MEET
THE TEAM
People have been living, working and fishing in and around the waters of Downeast Maine for centuries. Today we are proud to help caretake that legacy.
SEAN MURPHY
Associate Director
Seán Murphy is the Associate Director of the Downeast Salmon Federation. Born and raised on the Androscoggin River in rural, south Auburn, Maine, he now divides his time between Columbia Falls, at the head-of-the-tide on the Pleasant River, and Harrington, at Ward's Cove on Pleasant Bay. He has a passionate, life-long engagement with the land and history of the State of Maine. After a long career in university teaching, research, and governance, Seán recently retired as Professor of Medieval Studies from Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. He has been a volunteer for the Downeast Salmon Federation for several years, working on fund-raising, land conservation, and conservation monitoring. He has an A.B. in biology and philosophy from Cornell University, where he concentrated in ecology, evolution, and behavior, as well as a M.A. and Ph.D. from Cornell in medieval studies. He has been a professional archeologist in Limerick, Ireland (on the Shannon River), and has held full-year research fellowships in Nantes, France (on the Loire River) and Galway, Ireland (on the River Corrib). He recently received his Maine State EMT License.
“Let my delight be the country, and the running streams amid the dells—may I love the waters and the woods, though I be unknown to fame.” Virgil, Georgics, Book 2 (c. 29 BCE)
SARA WILLIAMS
Land Trust Coordinator
Sara Williams joins the Downeast Salmon Federation as the Land Trust Coordinator after working for the US Fish and Wildlife Service for 25 years. After graduating from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s in wildlife science, her career as a wildlife biologist took her to coastal National Wildlife Refuges in Virginia, Connecticut, and Maine where she specialized in colonial nesting bird management and seabird research. She brings a wealth of experience managing and monitoring habitats, including non-native invasive plants.
Sara has lived Downeast for 15 years and is proud to call Cherryfield home. She enjoys nearly all outdoor activities and looks forward to fostering a connection between the beautiful DSF lands and local communities.
MEAGAN STANHOPE
Hatchery Manager
Meagan has been connected to the Peter Gray Hatchery since 2013, working with us during her studies at the University of Maine at Machias (UMM). Her early contributions to our rearing process laid the groundwork for many of our successes. Meagan is now an alumnus of UMM with a degree in Environmental Studies and is currently enrolled at Washington County Community College in the Aquaculture Technology program.
After earning her Environmental Studies degree in 2019, Meagan pursued a career in aquaculture before returning to us, bringing valuable expertise and commitment to our growing program.
MICHELLE WRIGHT
Bookkeeper
Michelle joined the DSF team in January 2016 and has over 25 years of bookkeeping experience.
She has a B.S. in Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting & Management from the University of Maine at Machias.
She resides in Addison along the Pleasant River.
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BEN HUOTT
Assistant Hatchery Manager
Ben Huott grew up fly fishing, rock climbing, and hiking in the woods of Rhode Island. Motivated by experiences in the wilderness, he pursued studies in Animal and Veterinary Science and received a Bachelor’s degree in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science from the University of Rhode Island in spring of 2023. At URI, Ben worked under professors to rear Rainbow Trout and hatch Mahi, running challenges and manipulating feed/water parameters to study biological responses.
He is looking forward furthering my knowledge of hatchery management, all while taking in all the experiences that Maine has to offer!
CORINNE CLAUNCH
Office Assistant
Corinne moved to Addison in 2020 and enjoys the beauty of the Downeast coastline as well as going
“upta camp” for lake recreation. She has become fascinated with the annual alewife run and searches
out new places to see them each Spring. This works well with her enthusiasm for nature photography;
particularly, raptors.
Corinne has a B.B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from the
University of Milwaukee-WI. She worked in Human Resources with the Federal Government in
Milwaukee, New York and Boston and then had her own business for 10 years in New Hampshire. She
then worked for Fidelity Investments before retiring from corporate life to become a fiber farmer in
Bethel, Maine raising sheep, alpacas and llamas.
DWAYNE SHAW
Executive Director
Dwayne Shaw is Executive Director of the Downeast Salmon Federation, where he has led the development of the Federation’s fisheries and land conservation programs since 1989, beginning with the removal of the Pleasant River dam and the renovation of the facility as a hatchery and fisheries research center in Columbia Falls.
In 2000 he led the removal of the East Machias River dam and received the National Coastal America Partnership Award from President George W. Bush. The East Machias site is now home to DSF’s Peter Gray Hatchery for the restoration of Atlantic salmon.
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Dwayne was also one of three recipients of the prestigious Gulf of Maine Visionary awards in 2016. The Visionary Award recognizes the recipient’s commitment to protect, enhance, and restore the ecosystem of the Gulf of Maine region and to safeguard and improve the well-being of the communities that depend on its resources.
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MICHAEL MANNING
Fisheries Biologist
Michael Manning is DSF’s newest fisheries biologist. By combining experience from an earlier career in the fire service & emergency management with an education in fisheries science, he brings a mitigation-focused approach to environmental issues.
He has undergraduate degrees in emergency management (University of Richmond) and fisheries & wildlife science (Oregon State University), as well as an MS in Fisheries Science from OSU. He also has experience working for the US Forest Service as a Biological Field Technician (Aquatics) and as a Naturalist Intern at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve in Virginia.
Michael and his wife Kathy are New England natives and happy to be back in the region they consider home.
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MICHAEL SLOAN
Stewardship Coordinator
Mike is an alumnus from Coastal Carolina University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Science. After graduating, he has worked as a federal fisheries observer in South Carolina, Alaska, and Maine, and was a fisheries resource manager for National Marine Fisheries Service – Alaska Region.
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Most recently, Mike worked as a fisheries biologist for Nome Eskimo Community, a federally recognized Tribe, where he operated water quality, wildlife, and fisheries projects. He co-founded and served as President on the Bering Strait regional watershed alliance and collaborated with several Tribes and the University of Alaska on a Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Plan.
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He enjoys fishing, aerial drone photography, boating and outdoor activities, and has a strong commitment to habitat conservation and restoration. His stewardship work at DSF includes monitoring conservation properties, and making improvements to trails, public access, and educational outreach.
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Mike lives in Jonesboro with his wife, Marsha.
CLAIRE BAILEY
Community Engagement Specialist
Claire Bailey is excited to join the Downeast Salmon Federation as the Community Engagement Specialist. Claire graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2020 with a bachelor’s in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a master’s in Conservation and Biodiversity, and she has experience working with both nonprofits and federal agencies doing public engagement and community-based education. She fell in love with Maine after spending summers in Acadia and moved to Bar Harbor shortly after graduation. She is excited to join the team and help promote education and community involvement in the restoration of critical salt marsh habitat in Downeast tidal rivers.
In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, bicycling, and kayaking, in addition to gardening and volunteering with local food security organizations.
ELLIE MASON
Habitat Restoration Project Manager
Ellie grew up on Mount Desert Island where she spent her early years exploring the granite mountains and turning over rocks in the intertidal zone. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science and Policy from Smith College and a Masters in Marine and Environmental Affairs from the University of Washington where her research focused on the adaptive capacity of fisheries in response to climate change in the Gulf of Maine.
Ellie has professional experience as an environmental educator, field technician in coastal and stream habitat monitoring, and most recently worked as a policy analyst for the Makah Tribe in Western Washington as a Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow. In this role, she worked to protect and advance the Makah Tribe's treaty rights by engaging in state and federal policy processes, partnering on projects with various agencies, and supporting Tribal projects such as derelict vessel removal and habitat restoration. She is excited to return to Maine and join DSF as the habitat restoration program manager and reconnect with the coasts and rivers she grew up on.