Our Leadership Team
Rev. Jackie Thornton
Clinical Director
Jackie is our Clinical Director. She earned an Master of Divinity degree from Bangor Theological Seminary. She is a certified Maine Law Enforcement Chaplain with 16 years of experience in serving Law Enforcement Agencies. She is well versed in stress management for first responders and Critical Incident Stress Management. She is ordained in the United Church of Christ and provides ministry services for churches around the state. Jackie joined our team as an on call chaplain in 2021.
Rev. Dr. Lori Whittemore
Rev. Dr. Lori Whittemore, Board President, is the founder of SCS Maine and a Board Certified Clinical Chaplain and Chaplain Educator.
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Lori received her doctorate of ministry from the George Fox, Portland Seminary, her master of divinity from Bangor Theological Seminary, and bachelor of art in psychology from George Washington University. Lori has served as executive director of the Abbey of Hope interfaith cooperation circle and previously created and organized the spiritual care programs for the Maine region of the American Red Cross, and State of Maine, Maine Responds teams. The vision for SCS Maine came to Lori after graduating with her Mdiv as a model for putting spiritual care out in the world outside of established institutions.
Diane Dicranian
Diane Dicranian, Board Treasurer, is a Quaker and Clerk of Midcoast Meeting of Friends. Diane attended Bangor Theological Seminary.
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Diane was recently certified as a Youth Mental Health First Aid Provider. Diane serves on her Meeting's Ministry and Counsel as well as New England Yearly Meeting of Friends Ministry and Counsel.
Rev. Sue Gabrielson
Sue, Board Secretary, is the ¾ time minister at the UU Congregation of Fort Myers, Florida after serving the Sanford and Saco UU churches in Maine for 15 years.
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Rev. Sue (as she is affectionately called) spent 8 years as director of private, bi-lingual schools in Costa Rica. She has also organized political campaigns for same-sex marriage, healthcare as a human right and climate change, she has taught classes at university, and served on many community boards including: York County Community Foundation for 10 years, Regional Boards for the UUA, School Boards in Costa Rica and more) She has two master's degrees, one in Adult Education and one in Divinity and is ABD in a PhD program in Multi-Disciplinary Human Services. Sue has worked in higher education administration and sailed three times on the Semester at Sea Program. She has two daughters: Grace and Ellie. She loves reading, playing pool, walking, biking and other outdoor activities. She currently lives in Monteverde, Costa Rica with her Tico husband (commuting monthly to Florida). Sue offers spiritual care in both Spanish and English for SCS Maine.
Rev. Linda Card
Rev. Linda Card, Board Member, is an ordained interfaith chaplain who came to the field after a 25 year career in technology sales.
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Linda is currently a volunteer chaplain at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick, Linda is a certified End of Life Doula who enjoys working with others, both individually and in groups, where she practices non-judgemental, compassionate listening. She tries her best to meditate and laugh daily.
Anissa Glaser-Bacon
Anissa, Board Member, is the Minister for Ministers in Specialized Settings and Professional Endorsement Coordinator for the UCC.
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Rev. Anissa Glaser-Bacon is a Main-er in exile, splitting her time between Ohio with regular trips to Maine. She is the Minister for Ministers in Specialized Settings and the Professional Endorsement Coordinator for the United Church of Christ and Lead Pastor of New Vision United Church of Christ in Canton, OH. She attended the University of Southern Maine (Bachelor’s in Music Education), Bangor Theological Seminary (Master of Arts in Church Music) and Boston University (Master of Divinity). After having a career in conducting and church music, Anissa experienced an extended call in her ministry and was ordained in 2007 at her home church on the coast of Maine.
As an ordained pastor she has been called to churches with 3,000 members to churches of 50 members, finding gifts and blessings in each setting she has served. She has also worked as a hospice chaplain, a human resources generalist, a Starbucks barista, a medical research specialist, a piano mover and more! She brings a diversity of gifts into her continuing ministry learned in these positions and in her connections with others as a community-focused pastor. Anissa believes that these roles have helped prepare her for the role she fills now, resourcing and connecting chaplains and other ministers called to settings outside of the local church. She brings all this and more to her work on the Board of Directors of Spiritual Care Services of Maine.
Anissa also specializes in the field of congregational song, especially in community-based singing. She now lives in Ohio, a Mainer-in-exile, with her wife Tracy, two dogs and two cats. Ministry is a bit of a family business. Not only is her wife a chaplain in a United Church Homes facility, but she is also one of five ministers in her generation of cousins.
Rev. Lisa Steele-Maley
Lisa, Board Member, was ordained in the Interfaith tradition by Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (ChIME) and now serves as Dean.
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In actions and words, Lisa weaves together her role as mother, daughter, wife and educator. Attentive to the affirming rhythm of the natural world and the details of daily living and relationships, Lisa strives to nurture the fierce and tender connections between self, spirit, land, and community.
Lisa lives in an aging farmhouse on the coast of Maine with her husband and an assortment of wild and domestic critters.
Vanessa Titang
Vanessa, Board Member, is a minister in the Unitarian Universalist denomination. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Smith College, with majors in Philosophy and Sociology.
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Vanessa also holds a Master of Science from Wheelock College, in Organizational Leadership; and Master of Divinity from Meadville Lombard Theological School. Prior to graduating from seminary Vanessa served as intern minister for three collaborative churches in Downeast Maine.
Barbara Wentworth
Barbara, Board Member, has an extensive resume which includes 30 years working for the United Way of York County as it’s President & CEO.
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Barb Wentworth has served numerous nonprofits in many roles during her career. Prior to her retirement as President & CEO for United Way of York County (Maine), capping a 30-year career with the organization, she was a seasoned trainer and presented seminars at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels on board development, non-profit management, outcome measurement/evaluation and volunteer program management. Barb has a BA in Social Work from the University of Maine and a master’s in management from Antioch University.
A strong advocate for the power of volunteerism and community engagement, Barb is a member of United Way NEXT, serves on its Engage & Exchange Work Group and mentors United Way professionals across the country. She currently serves as an advisor for the Maine Community Foundation’s Maine Charity Fund, as a board member/president with Age Friendly Saco (ME) and as a volunteer with several other community efforts.
Morgan Rowe
Operations and Communication Manager
Morgan is a graduate of the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine (ChIME), a lifelong artist and seeker, certified life coach and a collector of useful skills in the field of communications and working with people so that they may be heard, seen, and understood.
Hannah Neer.
Administrative Assistant
Hannah is currently a college student at Husson University and works as a part-time correctional officer.