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Erin Tucker Rice, 35Director of Marketing and Development
Pine Tree Society
Last summer, Pine Tree Camp – which serves roughly 650 Maine children and adults with disabilities – opened a fully accessible, airconditioned dining hall for campers to great acclaim and applause. But that new dining hall would not have been built without the efforts of Forty Under 40 Award winner Erin Rice.
Erin, 35, is the director of marketing and development for the Pine Tree Society, which operates the camp and, as such, is responsible for attracting funding. Her hard work resulted in a substantial grant from the Alfond Foundation to build the dining hall.
Yet her fundraising work is far from over. The society’s master plan calls for capital improvements of $5.1 million. So far, she’s helped raise half of that amount for much-needed improvements at the camp, such as the dining hall, a wellness center completed in 2008, and a staff lodge constructed in 2008-2009.
“I’m really focused on raising money for more capital improvements at the camp,†Erin says. “I really love that we’re focused on meeting unmet needs through innovative programs.â€Â
She says that one of the prime motivators for her is interacting and connecting with people committed to the Pine Tree Society and its programs. “It’s all about the people we serve. Seeing their transformation is really amazing to me.â€Â
Creative, caring, compassionate, driven and ambitious describe Erin best, says Donna Murphy, who nominated Erin for the Forty Under 40 Award. “She has greatly enhanced Pine Tree Society’s reputation as a leader in services for those with disabilities and has grown her department to oversee not just marketing and communications, but also development.â€Â
In addition, Erin – a Maine native – is co-founder of the Southern Maine Autism Conference for families who have a child with autism and the providers who work with them. “I love the fact that we get such amazing feedback from the conference. It’s exceeded my expectations.â€Â
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