Latest / The Ric and Dan Show / "It's all about community, really, at the bottom line": Tom Peaco of The University of Maine Alumni Association

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"It's all about community, really, at the bottom line": Tom Peaco of The University of Maine Alumni Association · The Ric and Dan Show

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(Transcribed by TurboScribe. Go Unlimited to remove this message.) How do you take your coffee black like a black black black like a black bear exactly exactly
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hosts of the Rick and Dan show have the strength of ten black bears because of coffee and coffee the exclusive sponsor of the
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Is this where we sing the mean Stein song?
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He's Rick Tyler, and he's Dan Cashman, and I'm Tom Pico of the University of Maine Alumni Association
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And I'm on the Rick and Dan show go black bears in Maine
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We often hear you can't get there from here
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These are the stories of the risk takers the trailblazers those who turn obstacles into opportunities
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Every day and found their way to get there from here and today. They're on the Rick and Dan show
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How do you get from make-a-wish to the University of Maine Alumni Association?
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Well, I had a stop in between the Chamber of Commerce Chamber of Commerce Cindy. Yeah, so but yes
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18 years as executive director of make-a-wish, Maine just a phenomenal experience to lead that organization
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My entire career path has been in the nonprofit world so I started way back
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Right out of you Maine
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went to the work for the Boy Scout Council of Portland and was there for seven years and then a couple years in Vermont with
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Scouting there and then my wife and I lived in Vermont long enough to realize that we really love Maine and want to come home
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so
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Literally looking in the main Sunday telegram that we would get in the mail on Wednesdays in Vermont
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Yes history by yes, right
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So and saw this little ad for executive director of make-a-wish, Maine in
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1997 and
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Applied and funny enough. They hired me. So we moved back home sidebar Dan Cashman. Yes, sir
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How many guests have we had on our program?
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They went away. Mm-hmm, but something drew them back to Maine several
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How many hosts have we had that have done that right several? Mm-hmm hundred percent
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What about the nonprofit world appealed to you throughout all of the rules? I've had the
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Consistent thread is that it's a relationship business, right? It's all about
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Engaging people right? So that's really what lights my fire I guess and keeps me
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Doing these kinds of things is to see the whatever the mission might be
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I guess first and foremost you have to have it inside that it's something that's important to you
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And I've been fortunate to be able to find rules like that
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that are important to me including the the current one but to be able to light that spark and other people and see them get
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Excited about it and get engaged and rally around whatever the mission might be that you're working on is very rewarding
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It takes a lot of energy to maintain that spark rate
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Spark rate because you got to find someone you've got to ignite them while you remain
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Ignited right right of the three gigs that we've talked about so far. We've just mentioned them
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We'll dig into each one make a wish. Yep Chamber of Commerce and the University of Maine Alumni Association
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Which one do you think is the easiest to ignite the people to which you reach?
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I think pretty clearly it was make a wish, you know, that's
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You just say make a wish to anyone and you immediately get Oh
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That is so nice, right?
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So yeah, and you don't have to explain the mission people get it and they're pretty much
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universally a fan so that was very rewarding to see and
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Relatively easy to rally people around I know this is probably like asking you to pick your favorite child
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But I have a wish in particular that you were particularly proud of helping make for someone. Oh boy
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So many I mean I was fortunate to lead the organization for 18 years
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So there was over a thousand wishes granted during that time in Maine, which is pretty incredible to think about
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But the first one I did I remember little guy
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I think her name is Morgan down in southern Maine and she wanted a purple hot tub and they don't often come in purple
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We found
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But shouldn't just trying to paint those. No
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So, but we did find one and so that was that was one that that stuck with me for sure
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Do you recall how old Morgan was? She was a
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Maybe seven or eight by the time you hit 13 or 14 the other color preferences change
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Do you
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Keep in touch with any of the families that you help connect with wishes
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I see them from time to time
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But I don't you know
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I'm some that I've seen again through my experience at UMaine to that
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We had one make-a-wish child in particular who was a student now that when I was here just graduated a year or two ago
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So so that joy joy came back to you. Yes. Yeah to see them again in a different capacity was really pretty rewarding
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So you went from make-a-wish to the Chamber of Commerce? That's right in which communities Camden Rockland can be done. Yes
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Yeah, Knox County. I know that doing make-a-wish your heart is raised. It's like the Grinch, right?
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You grow three sizes sure and then you go and you deal with the business community, right?
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And your heart doesn't always grow three sizes, right? Was that a bit of an emotional level set for you?
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Yes, but I think you know
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We really did a lot of work around building community
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And I think that that was really rewarding Rockland is a place that my family and I live for 26 years
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We raised our kids there all our kids, you know went to school and at Oceanside High School in Rockland
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And so that really is home for us I would say but Mariners the Mariners. Yes
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Yes
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So being able to be a part of something that really was building the community in our region was was very rewarding
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Sometimes we think the Chamber of Commerce will yes
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There is a lot of business advocacy and you go to bat for them within the community and to Augusta
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Maybe sometimes Washington more like Augusta, right?
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But there was more community building here and that helped to fill that internal mission
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You have a sparking joy and keeping flames going
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well
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I think seeing things like a really good business after hours come together and you have a
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Bunch of people show up and the connections are made and seeing people that hadn't met before
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Walk out having exchanged business cards and plans to follow up after it's like, okay
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We made a connection there for somebody we fulfilled the mission, right?
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I think also during that period that I was there was during kovat
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And so I and I think people like Deb Newman and others in the chamber world
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Would agree that I think chambers probably never felt so valuable as during that time when businesses were struggling so much
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To just figure out how to survive and we really played a pretty key role in getting people connected with
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State and federal resources that could literally save their small business
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So difficult time for sure, but also very rewarding and felt like it was doing something tangible
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Or for the business community during that tough time
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I can definitely see how the joy can connect in both roles
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But I do think just sitting here and hearing you talking about it and knowing what I know of both organizations
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I feel like that make-a-wish must have had a more of an emotional connection
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Oh, but did you did you miss that as you moved on or was it something that maybe got a little bit less?
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Emotionally exhausting because emotions can make people exhausted even though they feel great. Sure
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No, I think you know, I was there for 18 years and so
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Not always on the front lines, you know, we had other staff and volunteers clearly that made it come to life
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But I get to know plenty of make-a-wish families
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And so yeah, I think I still have a very soft spot in my heart for make-a-wish
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But I think you get to a point where like well after 18 years
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They've kind of had all my good ideas and maybe it's time for somebody else to have a turn here to yeah
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Take the organization to a new level. I definitely missed it and still do miss it
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but I think
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18 years is a pretty good run
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Anywhere and it has been very rewarding to see the organization continue to flourish and grow under new leadership
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18 with make-a-wish and then to the chamber
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How many years of the chain seven years of the seven years of the channel you have a short but very sturdy resume
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That's right. Okay, and then was it from the chamber to the alumni to the Alumni Association?
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Now tell us about that draw did they send bananas the bear to your house and knock on the door and that would have been
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Great, that would have been great. That would be now that would be the way to recruit faculty and staff
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You would think somebody get president Joan for any money on the phone. That's an idea right there, right?
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If you say no, this bear is gonna Molly and how do you say no to bananas, right?
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You just can't don't say no what was interesting. I'm I wasn't looking for a new job, you know
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I'm in the main Sunday telegram. I did not see it in the main Sunday telegram that time
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No
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but I did see it come across my desk at the Chamber of Commerce because we would often get job postings through the chamber that
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They would ask us to share out with members and that kind of thing. And so it just caught my eye
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Well, this is interesting. I'm a humane alum. My wife's a humane alum. My kids go to humane
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How many three boys all black bear alumni now?
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So and the most recent being this just in May this year and he was a senior in high school at the time
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So, you know if that had come through a year before and my son was entering his senior year of high school
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I probably wouldn't have given in a second thought but it was kind of one of those moments in life where
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If we were ever gonna make a change
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this would be kind of a good time in life to do it because we're about to be empty nesters and so
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chatted with my wife and
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Decided what the heck let's just send the resume in and see what happens and here I am. So
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So anyway, it just kept
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progressing and we had a couple of gut-check moments about are we really gonna pursue this and and but I'm very glad I did
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Step back. Was there a gut-check moment when you went from make-a-wish to the chamber? Oh for sure
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I would say walking away from something that's been very good to you for 18 years is a big deal, right? So
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That was hard because I love the organization, but also during my 18 years
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there was a transition from having the state headquarters or make-a-wish be in Camden where the main chapter started to
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Under my leadership we moved the
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headquarters over time to Portland me to be closer to Maine Medical Center
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Which is the biggest referral source for children and of course, you know fundraising opportunities in Southern Maine as well
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So but I did not move to Portland
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I stayed living in Rockland and was able to work from home a little bit and commute to Rockland
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So the move to the chamber was also being able to have an office two miles from my house rather than 90 miles from my house
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So that was part of the decision there
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But still not an easy choice to leave when the job posting came across your desk at the chamber
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You're sitting there. You see it come through right? What was your first thought?
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Did you immediately say gosh, this sounds like something I would like or did it take some simmering within your brain before you got there?
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No, I'm pretty sure I went home that night and mentioned it to my wife, you know, just as
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Boy, this caught my eye. What do you think? Let's talk about it. And I mean, I didn't apply right away
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I think I gave it a week or two
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But we kept kind of noodling on it and thinking about it and just kind of as I said got to that point about well
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What the heck let's see what happens who warmed up first mama bear or Papa bear. I would say I did. Yeah
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Yeah, so and what about the baby bears? Yeah, I don't know that they were in the loop of the discussion at that point
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By the way, you mean you have a when you have a group of bears. Yeah, what is a group at it?
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Like it's an army of frogs. So I think it's a colony of ants, you know
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But you know a group of bears is I don't you probably I
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Do I had to look it up because I remember what it was
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They're actually two actual names for it is in some countries. It's called a sleuth. Hmm and some countries. It's called a sloth
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No, you are not a lazy individual. We're going to go with we're going
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I'm down with that is the family was an indeed a family you've hinted at it
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How much of a family decision was it to yeah?
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Well, we looped our sons in you know
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When the offer came basically as I recall and I think we really felt like well
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Let's let's not get everybody all wound up about this until there's a reason to be wound up about it
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So we did discuss it with everybody and kind of you know
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Had the broadened that gut check moment discussion because I think the biggest factor for our family was that you know
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Rocklin was home for 26 years and this would mean leaving right?
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so but I think we all recognized that it was a great opportunity and something that I was excited about and so
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Decided that it was the right time to pursue it and it's worked out very well
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The three boys that are now graduates have they stayed around here have they gone on to other places?
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Yeah
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My oldest son's act lives in New York City
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In this employment recruiting field and doing very well for himself
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And then our two younger sons are local ones work in the medical field in Bangor
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And then our youngest son just graduated and is home with us for the summer and in contemplating his next move
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So will Zach be going to see the Cornell game at Madison Square? I think so. Yes. Yes indeed. So as well, I yeah
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Hopefully you too, right we'll see. Yeah, it'll be great
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I wonder if when the time came to go from Rockland to your new gig at the University main Alumni Association
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You said to the three boys look mom went to you main
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I went to you mean you're gonna go to you main anyway, so you might as well just pack your bags
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We're headed to or not
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Well, our youngest son had already committed to you mean before I accepted the role actually
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So it was kind of a done deal at that point
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Was he worried this would be like the back-to-school movie with Rodney Dangerfield would show up and you're doing the triple
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Lindy in the pool. Well, you know, it's marine biology
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Remember from the movie, right
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That actually was part of the discussion and frankly a concern of mine is I didn't want to sort of spoil my son's you mean
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college experience by having dad hanging around and
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It worked
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Terrifically as as you both know Buchanan Alumni House is not exactly at the center of campus
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And so it's closer to Pat's and yes closer to Pat's so but my it was very rare that my kids tripped over me on
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Campus honestly, but they could come see me and my middle son was a student at the time, too
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So I'm pleased to say that they did often come see me, which is great sometimes looking for cash, but you know
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When you meet your spouse at the University of Maine and you fall in love and eventually get hitched
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You're known as a bear pair, correct? So I want to argue and mrs. Officially a bear pair. Well, yes, however, let me
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Restore easier for you a little bit. So we're we are four years apart in age
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So we did not attend the University together
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I only met after we both graduated but we are indeed a bear pair
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Even though we didn't attend at the same time. So you were one of those show-offs that got through college in four years. Yes
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Four years plus a May term. I've never actually met one of those people. Yeah, very exciting
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I don't think there are May terms anymore, but I have to say that was one of my most
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Fun experiences of being a UMaine student was the May term with the three-week course just a very different
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Feel to campus the weather was beautiful a lot less students there much shorter lines at the dining room. Yes, indeed
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Yes. Yeah, so so that was it was terrific. But yeah, I had my
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As you may know my dirty little secret is I'm a graduate of UMaine, but I didn't attend for four years
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I actually started at Syracuse University for two years. You were orange. I was an orange orange
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The new black right? No, well orange black. Yeah
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Well that good work
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But yeah, so I went to Syracuse for two years and then transferred home to UMaine. What was your major business management makes sense
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I'm wondering how your degree has helped you in your career leading the University of Maine Alumni Association
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Yeah, I think I mean that's the whole basis of my education at UMaine was around
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How do you you know, I'm running a small business basically as the Alumni Association
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So all of those pieces that I gathered from my education as a student at UMaine
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Throughout my nonprofit career have really greatly benefited not only just the classroom education
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But the you know ability to interact with people and be a good networker and you know
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All of that that goes into business education because that's an honest question for anyone that graduates
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I won't ask you down
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But I'll look at you and I will I'll lob the question up into the air
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Do you feel like you are using your degree that you earned?
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Uh, yeah, I do. Yeah, I was a communications major and now I work in public relations
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So I think in fact, I still have some of the textbooks upstairs
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I don't look at them that much anymore because you know computers have been invented since I graduated
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But but some of the basic principles are the same and yeah
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I definitely use use my degree and I think back to specific things that specific professors
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Told me over the years through that major for sure back to the emotional connection
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I can see a parallel to the emotional connection that alumni would have with the place
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they went to school and whether that's memories of the
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external places they would go whether it be Pats or
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governors or places around campus or specific memories on campus be it unsavory things that happened at the dorm or
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Specific classes that they either liked or hated in certain buildings. Do you find that that connection is
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strong on impact or do you have to sort of work through it a little bit with alumni to kind of
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Bring those thoughts back
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I think for those
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Attending an event for the first time and maybe since they graduated or in a long time
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You have to prime the pump a little bit
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But for those who have had an ongoing engagement, they can tell you exactly what those moments are and they love what?
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It's you brought to mind recently on our Alumni Association Facebook page
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We'll throw out a question of the week sometime and the more recent one was about what was your favorite class and the
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response we got was overwhelming about and with people having such fond memories of a particular faculty member that was
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Impactful to them and just you know, I mean we get
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7,500 comments on that post about you know, I remember so-and-so in this class and so it was very
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Rewarding to see people light that spark for themselves about boy
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I remember that class this professor was tough or they taught me XYZ and you know
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So those kinds of things when you see that or you create an event where people that haven't seen each other a long time
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Reconnect with each other and then you see them in another event six months down the road
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Those are the moments that make me feel like we have fulfilled our mission right that we were doing what we're supposed to be doing
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By igniting that spark for people Rick. I'm gonna put you on the spot. Who is your astronomy professor at UMaine?
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You know Cummins Neil F Cummins. Yeah, I still have a game squirreled away somewhere
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Yeah, every cards and drawing and trying to recognize the constellations in the sky. Yeah
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I remember I was not doing well in astronomy Rick and I had barely met and I mentioned it and he goes
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Oh, you're taking it with dr. Neil F Cummins
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I
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Much like the business relationship that you mentioned just a moment ago
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Businesses made in relationships, you know, Dan, you know, Rick, you know, Elizabeth
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We know you Tom and similarly our education. It said that you don't actually remember dates. You remember moments. Sure
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All right. I don't remember my classes, but I remember the instructors sure Charles Beck Bernie Rossetti Bob Steele Neil F Cummins
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Yeah, I mean from the business school my from from my day which is our day Rick well no I'm older than you
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Yeah, so much. Yeah, so but you guys are closer to no. No, we're I'm class of 88. Oh, okay
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Yeah, so I'm an old man. I'm a class of 87. Yeah, so that makes me ancient right, right? Thanks
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I'm class of 2024. Yes, right. We hope after a major
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No, but Sheila Paczynski was a name from the business school and
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She was I think I still have the term paper that I did for her on the insurance industry somewhere in my stuff at home
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But just very challenging, but I learned a lot from that class, you know
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So give me a second to describe this
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I was once enjoying classic rock music at a work establishment and the younger kids behind me said hey
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How you doing living in the past yeah, and honestly, I was kind of offended by that
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You know, I tried not to show it right being a director of the University of Maine Alumni Association
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There is a bit of living in the past sure, but you don't want the alumni to feel old
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No, right. How do you do that? Well, that's I mean, I think part of it is to make them feel young again, right?
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So to remember those great times and to reconnect with those friendships in those
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Reasons why they love you Maine and why why they should love it today
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I guess that's the other thing is to not just have it be about the past but to be about this place
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That was so good to us. Look at what's going on today
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There's a whole new set of reasons beyond what you remember that we should be proud of our alma mater, right?
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So taking people from boy, we had fun at a party in
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1993, you know in Andrew Scoggin to if you can remember the party and
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It wasn't really a party, right?
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Remember the next morning. All right, right. Not a good memory. Yes
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Yeah, how do you find that you can make those connections I know you you travel a lot you visit with alumni and other cities other
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States and there's a fair number of events that happen on campus
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Right there one that works better than another or is it all about community?
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It's all about community really at the bottom line
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but I mean we have some events that we do traditionally every year because we get great response our believe it or not our
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Largest off-campus event anywhere in the world is in Fort Myers, Florida
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We do a Red Sox spring training game every March. Well, that's it
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Yes, so we get 200 to 250 alumni together in March in Fort Myers every year
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and so that's a tremendous event and one that people look forward to and we we in fact do a whole series of events for
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A week in Florida because we have about 4,000 alumni that have at least a part-time home in Florida
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So great opportunity to connect with so we get 4,000 gathered down in Florida. I know when we have alumni weekend
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Yeah, how many black bears does that bring home?
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Oh, well, I mean we we have those that officially for homecoming officially register with us at the Alumni Association
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We had about 1,200 last year, but there are many more than that that come to campus
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They don't have to register with the Alumni Association to come to homecoming
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But if but really you should people if you are you aren't alumni you really should register
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If you want the t-shirt then you have to register with us. That's really what it comes down to
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Be a part of the sleuth that register with the Alumni Association
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absolutely, so
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it attracts thousands obviously because there's there's so many people that will just come to the football game on homecoming and
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Don't come through the Alumni Association
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But they're alumni and they're on campus and they're coming because it's homecoming and you become a party planner of sorts for sure
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But I think you know with with a purpose, right?
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So we really want to create events that are first and foremost enjoyable for our alumni
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but also that create a platform for the
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University to be able to reconnect with alums as well and to tell the story about what's happening today at you
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So whether that's in a group setting or just being present and having individual conversations with people
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we really want to
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create opportunities for people to
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Remember their great times in the past and also be proud of what's happening today and tomorrow at you mean how much does the success?
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Of the sports teams play into the success of the Alumni Association
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Oh, I think it certainly helps with attendance at our events, you know
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And we are not bashful about piggybacking on athletic events on the road for alumni events
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I think it's a great reason and excuse if you will for people to connect
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So we typically try to do two or three hockey games on the road in different places
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As well as one or two around football and sometimes other sports too, but it's not exclusively
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Athletics oriented but it certainly is it's nice to be able to gather people and then also have something to go to together after
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So those athletic events really do a great job bringing the alumni together. Oh for sure
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No, we mentioned Cove it a short time ago. We often end up talking about let's face it
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It was a global pandemic and it really created a lot of distance that happened before your watch
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Yeah, and I wonder welcome to your new position
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Yeah, a lot of the alumni that were once really connected kind of got disconnected because of a global pandemic
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Sure, how did you work to draw them back? Yeah, bring them back the sleuth back to the cave. Sure
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Well, I'm the Dan it should be the day
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Right, right
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I'm a huge believer in in-person interaction. And so I think that's really we dove headfirst into that
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I think that is by far the best way to get people excited about what you're doing
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So if you can be in the same room with people and telling the story and having a good time together
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so and I think by that I arrived in July of
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2022 and people were starting to come out of the woodwork and say hey
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It's it's okay to go out and do things again. So that converged at a good time
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I would say for me personally and for the Alumni Association to say let's get back out there and do more things in person
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In fact, I think that's how I met Dan was at an alumni event. Yeah, it wasn't so yes
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So newlywed game recall the moment for me Dan and see if Tom agrees
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I think the first time we formally met we had seen each other a number of times, but I believe it was at the
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Main at Lowell UMass Lowell game. Yep pregame
26:07
They the alumni events tend to take place at an establishment with food and drink and never wanted to turn that down
26:12
So I was there and I had seen Tom at enough events that I went over and introduced myself and he said yeah
26:17
I know I've seen you around and it's nice time. I meet you and right. Yeah, those are great events
26:21
They really are that event in particular my cousin Matt who was an alum now lives in the Boston area
26:27
I didn't know he'd be there. He was there
26:28
There were friends of mine from Southern Maine a couple of friends from the Bangor area
26:31
They always say that black bear fans travel well
26:34
Yeah, and I think that's true when you see when they played at Denver
26:38
And there's you know enough camera shots with you main fans, right?
26:42
But there was none better than the Hockey East Championship that they won
26:46
Yeah, the garden and they played UConn and the place was I don't want to over-exaggerate it, but 90% black fans
26:52
Yeah, it was like being at a 19,000 seat home game and it was incredible and when they won
26:59
It was fantastic. Yeah, and yeah
27:02
I just those events are great to bring people together for sure and and seeing people at that game
27:08
I was there for the night before too and seeing people that I again had no idea would be there from all
27:13
Corners of New England and probably beyond sure was so much fun incredible
27:17
Has there been a generational drop in rallying around being an alumni for some reason?
27:24
I think back like and you look at a class of 1944 class of 40 sure you go around the campus the flagship campus and
27:31
You see all of these signs of these things that these groups of students have done and I seem to do and maybe I'm just
27:37
Missing it, but I don't I don't know if I see as much today
27:39
Sure
27:40
I would say my impression in being now four years into this is that there was a much stronger connection to a class year
27:48
from
27:49
1944 and the earlier eras and for the record way before us way before
27:53
Yes, I wasn't even born then. No
27:58
My dad might have been around you're both explaining this too much. Yes, right, right, right
28:03
But I think today I feel like students and recent alums are way more oriented around
28:10
Affinity groups they were in Greek life together or they were in performing arts together and labor
28:16
University singers for example or something along those lines then that spans of a bunch of class years
28:22
I remember I think you were probably there two or three years ago
28:25
Liz Downing was very involved in organizing this reunion to celebrate Dennis Cox and from
28:32
generations of university singers gave about 300 people came back for that weekend and it was just that was a
28:38
Passion point for that group of people and I think also of the alumni band that has a couple times come back together
28:47
During winter break to play at basketball games and hockey games
28:52
And so there's just great passion around that and not as much around
28:57
I'm a member of the class of 1998. I think he's exactly right
29:01
You're exactly right because I don't have any idea who I graduated with right
29:06
But I know who was there in the four years. I was there. Mm-hmm
29:09
And when I see them, it's great to reconnect and there are some people I had no idea was it's a big campus
29:14
You know, they're not my major
29:15
I don't know that I knew them or if they weren't in the music programs
29:17
But I think that's a very something I hadn't considered
29:20
But I think that is I think you hit the nail on the head
29:23
I couldn't tell you one person who graduated the year that I graduated with with confidence
29:27
Sure at all part of it is the in the 40s 50s 60s
29:32
It was very common to come to campus and live on campus for four years
29:36
Mm-hmm, and that is not the norm today
29:39
The norm today is more I'm gonna live on campus as a first-year student and then I'm gonna move off campus
29:44
And so you don't build that connectedness with seeing the same people all over campus all the time because you're not
29:51
Necessarily on campus all the time you come for your classes and you go back off campus
29:56
I was back on campus this week, and this is my