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Honoring the Legacy of Executive Director Gilda Nardone: Cheers to 43 Years!

After 43 years at the helm of New Ventures Maine (established as Displaced Homemakers in 1978 and operating as Women, Work, and Community through 2015), our devoted Executive Director, Gilda Nardone, will be retiring as of December 31, 2021.

Please save the date for a joyous gathering to be held in Gilda’s honor at the Senator Inn in Augusta on Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. To RSVP for the event, complete the short RSVP form at bit.ly/CheersToGilda (and please note: if we are unable to be together in person, we will reschedule the gathering for spring of 2022.)

To honor Gilda’s legacy and commitment to education access and success for adult learners, the Advisory Council of New Ventures Maine has set a goal to significantly increase the Gilda E. Nardone (GEN) Endowed Scholarship Fund to $80,000 by June 30, 2024. Your gift to this fund will ensure that graduates of NVME’s career, financial, and business development programs will receive financial and other support services to attend college and complete their degrees in Maine at any University of Maine System, Maine Community College System, or University of New England location.

As former GEN Scholarship recipient Lian Oyerbides states:

“Your scholarship supported my participation in a summer immersion
PreLaw Undergraduate Scholars (PLUS) program at the University of
Maine Law School in Portland. The support helped me cover child
care and transportation costs so that I could explore what it would
take to become a successful law school student and lawyer.”

Lian is passionate about equal justice from her own lived experience. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from UMA with a Bachelor of Science in Justice Studies. She received the Distinguished Student Award and was the student speaker at her commencement in 2019. Lian is in her final year at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Texas on a full scholarship.

For all of her 43 years at New Ventures Maine, Gilda has helped people to meet unexpected challenges and transform their lives. To contribute to Gilda’s legacy scholarship, please donate online or mail your check to: Gilda E. Nardone Endowed Scholarship Fund; New Ventures Maine; 46 University Drive, UMA; Augusta, ME 04330.

Cheers to 43 years!