The Team

           Leadership Circle

Robert Atkinson, PhD, founder and director, is a 2017 Nautilus Book Award winner for The Story of Our Time: From Duality to Interconnectedness to Oneness and is the author or co-editor of eight other books, including Our Moment of Choice: Evolutionary Visions and Hope for the Future (2020), Year of Living Deeply: A Memoir of 1969 (2019), Mystic Journey: Getting to the Heart of Your Soul’s Story (2012), and The Gift of Stories (1995). With a PhD in cross-cultural human development from the University of Pennsylvania and a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Chicago, he is professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine, an internationally recognized authority on life story interviewing, a pioneer in the techniques of personal myth-making, founder of One Planet Peace Forum, and a member of the Evolutionary Leaders. www.robertatkinson.net

 

Melissa Dawn is a seasoned educator striving to shift cultural paradigms through the art of storytelling. As a delight driven, self-directed, life-long learner, she explores unseen realms (and the occasional magic wardrobe) in search of stories for a new mythology.

 

Anne Jennison is a traditional Native American storyteller with both European and Abenaki heritage. Anne’s storytelling skills have been polished by more than 30 years of experience sharing stories with audiences of all kinds. With Master’s degrees in both Storytelling and History, Anne also brings a wealth of cultural and historical knowledge to enrich her retelling of timeless Northeast Woodlands Native American stories.  Anne is a member of the NH Commission on Native American Affairs, the Indigenous NH Collaborative Collective, an affiliate faculty member for the UNH NAIS Minor, a co-creator of the “People of the Dawnland” exhibit on the Abenaki/Wabanaki peoples at Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH, and  is affiliated with several storytelling groups, including the Seacoast Storytellers, the New Hampshire Storytelling Alliance, the Northeast Storytellers, the National Storytelling Network, and the Worldwide Virtual Storytelling Guild. https://www.annejennison.com 

 

Elizabeth Campbell is a web and digital designer, photographer, and artist who helps people in the visual arts, small businesses and mission-driven people represent themselves authentically and positively online. She also serves on the board of a non-profit art gallery in mid-coast Maine, and works part time at a growing auction house. She has shown in a couple of galleries, and continues to build her artistic practice. Elizabeth is inspired by nature, inclusive community, and exploration. ecampbellcreative.com

 

             Advisory Circle

Gina Mazza, word provocateur and creative alchemist, travels worldwide to help others tell their stories. She assists both individuals and organizations in articulating what they want to say in a provocative and highly marketable way. Everything she’s achieved in 30+ years as a writer, author, journalist, book editor, publishing consultant, talent/acquisitions editor, and communications and marketing pro is in support of other’s writing and publishing dreams. Gina has helped my clients go onto secure literary agents, land book/film deals, build successful brands and enjoy exciting freelance careers. Learn more at https://ginamazza.com.

Robin Talbot is the C0-Director of the Stonecoast MFA program. Prior to joining Stonecoast, she was the Education and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Cultural Exchange and has worked on two documentary films: A Call to Action: A Community’s Dream, which outlines the struggle for civil rights in Maine, and Starting Over; Understanding and Supporting Refugee and Immigrant Experiences. Robin is a Portland Stage Company board trustee, faculty adviser of the Stonecoast Review, and has served as a board member for Black Education and Cultural History.

 

     Partners, Collaborators, & Allies