Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

The Woman Who Changed America—And Why We Forgot Her

Jennifer Merz, writer, illustrator, collage artist, and author of Steadfast: Frances Perkins, Champion of Workers' Rights, joins Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine to discuss creativity, perseverance, and the value of trusting a long creative process.

After working in textile design and later earning an MFA in Illustration, Merz spent nearly a decade researching, writing, illustrating, and ultimately self-publishing her award-winning children's biography of Frances Perkins. Along the way, she discovered that creative work rarely follows a straight line—it evolves through curiosity, revision, persistence, and a willingness to keep showing up.

From handcrafted collage and children's literature to Maine's artistic community and the enduring legacy of Frances Perkins, this conversation explores how meaningful work often grows from patience as much as inspiration.

Join our conversation with Jennifer Merz today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

The Future of Medicine May Be Prescribing Less

Dr. Jennifer Monti, cardiologist, critical care physician, and Chief Growth Officer of Prescriby Health, joins Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine to discuss one of healthcare's most important emerging conversations: thoughtful deprescribing.

Drawing from years of experience in cardiology, critical care, and healthcare innovation, Dr. Monti explains why medications that were once appropriate aren't always meant to remain part of a person's care forever. She explores how evidence-based deprescribing can improve quality of life while reducing unnecessary risks, and why the future of healthcare depends on combining clinical expertise with technology that supports—not replaces—the human relationship between patient and clinician.

From preventive medicine and artificial intelligence to public health and compassionate care, this conversation challenges conventional thinking about what excellent healthcare can look like.

Join our conversation with Dr. Jennifer Monti today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

Science Isn't the Opposite of Creativity. It's Part of It.

Gretchen Halpert, scientific illustrator, educator, former molecular biologist, and founder of a scientific illustration distance program, joins Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine to discuss the intersection of science, creativity, and lifelong learning.

With roots in both Portland's arts community and the scientific world, Halpert has spent decades showing students that careful observation is as essential in art as it is in biology. From botanical illustration and book arts to teaching future scientific illustrators, her work demonstrates how curiosity can connect seemingly different disciplines.

This thoughtful conversation explores creativity, education, the value of paying attention, and why pursuing what genuinely fascinates us often leads to unexpected opportunities.

Join our conversation with Gretchen Halpert today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

She Started Art School at 50. It Changed Everything.

Susan Newbold, artist, teacher, printmaker, bookmaker, and author of Reveries: Journaling in Place, joins Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine to discuss creativity, reinvention, and the lifelong process of becoming.

After decades working in interior design, Newbold made the bold decision to return to school at age fifty and pursue art full time. That choice led her into printmaking, book arts, teaching, artist residencies around the world, and a deeper exploration of journaling as both a creative and reflective practice.

In this conversation, she shares how travel, history, teaching, and curiosity have shaped her work, and why she believes creativity belongs to everyone—not just those who identify as artists.

Join our conversation with Susan Newbold today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

He Was Told He'd Never Succeed in School. Now He Leads a University System.

Dannel Malloy, Chancellor of the University of Maine System and former governor of Connecticut, joins Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine to discuss education, opportunity, and the responsibility we share to help one another succeed.

Diagnosed with dyslexia as a child during a time when learning differences were often misunderstood, Malloy reflects on the teachers, family members, and mentors who advocated for him and helped him discover new ways to learn. Those experiences shaped a career dedicated to public service, educational access, and creating systems that support people before they reach crisis points.

From early intervention and higher education to COVID's lasting impact on students and the opportunities presented by emerging technologies like AI, this conversation explores how communities can become stronger by investing in one another.

Join our conversation with Dannel Malloy today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

The Furniture Should Outlive the Tree: Philip Hussey of Thos. Moser

Philip Hussey, CEO of Thos. Moser, brings together Maine heritage, craftsmanship, and thoughtful leadership as he guides one of the state's most iconic furniture makers into its next chapter. In this episode of Radio Maine, Hussey reflects on growing up in a seventh-generation Maine business family, studying at Colby College, and eventually returning home after years away to lead a company built on timeless design and enduring values.

He shares how Thos. Moser's handcrafted furniture—signed by the individual makers who build each piece—is designed to last for generations, honoring both the life of the tree and the people gathered around it. Hussey also speaks candidly about the profound influence of his late father, whose grace and optimism during a cancer diagnosis reshaped his understanding of leadership, community, and what it means to live well.

Join our conversation with Philip Hussey today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

Building a Life—and a Workplace—that Supports People | Amanda Rand

Amanda Rand, President and CEO of Spinnaker Trust, joins Dr. Lisa Belisle on Radio Maine to discuss leadership, resilience, workplace culture, and building a meaningful life in Maine.

After leaving Maine to attend Duke University and Harvard Law School, Rand returned home to raise her family and help lead one of Maine’s premier wealth management firms. In this conversation, she reflects on how personal loss, motherhood, community involvement, and professional mentorship shaped her leadership style and her commitment to creating supportive environments for both employees and clients.

Thoughtful and candid, this episode explores how empathy, long-term thinking, and strong community connections can shape not only organizations, but the people within them.

Join our conversation with Amanda Rand today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

Crafting a Life in Maine | Scott Budde on Art, Farming & Finance

Scott Budde, financial services executive, art collector, and steward of a quietly thriving peony farm in Alna, joins Radio Maine to reflect on the intersections of finance, creativity, agriculture, and place.

After a career in mainstream banking and responsible investing, Budde came to Maine to help launch Maine Harvest Federal Credit Union, a mission-driven institution focused on supporting small farms and food businesses. Alongside this work, he and his wife cultivate hundreds of inherited peony bushes on their property along the Sheepscot River—flowers that eventually make their way into local CSAs and community spaces across Maine.

In this conversation, Budde also shares how Maine’s accessibility and creative culture shaped his unexpected journey into art collecting and commissioning. From encaustic paintings to woven works inspired by blueberry barrens, he reflects on the value of trusting artists, engaging deeply with place, and crafting a life that allows seemingly different passions to coexist.

Join our conversation with Scott Budde today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

 

Following Intuition, Finding Connection | Matchmaker Lynda Adams

Lynda Adams, certified matchmaker, relationship coach, and founder of Guided Love Connections, joins Radio Maine to explore how intuition, connection, and personal growth shape the relationships we build.

 

With a background spanning city government, integrative wellness, radio hosting, and coaching, Adams reflects on the pivotal moments that led her to leave stable career paths in pursuit of more meaningful work. Drawing from her own experiences with marriage, loss, reinvention, and long-term partnership, she shares how trust, self-awareness, and community play essential roles in creating lasting connection.

In this conversation, Adams also discusses the loneliness many people experience in a technology-driven world and why she believes people are increasingly craving authentic interaction. Through her matchmaking practice, she combines personal guidance with modern tools to help people move beyond surface-level dating and toward deeper relationships.

Join our conversation with Lynda Adams today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.

The Unexpected Path Back to Art | Portland Art Gallery Artist Jaclyn Janis

Jaclyn Janis, a nurse, public health researcher, and emerging Portland Art Gallery artist, joins Radio Maine to share how science, illness, and landscape converge in her printmaking practice.

With a background spanning nursing, ICU care, and health outcomes research, Janis brings a deeply analytical lens to her creative work—one shaped by her own experience living with a rare lung disease. After years away from art, she returned to it during a challenging period away from Maine, finding both solace and structure in the layered process of reduction printmaking.

Inspired by Maine’s marshes, birdlife, and quiet moments of observation, her work reflects a balance between precision and uncertainty—mirroring the experience of navigating health, research, and life itself.

Join our conversation with Jaclyn Janis today on Radio Maine—and be sure to subscribe to the channel.