GrowSmart Maine, a nonprofit helping Maine communities navigate change in alignment with smart growth, announces the addition of two new members to its team, Joe Oliva as outreach and communications director, and Dayea Shim as program coordinator.
Oliva joined GrowSmart in January, moving from the Maine Broadband Coalition. He is originally from Yarmouth and now lives in Portland. In 2019, he graduated from Colby College with a bachelor’s degree in government. In addition to his recent experience with leading outreach at the Maine Broadband Coalition, he has spent time behind a deli counter, pouring beers at a brewery, volunteering with the Resilience Corps and organizing on a political campaign, according to a news release from the nonprofit.
His role at MBC encompassed a variety of different initiatives, but at the core of his work was creating and maintaining a set of communications and outreach channels that membership could utilize.
In his new role, Olivia will continue that work and also be responsible for GrowSmart’s website, social media, and newsletters, and will work with the board and staff to create impactful events, and manage advocacy outreach.
Shim joined GrowSmart in January as a part-time program coordinator. In her role, she provides technical assistance related to land use and development, engages stakeholders and the community, and supports workshops, meetings, and events. She focuses on key programs such as the Community Resilience Partnership, Housing Opportunity Program, Building Community Strength, and initiatives related to saving farmland and building local food systems.
She holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, complemented by a bachelor’s degree in public health and psychology. She brings expertise in land use planning and community engagement.
She lives in Bangor.
Oliva and Shim join Harald Bredesen, program director for Planning for Ag; Hildie Lipson, program director for Kennebec Broadband Partnership; and Amanda Vermillion, development and operations associate.