Regulatory Fairness Board Member Biographies, January 2012
Honorable Charles E. Summers, Jr., Chair, Scarborough, Maine
Maine's 48th Secretary of State
Charlie Summers was elected on December 1, 2010 by the 125th Legislature to serve as Maine’s 48th Secretary of State. The Secretary of State has jurisdiction over the Bureau of Motor Vehicles; the Bureau of Corporations, Elections, and Commissions; the Maine State Archives; and the Office of the Small Business Advocate.
Secretary Summers has served in various elected and appointed positions in both state and federal government including, two terms in the Maine State Senate; State Director to Senator Olympia Snowe; and the New England Regional Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Charlie is also a Commander in the United States Navy Reserve currently assigned to the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey. A Public Affairs Officer, he has served in the Navy Reserve since 1996. He was activated after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks to serve on the staff of former Secretary of the Navy Gordon England. In March 2007, he was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. From October 2009 to October 2010 he served on active duty under the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen. During this time he completed a temporary assignment with the Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command–Afghanistan.
His military decorations include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the United States Army Combat Action Badge, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, and various other service awards.
Mark Tyler, Vice Chair, Oakland, Maine
Mark Tyler attended the University of Maine in Orono and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst graduating in 1977 with a degree in Environmental Design. That same year, he became a licensed landscape architect in the state of Maine.
In 1978, he started a landscape architectual partnership providing site planning for architects, municipalities and private individuals. In 1986 he went to work for a local civil engineering firm as a project manager overseeing the design, permitting and construction of water distribution and treatment facilities and waste water collection and treatment projects.
In 1996, he and his wife opened Riverside Farm Market a small specialty retail store specializing in fresh vegetables grown at the farm as well as other foods and items produced by small local businesses. Riverside has now become a specialty food and wine market, a restaurant serving a Mediterranean inspired menu with a focus on foods grown at the farm and a vineyard producing wine from grapes grown on at the farm.
Patricia A. Kuhl ("Pat"), Brunswick, Maine
Pat Kuhl received her BA from Immaculata College, with a triple major: accounting, economics, and computer science. She completed advanced accounting, finance, and business management courses at Villanova University.
Pat currently owns and operates PK Associates, providing consulting and turnaround services, often working with distressed businesses. She has acted as Acting Trustee or Associate Trustee in Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcies; and as Receiver and Assignee FBO Creditors in a number of situations. She managed a number of businesses during ownership crises and provided transitional services, and worked with companies in their dealings with regulatory bodies to provide workable solutions to problems. She works with medical practices as interim Practice Manager and assisted in combining cultures of merging practices.
She previously served as CFO for Young's Furniture in South Portland, and currently serves as CFO for Gowen, Inc., a full-service boatyard in Portland, where she assisted in changing the customer focus after the substantial loss of the Maine fishing industry. At Gowen, she manages daily business operations and is working towards the sale of the business, as well as the related real estate entity, Berlin Mills Wharf. She has served as administrator for Jensen, Baird, Gardner, and Henry, a full-service law firm in Portland. She maintains membership in the Maine Marine Trades Association, and is a past member of the North Star Initiative. Pat is also a Board member of Broadsound Technologies, a computer services company.
Michael R. Cote, Whiting, Maine
Michael Cote, President and CEO of Look’s Gourmet Food Co., Inc., was selected by Maine Biz Magazine as small business leader for 2010. In less than 8 years, he has revived two historic Maine specialty food brands, Atlantic and Bar Harbor, and garnered distribution in 30% of U.S. retail grocery and most all natural/specialty retail with additional success in Japan, Europe and Canada.
Mike applied his experience building brands at Pepperidge Farm and Odwalla/ Fresh Samantha when in 2003 he purchased a historic cannery in Downeast Maine, previously doomed for closure. Their continuing commitment to the production of the highest quality food has gained Look’s placement on Inc. Magazine’s list of 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies for the 5th year in a row this year.
Mike stays personally involved in every aspect of the business from review of raw materials to production facility operations to marketing and sales, bringing to the business a successful model from over 30 years experience in quality product development and retail grocery distribution and sales. As an employer, he understands that, though many seafood-related businesses are seasonal by nature, to attract and retain quality employees, the guarantee of steady jobs, benefits and other incentives is paramount to his continued success, and Look’s is known as one of the best places to work in Washington County.
Mike travels extensively, presenting the company and the brands to buyers at annual reviews and through numerous food shows, but finds time to give back from his experience and success with service to the local and national specialty food industry. He currently serves as Chairman of the Maine Food Producers Alliance, and maintains board seats on the Maine Lobster Promotion Council and NASFT Distributors Council. Mike was just recently nominated for the Maine SBA Small Business Person of the Year for 2011.
Douglas M. Smith, Esq., Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Senator Doug Smith graduated from Foxcroft Academy in 1965, from the University of Maine in 1969 with a BA in International Affairs/Political Science, and from the University of Maine Law School in 1974 with a Juris Doctor degree.
From 1970-76, he served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives with service on the Legal Affairs Committee (2 years), the Appropriations and Financial Affairs (4 years with 2 years as House Chair), and the Joint Select Committee on Forest Resources (Chair). In 1975, he commenced general practice of law as a solo practitioner for five years before merging with the Bangor-based firm of Eaton Peabody practicing for the next 26 years in a broad ranging practice serving small and large clients in nearly every sector of the Maine economy from the forest products industry to healthcare to utilities and many others. From 1979-2006, he served as Judge of Probate for Piscataquis County, and from 2006-2010, he served as State Senator in District 27.
Doug is life-long Tree Farmer whose lands were twice awarded Outstanding Tree Farm. Among service on numerous non-profit boards, Doug’s community commitment includes: Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis Club (Past President); Foxcroft Academy Trustee Board (Past Vice Chair); the Forestry Building Capital Campaign (Chair) and co-chair of a major capital campaign to refurbish campus; University of Maine Foundation (former Board Chair); and Maine Tree Foundation (former Board Chair).
A life-long resident of Dover-Foxcroft, Doug is married to the former Cartha Palmer of Nobleboro with two adult children: Deron P. Smith and Amy R. Smith.
