Dr. Susan Miesfeldt is a medical oncologist and Medical Director for the Cancer Risk and Prevention Program at MMC. She received her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed residency and fellowship training at the University of Virginia and University of Michigan Schools of Medicine.

Her research focuses on cancer prevention and early detection, as well as access to care. She has received research support from the NCI, Maine Health and Human Services, MaineCancer Foundation, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, and served as Principal Investigator for the NCI Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP). She has participated in several state task forces and work groups related to cancer screening and prevention, and is presently serving on the State of Maine Commission to Study Incidence of and Mortality Related to Cancer.

Dr. Miesfeldt is a member of the American Cancer Society’s Board of Directors, New England Division, as well as the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s International Affairs Committee.
 

Kay Aikin, Chief Executive Officer of Introspective Systems, joined us to talk about the state of entrepreneurship in Maine. Aikin pointed to a number of statistics to demonstrate her point that “tech-based startups support U.S. economic growth.”

Using her own company as an example, Aikin said that tech companies pay twice the national average in salaries and have a jobs multiplier of five. “Policy makers should focus on spurring high-growth technology-based startups,” she said.

But as she noted, the challenge for Maine is that the state ranks 37th in the country for tech-based jobs. New Hampshire sits at the number one position, with Massachusetts at number two. While the state has strong assets in the Maine Technology Institute, mentors, and Maine Angels, access to capital, a strong educational base, and venture capital backed accelerators are additional components for success that are lacking in Maine, but prevalent elsewhere. Pointing to the success of Vets First Choice, a startup backed by David Shaw that recently went public, Aikin said that there was no reason that Maine could not become more of a “startup state” to take advantage of its quality of life.

Aikin reviewed the high technology aspects of Introspective’s software platform and the sophisticated array of products it offers. “We solve the hardest enterprise problems by combining complexity and artificial intelligence,” she said. Introspective Systems was awarded a several million dollar grant to help the Department of Energy with its “Internet of Things” (IoT) software which is being used to develop a microgrid to manage energy. Isle au Haut has become a laboratory for Introspective where the company is using its fractal control software to create a microgrid that will help the island produce and store its own electrical energy using supercapacitor batteries. The project is designed to replace an aging cable system that is very expensive to operate and replace. The Introspective project will make the island’s electricity 45 percent less expensive. Had Isle au Haut not elected to work with Introspective, they faced a $1.5 million cost to replace their electrical cable which would have increased their electricity cost to 80 cents per kilowatt. With the new system, which includes renewable energy, the island can eventually reduce its costs to ten cents per kilowatt.

(Photo L-R: Justin Lamontagne, Kay Aikin and President John Curran.)

Our Sweetheart Auction will be held on February 8, 2019 at the Italian Heritage Center, 40 Westland Avenue, Portland before and during our regular meeting. If you have an item(s) you would like to donate for this event, please contact Loretta Rowe (lrowe@maine.rr.com) 883-5432 or Ellen Niewoehner (eniewoehner@banksis.com) 329-1465. If you received an item as a Christmas gift that doesn’t quite suit you, donate it to this good cause. The items must be new or SLIGHTLY used. Please be sure to contact us BEFORE the day of the auction with a description and value of your items....there is multiple paperwork that must be completed to put items on the auction block and it takes time to complete it all.

Some suggestions for donations:

Themed Gift Baskets - Put a basket together with items for the theme:
    • Theater Nite (Tickets with various boxed candies)
    • Golf Anyone? (Golf glove, balls, towel, tees, cart fee, etc.)
    • Gardener’s Delite (Gardening gloves, seed packets, knee pads, etc.)
    • Personal Relaxation (Bubble bath, bath loofa, wine glass & wine, etc.)
    • Picnic basket (Plates, utensils, napkins, wine & cheese, etc. - NO ants, please)
    • Romantic evening at home (Bottle(s) of wine, 2 wine glasses, etc.)

Tickets to a sporting event
Jewelry
GC to local restaurants - you dine out, ask to speak with the manager and request a Gift Certificate to support Rotary
Pub Crawl for 2(?) - Tour of the Old Port
Cruise on Casco Bay for (_?_) - If you have a boat
Coffee Brewer
Lobster Dinner for (_?_)
3-night stay at your vacation home
Wine

One of the best items we've had in previous auctions was a certificate for home-baked desserts once a month for a year. 

So put your thinking caps on and help us out. 

Don’t forget, get your item descriptions to Loretta or Ellen ASAP.
You can bring the item(s) to a Rotary meeting or to the Feb. 8th meeting.

Thank you.

Game Night             3rd Tuesday ea month
Long Creek              Mike Fortunato
Youth Center           michael.k.fortunato@gmail.com
                                  or Jim Willey
                                  jimandbarbarawilley@gmail.com