Municipal Innovation Day
Description
Municipal Innovation Day, hosted by the Roux Institute at Northeastern University, in collaboration with regional Councils of Governments, including AVCOG, GPCOG, and MCOG is a dynamic, day-long gathering designed to inspire municipal leaders across Maine, surface shared challenges, explore emerging technologies and their governance implications, and support the development of practical, regionally aligned solutions.
This energizing experience combines insightful panels, lightening talks, an innovation sprint, and networking, giving municipal teams the space and support they need to think creatively, explore proven approaches, and build stronger regional connections that unlock collective impact.
Event Schedule:
9:00 – 9:30 AM: Coffee, Tea, & Networking (Side By Side Coffee)
9:30 – 10:00 AM: Welcome & The State of Municipal Innovation in Maine
Keynote Speaker: Samantha Horn, Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs
10:00 – 11:00 AM: Kickoff Panel: Bold Ideas from Municipal Leaders
Moderator: Kristina Egan, Executive Director, GPCOG
Panelists:
Scott LaFlamme, Town Manager, Yarmouth
Kyle Hadyniak, Director of Communications and IT, Gray
Sarah Craighead Dedmon, Town Manager, Machias
DeCarlo Brown, Director of Economic Development, South Berwick
11:00 – 11:20 AM: Coffee Break (Side By Side Coffee)
11:20 AM – 12:00 PM: Innovation Lightning Talks: What Works in Small Municipalities
Forerunner - Cloud Bogart
Apriqot - Ken Shapiro
STR - Paul Johnson
Gatherwise - Erin Knight
Maine Zoning Atlas - James Rather & Abe Dailey
12:00 – 1:00 PM: Lunch & Networking (Catered by Maggie Mae's)
1:00 – 2:00 PM Regional Solutions Panel
Moderator: Andrew Butcher, Maine Connectivity Authority
Panelists:
Ethan Vinson, AVCOG
Kaya Williams, SMPDC
Tony Plante, GPCOG
Max Johnstone, MCOG
2:00 – 4:00 PM: IdeaJAM - The Roux Institute’s signature ideation event, designed to help stakeholders validate problems, shape early-stage concepts, and gain real-time insights from peers and the broader entrepreneurial community. This facilitated, high-energy session invites teams to choose one of three pressing challenges and collaboratively explore and develop potential solutions.
Municipal Innovation Day is part of the Breakthrough Maine Event Series, presented by Northeastern University’s Roux Institute and Maine Technology Institute. The series brings together students, partners, innovators, entrepreneurs, faculty and researchers, and community leaders to showcase Maine’s innovation ecosystem and foster collaboration across the region.
Keynote Speaker
Samantha Horn
Governor Janet Mills appointed Samantha Horn as Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs in October 2024. Horn has three decades of experience in policy, planning, and science, including consulting on public stakeholder engagement, policy work, and planning and siting for development projects. Prior to starting her consulting business, she was the director of science for The Nature Conservancy in Maine and worked in state natural resource agencies for nearly 20 years, including more than a decade in leadership roles at the Maine Land Use Planning Commission. Horn has a Master's Degree in the Human Dimensions of Fish and Wildlife Conservation from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Bachelor's degree in biology and English literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Her interests include rural community capacity, renewable energy siting practice, and integrated policy development. Horn was formerly on the boards of directors of the Maine Association of Planners, GrowSmart Maine, and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.
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