OUR TEAM
Executive Director
Eric Venturini stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Commission in February of 2020. He is a proud alumnus of the University of Maine and worked for years in fisheries before transitioning to agriculture. Eric first became involved in Maine’s wild blueberry industry as a graduate student at the University of Maine studying agriculture, wild blueberries, and pollinators. For three years he worked at a non-profit in close partnership with the USDA-NRCS in Maine and is a published scientist with papers on topics ranging from climate change, wild blueberry pollinators, to wild blueberry marketing. Eric serves on a number of boards and committees across Maine and the US to represent the interests of Maine's wild blueberry producers.
ERIC VENTURINI
JENNIFER MCGINLEY MASKALA
Director of Programs
Jennifer McGinley Maskala joined the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine in 2022 as Director of Programs. Born in Bangor, she holds a BS in Business Administration from Marquette University and earned her MBA with honors from the University of Maine in 2024, where she was recognized as a Most Outstanding Graduate Student and inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Kappa Phi. She is currently pursuing a certificate in AI-Powered Workplace: Driving Efficiency with Generative AI to expand her expertise.
Jennifer leverages her leadership experience in healthcare, government, and national companies to guide marketing, program development, and industry initiatives, and to foster collaboration among Commission staff, board members, growers, processors, and industry partners to advance the Commission’s mission and represent the interests of Maine’s wild blueberry industry.
.jpg)
Liza DeWitt
Liza DeWitt joined the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine as an Administrative Specialist in 2025. As a life-long Mainer, Liza brings experience in education, program coordination, and financial administration. She holds a BA in Geography from the University of Vermont and a
Graduate Certificate in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. Liza began her professional career as a special education teacher and prior to joining the commission she managed bookkeeping and operations as an owner-operator for two small businesses. She has a strong background in recordkeeping, data management, and organizational efficiency, developed through roles in both academic and business settings.
