Gary Vogel, Of Counsel at Drummond Woodsum, has retired from the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) Board of Directors after an extraordinary 22 years of service. Since joining the Board in 2004, Gary has been an indispensable part of MEREDA — serving as Chair of the Public Policy Committee for over a decade and as President for two years. His deep institutional knowledge, firsthand understanding of Maine's development landscape, and tireless advocacy have driven countless legislative accomplishments benefiting the state's real estate community. Gary's contributions have been recognized with some of MEREDA's highest honors, including the Public Policy Award (2006 & 2011), the Volunteer of the Year Award (2010), the President's Award (2014), and most recently, the Robert B. Patterson Founder's Award in 2024. MEREDA is deeply grateful for Gary's 22 years of voluntary leadership and the lasting legacy he leaves behind.
Also retiring from the MEREDA Board of Directors is Mark Stasium, recently retired SVP and Director of Commercial Real Estate Banking at Camden National Bank, who concludes 8 years of dedicated service to MEREDA. Mark has been a steady and trusted presence on the MEREDA Board, serving on the Executive and Conference Committees while taking on the critical role of Treasurer. In that capacity, he oversaw budget management and offered thoughtful spending and planning guidance to the organization and his financial stewardship and counsel was consistently valued by those around him. Mark was honored with the Volunteer of the Year Award in 2020 and the President's Award in 2025 for his balanced leadership and trusted support of the organization's broader mission. MEREDA is appreciative of Mark's eight years of genuine dedication, and wishes him all the best in his well-earned retirement.
After 12 years of dedicated service, Theresa Hodge, Executive Vice President – Commercial Lending at Bath Savings Institution, has stepped down from the MEREDA Board of Directors. Theresa brought energy and insight to everything she touched during her tenure. As a longtime member of MEREDA's Membership & Marketing Committee, she played a meaningful role in expanding member engagement and strengthening MEREDA's presence across the industry. Her collaborative spirit and forward-thinking approach helped move the committee's mission in tangible ways. Theresa was also a driving force behind the development of MEREDA's Strikes for Scholars Fundraiser — an initiative that reflects her commitment to giving back to the broader community. MEREDA is grateful for Theresa's many contributions and the lasting mark she has made on our membership and our mission.
"On behalf of MEREDA, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Gary, Mark, and Theresa for their remarkable years of service,“ said Shelly R. Clark, MEREDA’s Executive Director. “Each of them brought their unique talents, dedication, and passion to this organization, and their contributions have helped shape MEREDA into what it is today.”
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About MEREDA (www.mereda.org) The Maine Development & Real Estate Association (MEREDA) is a nonprofit whose members banded together in 1985 to present the views of the state’s real estate industry to lawmakers in Augusta. Today, MEREDA’s nearly 360 member firms are primarily from the commercial real estate industry and employ thousands of Maine citizens and drive a huge percentage of Maine’s economic activity. The organization aims to promote fair and responsible development and ownership of real estate throughout Maine.
