11:30 AM: Registration Begins
12:00 PM: Leadership Luncheon Begins
1:30 PM: Leadership Luncheon Concludes
Introduction: Christina McAnuff—Executive Director, OSWLI
Master of Ceremonies: Cary Olson Cartwright—AVP, Unum; Board Chair, OSWLI
Keynote Speaker: The Honorable Olympia J. Snowe—Former U.S. Senator; Founder, OSWLI
Special Guest Video: Darcie McElwee—United States Attorney, District of Maine
Olympia’s Leader Speakers:
Lily Lee—Oak Hill H.S. ‘25
Kalana Sands—Poland Regional H.S. ‘24
Camille Alipalo—Sanford H.S. ‘22; University of Southern Maine ’26; Company Dancer, Portland Ballet
Olympia Snowe was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1994 and served until 2013. In 2005, she was named one of the 10 best U.S. Senators by Time magazine. Before her election to the Senate, Olympia represented Maine’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for sixteen years. She was the first woman in American history to serve in both houses of a state legislature and both houses of Congress. When first elected, in 1978 at the age of 31, Olympia was the youngest Republican woman, and the first Greek-American woman, ever elected to Congress. She has won more federal elections in Maine than any other person since World War II and is currently tied as the sixth-longest serving woman in the history of the Congress. While in the House, she co-chaired the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues for ten years.
Orphaned at 9 years old, Olympia was raised by her aunt and uncle in Auburn, Maine. She attended St. Basil Academy, a Greek Orthodox school in Garrison, New York, graduated from Edward Little High School in Auburn, and earned a degree in political science from the University of Maine in 1969.
Olympia is currently a Senior Fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., where she co-chaired its Commission on Political Reform. She also chairs Olympia Snowe, LLC, serves on a number of corporate and nonprofit boards, and is the founder and honorary Board Chair of the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute. Olympia is married to former Maine Governor John R. McKernan, Jr. and lives in Falmouth, Maine
Darcie McElwee was 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. She is the top-ranking federal law enforcement official in Maine. In addition, Darcie is an American College of Trial Lawyers Fellow and a Maine Trial Lawyers Association Member. She previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of Maine and primarily prosecuted violent crimes such as sex trafficking, interstate domestic violence, and child sexual exploitation — as well as firearms and arson offenses.
Prior to that, Darcie was an Assistant District Attorney for Penobscot and Piscataquis counties. She is a former President of the Cumberland Bar Association, served as the district Project Safe Neighborhoods Coordinator for 16 years, and taught as adjunct faculty for the University of Maine School of Law (Maine Law) and the Maine Trial Lawyers College of Advocacy.
Darcie McElwee grew up in Caribou, Maine, received a Bachelor’s Degree from Bowdoin College, and earned a Juris Doctorate from Maine Law.
The Institute’s program is made possible by the generosity of our Community Partners.
