Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) Elects New Board Members

Brian Curley, Peter Dufour, and Christian Chandler, all of Portland, have been elected as board members of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA), a statewide organization of commercial real estate owners, developers and related service providers. Founded in 1985, MEREDA promotes responsible development and ownership of real estate in Maine through legislative advocacy, educational programs and professional networking opportunities.

Brian M. Curley, AIA, LEED AP, Maine Licensed Architect, received his architecture degree from the Boston architectural College before moving to Maine. He practiced at several Portland firms, joining PDT Architects in 1996 and becoming a principal in 2003. Brian’s diverse practice covers design for corporate, bank, housing, and retail clients, with special expertise in interior design, sustainability, and historic preservation.

Brian’s recent work includes 917 Main St., a live/work condo project for Westbrook Housing; the conversion of the former Union Street School into Brunswick’s People Plus Senior/Teen Center; the renovation of the Nathan Winslow Block on Commercial St.; a new operations center for TruChoice Federal Credit Union; and the Gorham Municipal Center, an adaptive reuse that received a Statewide Historic Preservation Award from Maine Preservation.

Brian has been a Boy Scout den leader and an Odyssey of the Mind coach.

Christian T. Chandler, of Curtis Thaxter advises businesses and financial institutions in the areas of employment, financial, contracts, bankruptcy, real estate development and intellectual property. Chris is also a member of the firm’s litigation practice group, acting as lead counsel in business related cases in both federal and state court. In addition, Chris manages the firm’s business incubation project, which offers legal services to start-up enterprises for a reduced fee.

Before joining the firm, Chris served as a law clerk of United States Magistrate Judge David M. Cohen in Portland, Maine. From 1994 through 1996 Chris served as legal counsel to the Maine State Democratic Party. Chris lectures on topics relative to corporate formation, financing and intellectual property.

Chris graduated in 1983 with a B.A. in History from Kenyon College, and in 1989 with a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law, cum laude; Editor, Maine Law Review.

Chris is the current President of Portland Nordic, an organization which supports Nordic Skiing throughout the Portland region, and is a member of the Maine Bar Association with Bar Admissions in Maine, United States District Court for the District of Maine, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. Chris’s practice areas include Employment, General Business, Corporate and Finance, Litigation and Administrative Law, and Real Estate.

Since joining Macdonald Page & Co LLC in 2003, Peter Dufour has concentrated his practice on tax compliance and strategic tax planning for individuals and businesses. His current clients include manufacturing organizations, small businesses, real estate developers, law firms, medical practices, venture funds, and software companies, among others. Prior to joining Macdonald Page, Peter was employed at a large law firm where he practiced tax and corporate law, primarily working in mergers and acquisitions.

Peter graduated with high distinction from the University of Maine at Orono with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Applied Mathematics. After serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Zimbabwe, Peter went on to earn his Law Degree, cum laude, from Boston College Law School and his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Carroll Graduate School of Management. Peter is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Maine.

Peter is a member of the Maine Bar Association and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Friends of Casco Bay and serves on the Planned Giving Committee for Maine Medical Center.

According to Shelly R. Clark, Business & Operations Manager of MEREDA, “All three of these member companies have been longtime supporters of MEREDA and we are excited to welcome Brian, Chris, and Peter to the Board. Their active participation will help further MEREDA’s mission of promoting responsible real estate development throughout Maine”.

For further information, please feel free to contact Shelly R. Clark at 207-874-0801 or visit www.mereda.org.