Kara Hay, Board Secretary
Kara Hay is President and Chief Executive Officer of Penquis, a $70 million not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping Maine families and individuals become safe, stable, connected and financially secure. She received a 2019 Practitioner of the Year award and a 2017 Emerging Network Leader award from the National Neighborworks® Association in recognition of her work in the field of housing and community development. In 2018, Penquis received the Rural Community Transportation System of the Year award from the Community Transportation Association of America and the Nonprofit of the Year award from the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce. In addition to her membership on the Community Housing Capital Board of Directors and serving as chair of the governance committee and secretary of the executive committee, Ms. Hay is past president and current secretary of the Maine Community Action Association; member of the council of chairs for Northern Light Health; vice-chair of the board of trustees and chair of the governance committee for Northern Light Acadia Hospital; and member of the Bangor-area Community Health Leadership Board. A Maine native, Ms. Hay holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre from the University of Maine, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Hawaii at Hilo, and a Master of Arts degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Argosy University, Hawaii.