Photo / Ken Hanson
Jessica Estes and Michael Bourque
March 28, 2024
At corporate spelling bee, Maine execs spar over words like 'pilcrow' and 'wobbulator'
File photo
Jessica Estes, president of the Boulos Co., and Jacqueline Edmondson, president of the University of Southern Maine, went head to head during the final round of the Corporate Spelling Bee held by the Maine Trust for Local News.
By Alexis Wells and Renee Cordes
How do you spell pilcrow? That was the winning word in a corporate spelling bee held Wednesday in Portland. The competition ended in an upset.
The event, held by the Maine Trust for Local News at Oxbow Brewing, included 15 participants and raised money for the winner’s chosen charity. Each participant agreed to write a $150 check to the winning player’s charity, and there was also a donation jar at the door.
The final round came down to Jessica Estes, president of the Boulos Co., who was playing for LearningWorks, and Jacqueline Edmondson, president of the University of Southern Maine, who was playing for the University of Southern Maine Scholarship Fund.
“I’m going up against a college president and I don’t even have a degree,” Estes said during the face-off.
Estes's winning word was "pilcrow," a symbol marked to begin a new paragraph. Her first try was wrong, but she got it right in the second round.
“The event was really fun — it was a great turnout,” said Estes. "I went in with no expectations of winning, but I wanted to do something fun, connect with other businesspeople in Portland, and support worthy charities.
"Honestly, I got lucky because there were several words that I would have misspelled! I lost my voice on Sunday, and by yesterday, it was just starting to come back, so it was a little tough to pronounce all of the letters.
“My charity is LearningWorks and I got to know them through a process of selling their building in Portland and helping them find new space,” she continued. “They provide an incredible path for at-risk teens in our community. I’m so glad to see them get some more support and recognition!”
Estes dethroned two-time reigning champion Michael Bourque, CEO of the MEMIC Group, who lost on the word "wobbulator."
“It’s fun to win, but the best part is seeing a group of peers revert to those sixth-grade spelling bee jitters,” said Bourque, who was playing for Portland Recovery Community Center. “I’ll definitely do it again. Jessica is a deserving champion! She was great.”
The other spellers
- Steve Bromage, Maine Historical Society, playing for the Maine Historical Society
- Jonathan Cross, Cross Insurance, playing for the Bangor Historical Society
- Lisa DeSisto, Maine Trust for Local News, playing for Maine Trust for Local News
- Brian Elowe, Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine, playing for the Boys & Girls Club of Southern Maine
- Nancy Marshall, Marshall Communications, playing for Junior Achievement of Maine
- Jay Mazelsky, IDEXX, playing for Adoptive and Foster Families of Maine
- Sarah Moore, Portland Public Library, playing for the Portland Public Library
- Harold Pachios, Preti Flaherty, playing for Maine Trust for Local News
- Heather Paquette, Good Shepherd Food Bank, playing for Good Shepherd Food Bank
- Liz Cotter Schlax, United Way of Southern Maine, playing for the United Way of Southern Maine
- Michael Traister, Murray Plumb and Murray, playing for Good Shepherd Food Bank
- Megan Walton, SMAAA, playing for Southern Maine Agency on Aging
“Competing in a spelling bee at my stage in life was daunting,” said participant Nancy Marshall of Marshall Communications. “Who would have thought that the word ‘wushu’ would take me down?”
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments