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June 10, 2020

Ashland area launches economic development corp. to foster job growth

Courtesy / AAEDC An aerial view of Ashland, where a new economic development corporation is working to generate job growth and other opportunities.
By Staff
Meet the board of the AAEDC
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Seven business and civic leaders with longstanding ties to the Aroostook County town of Ashland have formed the Ashland Area Economic Development Corp., a nonprofit whose mission is to expand jobs, recreation and economic opportunities for the region.

The 501(c)(4) organization held its first annual meeting in April and elected as president and board chair Don Tardie, an Ashland resident, retired forest products executive and co-founder of a previous local economic development committee, according to a news release Tuesday.

Also elected to the board of directors were Carol Bell, Ralph Dwyer, Mark Rafford, Kay Rand, Steven St. Pierre and Paul Towle.

“The board is a group of individuals committed to a robust future for Ashland, and is motivated to work tirelessly and voluntarily to attract investments in our forest- and recreation-based economies,” Tardie said. 

The AAEDC plans to coordinate its activities with town officials, and its board may grow to represent other towns in the region, the release noted.

Ashland, with about 1,200 residents, is 20 miles west of Presque Isle and borders Masardis and Portage Lake.

About the AAEDC board officers and members

Don Tardie, board chair and president, is the co-founder of the corporation’s predecessor, the Ashland Area Economic Development Committee. Prior to his retirement, Tardie was managing director of Maine Woods Co., vice president of woodlands and wood products for Fraser Papers Inc., and operations and procurement manager for J. Paul Levesque and Sons Inc. Tardie and his wife, Lynda, are longtime residents of Ashland.

Kay Rand, secretary, was raised in Ashland, the daughter of lifelong residents. She is currently self-employed, and previously worked in Washington, D.C., as chief of staff for U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine. She also served in Augusta as King’s chief of staff while he was governor. Rand lives in Bar Harbor with her husband, Cornell Knight.

Ralph Dwyer, treasurer, is the former town manager of Ashland and currently serves as chair of the Town Council. Dwyer worked for over 30 years in the forest products industry, at management positions for Great Northern Paper, Pinkham Lumber and Irving Forest Products. He and his wife, Glenda, live in Ashland.

Carol Bell is semi-retired and currently works as a consultant for the potato industry. She has more than 25 years of experience in that field and in the woods products industry, including the management of the J.M. Huber Corp. plant in Easton. In addition, she served for 15 years in public health, also in Aroostook County. She lives in Presque Isle and is active in a number of volunteer groups promoting the region.

Mark Rafford is a lifelong resident of Ashland and the owner of Rafford Construction, a business that builds and maintains over 260 miles of roads and bridges in the North Maine Woods. Rafford and his company also donate time and equipment to the Ashland region to build snowmobile trails.

Steven St. Pierre has been a banker for 38 years and is currently a vice president with Key Bank, where he serves major segments of Aroostook County’s economy, including logging contractors, truckers, mills and land owners. He is a native of Ashland and resides in Presque Isle with his wife, Bethany.

Paul Towle leads the Aroostook Partnership, a private-public partnership promoting economic development throughout Aroostook County. He has served as a longtime advocate for Ashland’s forest products industry, with an understanding of the town’s role as a recreational gateway. Towle is a native of Fort Fairfield and lives in Presque Isle with his wife, Jane.

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