OUR TEAM
ERIC VENTURINI
Executive Director
Eric Venturini stepped into the role of Executive Director of the Wild Blueberry Commission in February of 2020. He is a proud member of the University of Maine class of '06 (undergraduate) and '15 (graduate) and worked for years in fisheries in Hawaii, Alaska, and Ireland before transitioning to agriculture. Eric first became involved in Maine’s wild blueberry industry as a graduate student, then a researcher 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.
JENNIFER MCGINLEY MASKALA
Director of Programs
Jennifer McGinley Maskala is the Director of Programs for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. She was born in Bangor, has a BS in Business Administration from Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and is completing her MBA at the University of Maine. Her career experience includes leadership, operations, process improvement, business development, sales, and marketing for several national companies. She is passionate about driving positive change and improving the lives of Mainers. Jennifer is very excited to collaborate with growers, processors, and other industry partners to improve the economic viability of Maine Wild Blueberry production and conserve Maine Wild Blueberry land and its resources.
GINGER HANSEN
Administrative Specialist
Ginger Hansen is a recently retired Science and Social Studies teacher who looks forward to devoting her time and effort to help the Maine's wild blueberry producers as they work to bring the world’s best food to the country and the global marketplace. As a recent transplant to Maine, she is thrilled to be on the team helping make great things happen in this iconic Maine industry.
ABBIE BROOKS
Student Assistant
Abigail (Abbie) Brooks is the Student Assistant for the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine. She is a Communications Major with Minors in Leadership, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality. She holds various Leadership positions in Delta Phi Epsilon, a Greek Organization on campus. She is from Mahwah, New Jersey and is excited to contribute to the Commission and learn about the Maine wild blueberry industry itself.
SOPHIA CAMERON
Graduate Assistant
Sophia graduated from Ithaca College in 2020 with her B.S. in Biology and a focus in Environmental Studies. Since then, she has explored many different career opportunities. Directly after graduation she spent a summer working at Acadia National Park as an Invasive Plant Management Intern and fell in love with Maine. This position played a large role in her decision to return to school at the University of Maine, Orono to pursue her Masters of Forestry. She looks forward to learning about the wild blueberry industry, representing the commission at events, and learning about policy work.
