Meet Our Board
OWEN J. LOGUE, ED.D.
President
Owen J. Logue, Ed.D., is an accomplished leader with over 40 years of professional experience in the field of education. Dr. Logue previously served as the executive director of the Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Maine, Smith College, and Providence College. He was also an associate dean of academic services at the University of Maine at Orono for 11 years. He has served on countless local, state commissions and national boards.
He received a Doctorate of Education from Vanderbilt University ( Higher Education Administration); a Masters in Education from the University of Maine (Secondary Social Studies and Special Education); and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Maine (Social Welfare). A former cross-country and track coach, Dr. Logue also participated as a Deaf Olympian representing the United States in track and field in West Germany and Los Angeles. OJ has been selected to coach the USA Deaf Track and Field team at the Worlds Championship in Radom, Poland this summer and then the Deaflympics in 2021 to be held in Brazil.
KATHIE MARQUIS-GIRARD
Vice president
Kathie retired this past year after 36 years of service in public education, 26 of which were spent as an educational leader and administrator. She graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington and USM’s College of Education Graduate Programs, Exceptionality and Educational Leadership. During her career, Kathie has worked with GBSD students and staff for over 17 years, the past 10 years as an administrator in Portland Public Schools District.
TARJA OLIVER, AU.D.
secretary
Tarja Oliver is a Doctor of Audiology and Owner at Dirigo Hearing Center in Biddeford. Dr. Oliver joined the Percival P. Baxter Foundation for Maine’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children in June 2021. As an audiologist she serves individuals of all ages with hearing loss for diagnostic evaluations as well as amplification fittings and maintenance. Dr. Oliver completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Colorado in Boulder. After she graduated from Northeastern University and completed her residency at Boston Children’s Hospital in 2018, she left Boston to begin her career here in Maine as an audiologist.
IAN SWANBERG
Treasurer
Ian Swanberg leads strategic initiatives for Lumen Technologies, a global network technology and solutions provider. He previously served as the Associate Vice President of Finance at the University of Southern Maine and Associate Commissioner for Policy and Finance for the Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services. Before returning to Maine, he worked for five years as an equity analyst with FBR Capital Markets in Arlington, Virginia. Earlier in his career, he served five years as a legislative assistant and press secretary for U.S. Senator Susan Collins.
A native of Caribou, Ian holds an MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management and a BA in Economics and Political Science from McGill University in Montreal. He and his wife, Jill, reside in Cumberland.
LAURA EBERLY
bOARD MEMBER
Laura Eberly is an Accessibility Analyst at Google, working remotely from Maine. She contributes to features such as Live Caption which automatically generates captions for any audio in Chrome browser and Chromebooks. She describes herself as an Accessibility Enthusiast, always looking for exciting ways to include everyone. She's enjoying learning ASL. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, she earned her Bachelor's of Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh with specialties including Psychology and Computer Science. She and her family are putting down roots in Portland and are grateful to live in such a lovely place.
KAREN HOPKINS
EX OFFICIO
Karen Hopkins is the Executive Director at The Maine Educational Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing/Governor Baxter School for the Deaf. Karen oversees early intervention and educational programming for children birth through age 21 throughout the state of Maine, which includes: outreach services statewide, the Bilingual Bimodal Preschool Program at MECDHH and school for the deaf site based programming. In addition to the Percival Baxter Foundation, she serves on the Hands & Voices HQ Board, the Maine Newborn Hearing Screening Advisory Board and Maine's Commission for Deaf /Hard of Hearing and Late Deafened. Karen has served on many committees and tasks forces through Maine and the US. Karen holds educational degrees and certifications in the following: Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, Director of Special Education, Building Administrator, and Superintendent. Karen has received degrees and certificates of advanced studies from Gallaudet University, University of Maine and University of New England. Karen grew up in Northern Maine and is a Deaf adult who has three children one of whom is hard of hearing.