Karen Hayden | President

Karen is a native of Lewiston and graduated from Lewiston High School. Karen is of French descent and grew up listening to her parents speak French to her grandparents and relatives. Raised by a single mother, Karen was surrounded by a strong, hard-working woman and was able to see firsthand how people were treated differently based on their socioeconomic position. Karen credits her family for her drive, strong work ethic and passion for helping others.

Karen graduated from the University of Southern Maine with a degree in Business Administration and spent the next 20 years building a career in banking. Karen began working as a teller in college and upon graduation moved into retail management. Karen continued progressing in her career including roles as EVP, Head of Treasury Management and EVP Chief Funding Officer. Karen retired from banking in early 2022 to pursue her passion of teaching mindfulness meditation fulltime.

Today Karen is the owner of Karen Hayden Mindfulness where she teaches mindfulness to individuals and in the workplace. Karen also works with non-profits leading meditation classes for those with a medical diagnosis helping them become more resilient and develop a greater sense of well-being. Karen is passionate about helping people develop skills and resiliency to be happy during these turbulent times. Karen and her husband live in Cumberland and is fortunate to have her three adult children living in Maine.

Ayesha Hall | Vice President

Ayesha serves the District Social Emotional Learning and Equity Resource Coordinator for Lewiston Public Schools. She received a Bachelors of Arts in psychology from Clemson university in 2004, and achieved a Master of Science in School psychology in 2010 while assisting and directing youth programs in the nonprofit sector of New York City. She’s spent the last 10 years offering mental health support to students and families through local schools and community agencies across a wide range of demographic settings throughout the North East. Ayesha lives in lewiston Maine with her life partner of Malik Hall, and 3 children Malik Jr, Kayah and Asah. She is a self proclaimed social introvert who enjoys reading, writing, doodling and singing in the shower.

Leigh Weisenburger-Albert | Treasurer

Leigh Weisenburger Albert is Dean of Admission and Financial Aid at Bates College. She earned her B.A. in American Studies from Smith College where she studied immigration to the U.S. and was a two-sport varsity athlete. Leigh’s parents instilled in her deep beliefs in and commitments to equity and inclusion at a very early age – particularly those related to race, ethnicity, and feminism. Swimming was also her first sport and she is most at home in the water. Naturally, Leigh was drawn to and is energized by the YWCA’s mission: Eliminating Racism, Empowering Women. Beyond the YWCA, Leigh serves on Maine Medical Center’s NICU Family Advisory Council and is part of the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute’s Corporate Leaders Network. The mother of two young children, Leigh and her family proudly reside in Lewiston where her husband, a Lewiston native and local business owner, is also heavily engaged with a number of community organizations. Leigh and her family spend every possible moment outside and finding ways to give back to Lewiston and Maine.

Jennifer Hogan | Secretary

Jennifer M. Hogan began her career in 2007 at Community Credit Union as the Marketing/Business Development Director. Finding the culture, people and ethics of Community Credit Union to be contagious, she soon realized her passion for working in the World of Credit Unions. She began actively engaging in other departments and was promoted to Executive Vice President in May 2012. Jen took on new responsibilities when she was appointed President/CEO in October 2015. Jen’s favorite thing about her work is the opportunity it affords to interact with the people in the community on a regular basis. Growing up, Jen lived in several states along the East Coast, moving every two to three years each time her family was transferred to a new station by the Navy. Ultimately settling in Lisbon Falls, she attended college in Bangor and moved back to the Lewiston Auburn area after graduation. Today, Jen and her husband Nick share a home together in Turner with their daughter Chase and rabbit Oreo. One of Jen’s true passions in life is giving back to the community. What she loves most about the community is the plethora of opportunities it offers. She has seen incredible growth in the LA area in the last 15 years and believes that the communities’ best days lie ahead. With a passion for volunteering, some of the most important causes to Jen involve education. Joining the YWCA Board in 2020 brings Jen great pride. It combines much of the work she has done throughout her career to empower women and eliminate social injustice for all people of all races. She looks forward to being more hands on with programming that promotes the power of women, diversity and equity in our communities. No stranger to the local community, Jen has been recognized on several occasions for her contributions. In 2007 she was recognized as Young Professional of the Year by the Young Professionals of the Lewiston Auburn Area (YPLAA); in 2012 with the Business-Education Leadership Award from Maine Women’s Network; in 2016 with the 40 Under 40 Award in the Education Activism and Commitment Division from Uplift LA; in June of 2017 with the 40 Under 40 Award in the Government and Civic Leadership Division from Uplift LA and in 2019 with a National Credit Union Rock Star Award.

Ruby Bean

Ruby Bean is the Director of Strategic Development at Community Concepts in Lewiston. Her role includes execution and management of the organization’s new strategic plan and representing Community Concepts in creating partnerships throughout the community. Prior to this role, Ruby was at Oxford County Mental Health Services where she was the Director of Operations. She has more than 15 years of nonprofit experience in human resources and operations management with a diverse background ranging from working with sex offenders, child and family services, and early childhood clinical work. Ruby is also on the Board of Directors for the Center for Wisdom’s Women and is an adjunct professor at Central Maine Community College teaching business courses. Ruby received her Master of Business Administration in Entrepreneurial Thinking and Innovative Practices and her Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Bay Path University. She also has a Master of Science in Forensic Psychology from American International College. She lives in Lewiston with her husband and two children.

Amina Hassan

Amina and her family emigrated to the United States and relocated to Maine in 2010. She graduated from Lewiston High school in 2014 and earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Southern Maine in Social and Behavioral Sciences, with a concentration in counseling. Amina’s professional background includes more than a decade of work in the Lewiston-Auburn community as a case manager, an interpreter and as an advocate for women and children. Amina is the founder and executive director of Her Safety Net a nonprofit organization that providers advocacy and well-being services to women of all ages, with a special focus on immigrants facing gender-based violence, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

Holly Lasagna

Holly Lasagna is from Auburn. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and a master’s degree in leadership studies from the University of Southern Maine.
Holly spent much of her career as the Associate Director of the Community Based Learning Program at the Harward Center for Community Partnerships at Bates College.
She then worked as a Health Promotion Manager at Healthy Androscoggin, serving immigrants and refugees in Maine.
Holly is now retired and serves as an Olympia’s Leadership Advisor for the sophomore class from Lewiston High School.

Kelsey Miller

Kelsey Miller is the Resource Development Manager at Community Concepts, Inc. (CCI) in Lewiston. Kelsey was born and raised in Lewiston, and fondly remembers participating in swim meets at the YWCA while on the swim team at Lewiston High School. After living out of state for many years, she is excited to be back in her hometown and working with nonprofits making a difference for families in Lewiston/Auburn and the surrounding communities. Kelsey has a background in journalism, and before joining CCI, she worked as the Director of Communications & Partnerships for Blue State Coffee in Connecticut. Kelsey is passionate about giving back and enjoys building relationships with community members, businesses, and organizations who are also dedicated to making our region a better place to live for everyone. Kelsey lives with her husband and dog in Lewiston. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Boston University.

Leslie Ogilvie

Leslie currently serves as Chief of Development and Communications with Tri-County Mental Health Services in Lewiston, Maine. Leslie is responsible for shaping the public image and voice of the agency, soliciting new funding opportunities, maintaining positive partnerships with a wide range of constituents, and driving alignment between the agency’s strategic goals and communication to partners and stakeholders. Leslie received her Bachelors in political science in 2006 and Masters degree in public administration in 2017 from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by a strong and passionate single mom who impressed upon her the importance of fighting for racial justice, reproductive freedom, universal healthcare and respect and dignity for every person. Leslie lives now in Auburn, Maine with her husband and two amazing children.

Laurie Tannenbaum

Laurie Tannenbaum is a Senior Communications Manager in Technology at TD Bank. She has more than 30 years of experience writing, reviewing, and delivering content for various media based on business objectives and user needs with a focus on content quality and accessibility for all users. Laurie manages a team of 12 communications specialists and enjoys mentoring and coaching this team so they can be their very best. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Curry College and a Master of Science in Communications Management from Simmons College. Laurie is passionate about promoting and ensuring equal opportunities for women in the workplace and helped to spearhead a weekly internal newsletter for women in technology at TD Bank. Being a part of the YWCA Board helps her find new ways to empower women and girls in our community. Laurie lives in Auburn with her family. She and her husband own The Vault on Lisbon Street in Lewiston. They both enjoy being a part of the revitalization of downtown Lewiston.