Radio Maine with Dr. Lisa Belisle

Maine Entrepreneur, Jennifer Gutekunst

Jennifer and Neil Gutekunst wanted to spend more time in Maine. Originally from the Philadelphia area (where each of their families had been longtime business owners), Jennifer and her husband immediately felt a connection with the Pine Tree State while vacationing here several years ago. In 2019, they made the dramatic decision to move to Maine and become small business owners themselves. First, they acquired New England Treads, a Gorham millwork company specializing in custom-stained stair treads. Then, at the height of COVID in 2021, Jennifer and Neil purchased the well-known Wooden Screen Door Company in Waldoboro. When it comes to shared leadership decisions, Jennifer's experience as a human resources analyst and love of data has proven to be an effective counterpoint to skills that Neil developed over 20 years as a defense attorney with the U. S. Marine Corps' Judge Advocate Division. Now dividing their time between Portland and Cushing, Jennifer and Neil have shown that it is possible to turn a shared Maine dream into reality. Join our conversation with Jennifer Gutekunst today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. 

Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

Stay Bar Harbor: Stephen Coston

Stephen Coston did not intend to follow in his family’s footsteps.  Despite the fact that his grandfather was a hotelier in Bar Harbor, Maine for decades, Stephen struck off initially in another direction, seeking to make a career out of sports writing. When that did materialize, a book suggestion from his father spurred his interest in reading about business, which led to his getting a degree in this field. Somewhat on a whim, Stephen went on to buy and renovate the seventies-era 12-room Rockhurst Motel in Bar Harbor, and found himself back in the family business.  Since then he’s added multiple properties to his growing real estate collection. Taking a hands-on approach to all aspects of the hospitality business, Stephen continues to learn about design, art and architecture, as he seeks to create unique experiences at each of his properties. Join our conversation with intriguing auto-didact Stephen Cotson today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. 

Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Our Life Stories: Dr. Deirdre Heersink

Dr. Deirdre Heersink understands the importance of truly connecting with patients in long-term care, as a means of positively impacting their health and well-being. Patients who are in these settings often interact with staff over months and years, developing meaningful relationships that become especially important if they do not receive regular outside visitors. Deirdre has seen these relationships blossom when patients are able to share additional information about their lives. Through a grant-funded program called “Life Stories,” Deirdre worked with a team of volunteers and staff to provide this opportunity for patients in the MaineGeneral Health system in Augusta. Join our conversation with physician and medical leader Deirdre Heersink today on Radio Maine. 

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. 

Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Empower Art: Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo

Aroostook County native Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo credits her northern Maine upbringing with exposing her to values that have become integral to her experience as an artist and educator. Like many kids in her agricultural community, Beth grew up picking potatoes from an early age. This helped her understand the importance of hard work, community and connection. Perhaps equally important to her development was Beth’s experience with dyslexia, undiagnosed until she was a sophomore in college. “There are times with dyslexia I can't spell–I can't put a sentence together–and I feel inadequate,” says Beth, who founded Portland’s Oak Street Studios almost twenty-five years ago.  “Art has given me the power to say, ‘I'm still smart, I still matter and look at what I can do.’” Beth’s non-profit, Side x Side, similarly embodies this concept. Side x Side pairs teaching artists with classroom teachers to create an inclusive environment where students feel a sense of belonging, while also empowering teachers to explore their own creative potential. Join our conversation about art, inclusivity and connection with Beth Wilbur Van Mierlo today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. 

Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Encaustic Energy: Artist Dale Roberts

Raised in upstate New York, artist Dale Roberts has fond childhood memories of fishing, building forts and exploring the rural area in which he lived. His early attention to the world around him has never ceased.  Dale’s exquisite work with encaustic painting reflects a careful attention to detail in his everyday life, whether he is out running near his Pennsylvania home, or traveling abroad. Dale first learned about encaustic painting at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Henrietta, New York, and found that this ancient medium helped him capture a unique perspective.  He is fascinated by the weathering and corrosion of subjects, and the possibility of embodying impermanence in art.  Join our conversation with one of Portland Art Gallery’s newest artists, Dale Roberts, today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. 

Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube, so you never miss an episode.

Dale Roberts is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view his art.

Becoming a Professional Photographer: Meet Maine Creative Kari Herer

Kari Herer never intended to become a professional photographer, despite an early interest in the art form. As the director of photography at the high-end stationery company William Arthur, Kari had the opportunity to experiment with lighting as she sought to capture the beauty of their products. Time spent at the Maine Media Workshops in Rockport convinced her to pursue her craft further, and she has gone on to have her work featured on multiple platforms, from magazines and book covers, to billboards. Kari has become known for ability to help people feel comfortable in front of the camera, creating images that are both intimate and accessible. Raised in a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a graduate of the University of Idaho, Kari now lives in the Portland area with her two children. One of her recent projects is a documentary about her teacher and famed photographer, Sam Abell. Join our conversation with Kari Herer today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

Modern Day Renaissance Sculptor: Andreas von Huene

Born in Bath, Maine, and raised in Brookline, Massachusetts, sculptor Andreas von Huene has been strongly connected to the region’s creative community from his earliest years. His parents emphasized the importance of arts and culture, speaking multiple languages in their home, and regularly bringing Andreas and his four siblings to area concerts and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. A graduate of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, his father, Friedrich, founded Brookline’s von Huene Workshop, Inc., in 1960, and became a pioneer in the reproduction of historical woodwind instruments. After earning degrees in engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and Stanford University in California, Andreas returned to Maine, and his artistic roots, creating sculptures of stone, wood and metal from his studio in Woolwich. Along the way, Andreas has enjoyed the company of other renowned Maine sculptors, and participated in events such as the Schoodic International Sculpture Symposium and creation of the Maine Sculpture Trail in Downeast Maine. Join our conversation with Portland Art Gallery sculptor Andreas von Huene today on Radio Maine. 

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

This artist is represented by the Portland Art Gallery of Maine. Click here to view his art.

Illustrating Plovers: Bruce Hutchinson

Illustrator Bruce Hutchinson has become passionate about piping plovers. This is perhaps not surprising, given that he shares an affinity for Maine beaches with these tiny endangered birds. Raised in Waterville, Maine, Bruce’s large Catholic family squeezed into their Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and drove to Reid State Park in coastal Georgetown almost every Sunday after mass. Tuning into this deeply ingrained ocean connection, Bruce and his wife would go on to live in Cape Elizabeth once their children were grown. When local author Andrew Fersch reached out to Bruce to collaborate on a children’s book about the plovers, set on nearby Higgins Beach, Bruce was immediately intrigued. Bruce, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, and longtime professional illustrator, has put his considerable talents to use on this project, which is due to be published in August. Join our conversation with Bruce Hutchinson today on Radio Maine.

Camden Talent Group Founder Melissa Coulombe

Driven by her desire for work-life balance and her passion for entrepreneurship, former attorney Melissa Coulombe took a chance when she started a legal recruiting firm at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Raised in Lewiston, Melissa now lives in southern Maine, but her ambitions are not limited by geography: the Camden Talent Group, specializes in high-profile partner placements in the Boston and Washington, DC areas. A lover of art, Melissa applies her own creativity to working toward personal career fulfillment for herself and others. Join our conversation with Melissa Coulombe today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube so you never miss an episode.

Defying Labels: Jack Soley

Jack Soley is reimagining the way in which Maine approaches and builds workforce housing.  This is an interesting turnaround for someone who admits that his initial entry into real estate was somewhat begrudging. In the late eighties, he was teaching at Portland’s King Middle School, working on Outward Bound courses and designing furniture, when one of his brothers first floated the idea for a new professional path. Jack eventually agreed, and approached this the way he approaches all of his varied pursuits: with robust intellectual curiosity. His interests and education in theology, service and design have contributed to his desire to make it possible for Maine people to live in beautiful, affordable spaces. Learn more about Jack Soley’s passion for this important work today on Radio Maine.

Every week, Dr. Lisa Belisle brings you an interview with a member of Maine’s community, including artists, designers, and more. Subscribe to Radio Maine on YouTube so you never miss an episode.