On Tuesday, December 12, with more than 550 community partners and supporters in attendance, the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute held its annual Leadership Luncheon at the Holiday Inn By the Bay in Portland. The event, hosted by its founder, former United States Senator Olympia Snowe, celebrated the organization’s success and thanked the network of support helping the Institute deliver its program and develop the next generation of women leaders in Maine.
In her keynote address, Senator Snowe remarked:
“The connections Olympia’s Leaders create through the Institute are crucially important. Their OLAs—along with the business leaders, guest speakers, and volunteers they meet in the three-year program and as alumni—serve as caring adults in their lives who lift them up and let them know they matter. You all represent a strong and committed continuum of support that will pay dividends for years to come. The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University recently found that, “Every child who winds up doing well has had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult.” Imagine how our communities, workforce, and economy will benefit from the investment we are making in today’s youth. They will, after all, succeed us to lead our schools, businesses, non-profits, and government into the future—a future that looks bright from where I stand.”
Speakers included Darcie McElwee, United States Attorney for the District of Maine; Camille Alipalo, Class of 2022 Alumna Olympia’s Leader of Sanford High School, Class of 2026 Student at University of Southern Maine, and Company Dancer at Portland Ballet; Lilyan Lee, Class of 2025 Olympia’s Leader at Poland Regional High School; and Kalana Sands, Class of 2024 Olympia’s Leader at Oak Hill High School. Nearly 50 Olympia’s Leaders were seated among the luncheon tables to share their experiences with guests as well.
McElwee, a native of Caribou, was as sworn in as the United States Attorney for the District of Maine in 2021. She was nominated by President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, becoming the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in Maine.
The luncheon was postponed from an earlier scheduled date out of sensitivity for the shooting in Lewiston; because of this and a conflicting event for Attorney General Merrick Garland’s Advisory Committee, McElwee was unable to attend the new event date in-person. In her video recorded remarks, she shared,
“I was raised in Aroostook County, specifically Caribou, which, consistent with its reputation, introduced me to the value of maintaining self-awareness and a strong character, work ethic, and sense of community. I am no doubt the first U.S. Attorney who worked, for years, in an actual potato field. [. . .] I chose to pursue this position, and a career in public service, because I want to make a difference. I will work every day to find ways to do better. I will be brave, I will hustle, and I will surround myself with those who challenge and inspire me—those who elevate my me and my work in every regard. I encourage you all to do the same, because, when you do, the future of Maine’s leaders will reflect it.”
Since the launch of its three-year “My Values” (10th grade), “My Voice” (11th grade), and “My Vision” (12th grade) program with an inaugural class of 45 Olympia’s Leaders, the Institute has grown to serve more than 555 young women annually, supported by more than 200 volunteer advisors, at 37 high schools across all 16 Maine counties. This year, the Institute will facilitate more than 10,000 hours of connection between student participants and the Institute’s network.