Trustee Changes – Thank You and Welcome

After serving for more than forty years on the Maine Municipal Employees Health Trust Board of Trustees, Richard Metivier, formerly the Finance Director for the City of Lewiston, has retired from the Trust Board, effective December 31, 2023.

Dick was a dedicated member of the Trust Board since its inception, and served as its Chairman from 1993 to 1998. After Dick graduated from Husson College with a B.S. in Business Administration, his first job was for the City of Lewiston as Assistant to the Controller.  This allowed him to work in his hometown, and to gain a highly respected  level of expertise in municipal government and finance.  He has been truly committed to representing the interests of MMEHT members and retirees, and to ensuring they have access to the best possible coverage, and to controlling costs and limiting premium growth. Dick will continue as a nominee of the Maine Municipal Association on the MainePERS board, representing the Participating Local Districts.  The MMEHT Board of Trustees and the MMA staff thank Dick Metivier for his four decades of devoted service to the Health Trust and wish him all the best.

The Board of Trustees would also like to thank Martin Puckett and Belle Ryder for their dedicated service to the Trust.  Martin, the former City Manager of Presque Isle, was a member of the Board of Trustees from 2011 to 2023, and was the Board’s most recent Chair.  Belle served on the Board from 2021 to 2023, representing the Town of Orono.  Both Martin and Belle have recently taken new positions outside of municipal government, and we wish them well.

The Trust’s Selection Committee has appointed three new Trustees to replace these departing Trustees on the Board.  The Board of Trustees is pleased to welcome Stephen Fields, Jessica Maloy and Heather Hunter to the MMEHT Board.

Stephen Fields, Town Manager of Corinth, was selected to fill the remainder of the vacant term through December 31, 2023, and then to a three year term commencing January 1, 2024 and ending December 31, 2026.  Stephen has more than ten years’ experience in municipal government in leadership and human resource management roles, representing larger Maine cities and now a very small town. He also served many years in operations management in the Maine Air National Guard.

Jessica Maloy, Finance Director of the Town of Freeport, was appointed as Trustee to fill the remainder of the term ending December 31, 2025.  Jessica has a strong municipal financial background, as she has served 13 years as the Finance Director for two different towns.  She is also the current Chair of the Maine Municipal Tax Collectors Treasurers Association.

Heather Hunter, City Administrator, City of Lewiston, will serve effective January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2026.  Heather has worked for the City of Lewiston for past 34 years, the bulk of which was in the finance department, where she dealt with employee and plan and benefit administration, enrollment, and rate cost-sharing considerations, and also sat on the City’s Wellness Committee.