Owen McCarthy loves to solve problems, find a challenge, and help people. He is President of MedRhythms, a firm he co-founded, and serves on the boards of a number of organizations, including the University of Maine Board of Visitors. MedRhythms is a software as a system (SAAS) based digital medicine solution that personalizes recovery by leveraging neuroscience, machine learning, music, biomarker sensing, and other therapies to aid patients suffering from neurologic injury or disease.

Owen has built a career positioned to tackle challenging world problems, in hopes to positively influence many lives. He has experience in water treatment, additive manufacturing, tissue regeneration, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. He is the co-founder of the UMaine Business Challenge, an annual business competition in partnership with the Maine Business School and the Foster Center for Student Innovation. He served as a member of the initial program team that created the plans for the Maine Center for Graduate Professional Studies.

Mr. McCarthy is a native of Patten, Maine, where he graduated from Katahdin High School. He completed his undergraduate degree in biological engineering at the University of Maine in Orono, where he was also student body president, and CEO of the UMO student government association. He started his career as a technical sales representative in the paper and water treatment chemistry business, and then returned to school at Harvard Business School where he earned his MBA.

He and his wife Holly, a Doctor of Optometry at the Maine Eye Center, live in Cape Elizabeth.
 

The Rotary ties run deep with Deanna Sherman, the President and CEO of Dead River Company, a Maine company that traces its roots back 107 years. Deanna’s father is a lifelong Rotarian who, 50 years ago, started up a new club on Mount Desert Island. Today, Deanna brings many of Rotary’s values to her management of the energy company, which employs over 1,000 men and women in four New England states.

Ms. Sherman chose to steer clear of energy issues in her talk, but preferred to discuss workforce development and education in her presentation. With an unemployment rate at an impressive 3.2% in Maine, but ranking lower than other New England states in educational levels, Dead River has needed to get creative in filling positions within the region. With the average age of drivers and technicians in the mid-50’s, the company has been working with the Maine Department of Labor and the community college system in an effort to attract younger folks to these high paying jobs. Dead River has offered to pay the college tuition of four new college students who have given a commitment to transition into work with the energy company. The state revenue board is steering federal dollars toward similar initiatives and “Educate Maine” has entered into a program with Dead River for tuition reimbursement and paid internships. And, with company loans for educational purposes, there has been a longstanding tradition of promoting higher education within the company, as witnessed by Ms. Sherman’s own story of obtaining her master’s degree at USM.

With just five woman employed in the 468 driver and technician spots within Dead River, there has been a serious push to train and employ young women, as well as new citizens and veterans, in the energy field.  For a lifelong Mainer, Deanna Sherman is steering this century-old family company into the next hundred years with a mantra of education and workforce development, which she proudly equates to the work performed by Rotary International.

(Photo L-R: President-elect Don Zillman, Deanna Sherman and Rusty Atwood.)
 

President-elect (PE) Don Zillman, standing in for President Laura Young while she was away, greeted 52 members and 5 guests. Paul Tully’s invocation included three quotes, one from Mother Teresa (now St. Teresa), one from Theodore Roosevelt, and one from Paul Harris. Past President Kris Rosado led the pledge. Past President Russ Burleigh was on the keyboard as we sang, “My Country 'Tis of Thee.” 

Don thanked all the members responsible for making the day’s meeting possible.

Our ‘Rotary Moment’ was offered by Roger Fagan. After being a practicing audiologist for 20 years, Roger had acquired a big box of old hearing aids. He'd read that a hospital in India needed medical supplies, so he contacted them to see if they wanted the hearing aids, which they said they did, so he sent them. They contacted Roger to ask how to fit them, so Roger went to India to show them and had a blast....but he need more hearing aids. He joined Portland Rotary in 1992 in hopes of collecting used hearing aids to be refurbished.....it worked! After  9/11 the political situation changed in Europe, and the US State Dept advised Americans not to travel to India. Roger’s focus changed from India to the Dominican Republic (DR). After his and Liz's (his wife) first trip to the DR, they were disappointed by the corruption, but someone recommended he contact Moises Silfren, the director of the Good Samaritan Hospital in La Romana in the DR. He was very impressed with Moises’ honesty, which was in sharp contrast to the corruption they observed in the schools for the deaf and motivated them to practice at that hospital. Roger told us that when he went into the Bateyes (slum villages in the sugar cane fields), he realized he represented the good deeds of all the Rotarians who had preceded him......just because he was wearing his Rotary hat. They see Rotary as a chance for making their lives better. Roger told us that when the team is in the DR for service, we are all there (collectively) with them, because we are Rotarians. When you read to disadvantaged children, visit troubled youth at the Long Creek Youth Center, serve meals at the Preble Street Soup Kitchen, load crutches into containers destined for Africa....feel proud....we are Rotarians making the world a better place. Wear your Rotary pin with pride! 

PE Don Zillman was asked by the Distict to report the number of projects being done by Portland Rotary. With Loretta’s help, they counted 17 different Porland Rotary projects going on right now. Quite impressive!

Our song of the day was led by Gracie Johnston, singing an old favorite, “If You Are Happy and You Know It,” with Russ Burleigh on the keyboard. 

Matt Tassey managed the raffle this week with $1,974 in the jackpot. Russell Voss’s name was drawn, but everyone held their collective breaths as he pulled the Two of Spades, not the Queen of Hearts. Bummer for Russell, but now the pot grows even more for next week.

Dave Small told us that his son started a mentoring program at Deering High School. Now every year, the junior class learns interview preparations and making positive first impressions from adults volunteering to run mock sessions with them at the annual job fair. They are preparing for this year’s “Job Readiness and Interview Prep Day” at Deering High School on May 3rd. Volunteering requires only one hour of time from 10:00-10:55am. Several Portland Rotarians who have done this in the past will be in the DR then, so Pam Bessey needs more help to fill the 16 spots she needs. Please contact Dave Small at dsmall@nelsonsmall.com, if you can help.

(Photo L-R: President-elect Don Zillman, Past President Kris Rosado and Past President Cyrus Hagge.)

Past President Kris Rosado reported that the “Maine Outdoor Challenge" (MOC)” added three more teams this week: Ellen Niewoehner formed a TD Bank team, Ron Bennett’s accounting team and Amy Chipman’s RBC's second team. If your firm, or the firm you work with, does not have a team, ask them why.

The following companies have committed to teams participating in the event:
Albin, Randall & Bennett; Bath Savings; CorVel Corp; Ed Gosselin & Company; Fidelity; IDEXX; J. Gaudet Associates;Kathy Coster; Maine College of Art (2 teams); Marsh-McLennan; MEMIC; Merrill Lynch; Morgan Stanley (2 teams); E.W. Noyes; Portland Press Herald; Progressive Medical; RBC (2 teams); Five Amigos (2 teams); Sun Media; TD Bank; UBS; Varney Agency; Cyrus' Group; and the Windham Group.

Past President Cyrus Hagge was at the podium to also talk about MOC. He is working on the live auction donations. He needs items that are interesting and exciting, i.e. vacation packages, a stay in a time-share, action activities such as parachuting, river trips or helicopter skiing....these different items bring added interest. He’s looking for  $500-900 value, and wants 9-12 items to have in the auction. Proceeds will support the DR trip and other Rotary charitable activities.

Ben Millick jumped up to announce the next Portland Rotary “Happy Hour” event at Rising Tide Brewery,  May 3rd, 5:30 pm. Just  show up and invite friends.