, founder of The College Spy, is a leader in the field of independent educational consulting, an entrepreneur, speaker, podcaster and writer. Michelle has worked with hundreds of students and families to identify (and get accepted to) the colleges that best fit their unique needs and preferences. Michelle is an engaging and authoritative speaker, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about education and college admissions. Before founding The College Spy, Michelle worked as a school counselor at CHRHS; she is excited to return to her favorite Maine community and share her expertise.
Mike McCune has a degree in Biology and has been carving and watching birds for over twenty years. He has taught duck carving for over eight years.
joani mitchell has been playing and teaching piano in the midcoast area for nearly fifty years. You may have heard her play for Our Lady of Good Hope Church, many of the musicals at Camden Hills Regional High School, in local community theaters, and for The Penobscot Bay Singers, among others. She created and implemented the music program at The Riley School. She has a music degree in piano performance from the University of Maine and has studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Kim Odell is an Occupational Therapist with thirty-plus years clinical experience. She is licensed in the state of Maine, and retired from general practice, but enjoys providing community education sessions. Mary Woodbury has thirty years' clinical experience as a hand therapist providing specialized therapeutic treatment of the hand and upper extremities, including shoulders and neck. She holds an advanced designation as a Certified Hand Therapist, CHT.
Dee Patel , who grew up in Gujarat, India, learned traditional Indian home cooking recipes and techniques from her grandmother and mother. Their kitchen became her classroom where family, culture, and food came together. Upon moving Rockport, she opened Namaste Indian Food, sharing vegetarian Indian take-out dishes with the midcoast community until closing its doors last year to spend more time for her family. She's delighted to begin her seventh year teaching her authentic techniques and ingredients to the community through the hands-on, welcoming environment of adult ed.
Molly Phoenix manages The Sewing Machine Exchange in Portland, Maine. She has been sewing since she could grasp a seam ripper. Her projects range from scrunchies and apparel to home decor and camping gear.
Lindsey Pinkham is the owner and lead instructor of Midcoast First Aid. A graduate of Maine Maritime Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Transportation and a professional emergency medical technician since 2002, she works for both emergency and transfer services in Maine. Sailing as mate she was designated the person-in-charge of medical care on bulk carriers, oil clean up vessels, and tugs across the globe. She has taught at Maine Maritime Academy in the classroom and on the annual training cruise. She holds licenses in National Registry EMT, Certified CPR/AED and First Aid Instructor, United States Coast Guard approved instructor, Unlimited Tonnage Mate.
Resa Randolph is a local musician, teacher, and artist.
Jamien Reynolds is an avid home cook, caterer, and local food advocate. She has most recently run a large organic farm where she worked to rehab an historic, abandoned farm into something beautiful and productive, with a focus on restoring soil health and making the farm a center of community once again. Through her many farm-to-table events and various classes taught over the years, Jamien shares her love of food and family within an ever-growing circle, and she is very excited to teach this class helping people connect with each other and to the food they prepare to nourish their lives.
Appleton resident Gary Roberts is a Registered Maine Guide and a volunteer naturalist, trip leader, and speaker for over thirty years. He specializes in guiding from a natural history perspective and focuses particularly on the native flora and fauna of Maine. Gary has been a long-time volunteer for Maine Audubon and has volunteered with the Maine Plant Conservation Volunteers, Mountain Birdwatch, Maine Owl Survey Project, and SEANET (Seabird Ecological Assessment Network).
Mary Sabins was born and raised in Maine, and lives in Union. Her interest in the hobby of needle felting began in 2016 when she took an Adult Education enrichment class at Camden Hills Regional High School to learn needle felting. She began teaching this felting craft to family and friends for fun and on a casual basis before retirement, and more regularly since then. Her student's response and enthusiasm for learning the needle felting craft inspires her to pursue teaching further.
Chris Sady, Barbara Spalding, and Lila Vultee have been playing mah-jongg for over twenty-five years and teaching the game locally for years. They are always looking for ways to sharpen their strategic mah-jongg skills and share their love of the game.
Libby Schrum is a furniture designer and maker in Camden with nearly 20 years of woodworking experience. She often teaches at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship and offers one-on-one instruction in her studio.
Geoff Scott has been involved in all forms of snow sports for most of his life and has enjoyed exploring midcoast trails for more than 25 years. He's instructed both downhill and XC skiing as well as worked in the outdoor industry in various incarnations for almost his entire life, including with Outward Bound
Julie Sells, MA In International Studies, is a life-long learner pursuing various graduate programs and seeking spiritual knowledge through various traditions and numerous teachers for 25+ years. In addition to studying divination skills and healing techniques, she continues to pursue her passion of healing the relationships between humans and the natural world through teaching, meditation, intuitive readings, and energy healing sessions.
Michael Shell has taught nonviolent communication for over twenty years. He also teaches coaching, team coaching, relationship intelligence, and is an organization culture consultant. He recently moved back to Maine after eleven years in Japan where he taught Critical Thinking at Globis University and founded Global Leadership Partners Asia and the Global Leadership Community. He was a founding faculty member of the Global Team Coaching Institute and has a Senior Practitioner EMCC Global Individual Accreditation (EIA) and Senior Practitioner Individual Team Coaching Accreditation (ITCA). He is a former Board Member of the Ecology Learning Center, the Asian Pacific Alliance of Coaches, and the New York Yoga Teachers Alliance.
Mike Shunney is the Director of Inner Works Taijiquan and Qigong in Rockland: www.InnerWorksCenter.com. He is privileged to be recognized by the First family of Taijiquan in China, the Yang Family, as qualified to teach their system of Traditional Yang Family Taijiquan, which includes Qigong, Taijiquan, Taiji Jian (sword), Taiji Dao (broadsword), Taiji Qiang (spear/staff), and two-person play. He is the first person in Maine to hold that honor.
Holly Smith is a Maine native who graduated with a B.S. degree in Art Education from the University of Southern Maine. Retired from teaching high school art and photography for thirty one years she now happily teaches adult ed. Holly is represented by the Portland Art Gallery, Bonnie Farmer Assemblage Art & Gallery, and the Lincolnville Art Gallery.
Judith Soleil is board president of Midcoast Maine Green Burial. A semi-retired educator and editor, she first encountered home death care around 1998 when she met Beth Knox, founder of Crossings: Caring for Our Own at Death, which centers on home funerals. Having lived in a community where home funerals were common, Judith feels that green burial is a natural extension of her commitment to honoring this phase of our lives.
Jeff Space has been fly fishing and tying flies for over twenty years and loves to share his knowledge with others. Jeff is a resident of Hope and loves to be on the water.
Jessica Steele has a deep passion for the wilderness and for teaching. She has been working in the field of Adventure and Environmental Education for more than thirty years. This leg of her journey is about connecting more deeply with herself, others, and the wilderness. Join her for a program of connection, learning, and growing.
Amanda Strong, co-founder of Midcoast Strong fitness studio in Rockland, has taught group fitness professionally for 16+ years. She loves encouraging others to move in ways that keep them feeling joyful and healthy. www.midcoaststrong.com.
Bobbie Tilkens-Fisher purchased a child’s frame loom after the birth of her son in the summer of 2017 and taught herself how to weave. She promised herself that once she’d made at least ten solid weavings she would buy a “real" loom. Soon her collection of looms and fibers grew large enough to take over a spare bedroom. By manipulating or plain out ignoring some of the traditions of tapestry weaving, she arrived at a style that is all her own—sculptural, vivid, and flowing. She now dedicates her career to weaving and teaching others her craft.
Allister Timms is a Welshman, writer, and teacher. He is the author of “The Killing Moon” and numerous published short stories. He is also an adjunct professor at Husson where he teaches literature. He is currently at work on a new novel about an ornamental hermit.
Deb Vendetti holds a BFA in Painting (UMass Dartmouth) with Graduate studies in Creative Photography (Cranbrook). She has been active in the local arts community since 1981; Education Coordinator at the Farnsworth Museum (1987-1998); local chair, Union of Maine Visual Artists (2003-2008, and 2022-present). She has led adult drawing workshops for Maine Crafts Association, Lincoln Street Center, Round Top, Orppersdorf Studio, and CHRHS.
Mike Wilson has been helping adults and seniors face their technology fears for over seventeen years, proudly meeting his "no student left befind" goal. Mike instructs students virtually from the privacy of their own homes. His live zoom sessions are great for dabblers, tinkerers, and those who've recently bought a computer for personal or business use
