Brian LeFebvre had contemplated becoming a military pilot, but when his high school guidance counselor suggested that he join the Coast Guard, LeFebvre quickly realized that he identified with the Coast Guard and its mission.

“When times are hard, the Coast Guard has a knack for leaping into action, which I think is really cool,” the 49-year-old Scarborough resident said.

Brian LeFebvre was the Northern New England Sector Commander for the Coast Guard – overseeing all its operations and 600 employees in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont while based in Portland – from 2018 until he retired in 2021. Courtesy of Brian LeFebvre

He attended the United States Coast Guard Academy from 1993-97 and went on to complete 24 years of active duty service, holding several ranks and getting stationed in many locations.

Most recently, LeFebvre was the Northern New England Sector Commander from May 2018 until he retired in June 2021. He was the top officer overseeing all Coast Guard operations and 600 guardsmen and employees in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont while based in Portland.

Before being stationed in Portland, LeFebvre spent three years as the Coast Guard Senate liaison and strategic adviser. His experience on Capitol Hill gave him a broader perspective on how to navigate challenging situations, he said.

“I would encourage any young person who gets the chance to work on Capitol Hill to do so, because it’s an eye-opening experience,” LeFebvre said.

Chris James, a retired master chief who served 30 years in the Coast Guard, worked with LeFebvre during his last few years of active service.

“It was quite a pleasure to work with him and for him,” James said. “You really didn’t feel like you were working for him, you felt you were working with him.”

LeFebvre is a family man who “is firmly grounded in his belief of right and wrong, and he’s willing to hold himself and others to those standards,” said James, a Portland resident.

Scarborough resident Brian LeFebvre, center with white helmet, supervising boat operations from the back of his first ship in 1998. Courtesy of Brian LeFebvre

Born on April 20, 1974, in West Springfield, Massachusetts, LeFebvre grew up an only child with parents whom he described as “the opposite of helicopter parents.”

“I was very much a free-range kid,” LeFebvre said. He would ride his bike all over town and knew all the back roads and shortcuts.

LeFebvre and his wife, Megan LeFebvre, 49, have known each other since sixth grade. The two dated a little in high school and remained friends throughout college, but it wasn’t until the end of college that they started dating more seriously, he said.

The couple married on Sept. 4, 1999.

“There wasn’t one thing that made me think I wanted to marry him, it was more of a feeling that I had from the moment I met him,” Megan LeFebvre said. “We have always had a special connection.”

Brian LeFebvre with his family – his wife, Megan, left, and children Elisabeth, Andrew and Sarah – at the change of command ceremony held at Ocean Gateway Terminal in Portland in June 2021, when LeFebvre passed on his responsibilities as the Coast Guard’s Northern New England Sector Commander. “My dad never let his work life take away from our family life, no matter the stress or intensity of his job,” Elisabeth LeFebvre said. Courtesy of Brian LeFebvre

The couple have three children. Their eldest, Elisabeth, is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin. Another daughter, Sarah, and their son, Andrew, are a senior and a freshman, respectively, at Scarborough High School.

LeFebvre has always made his wife and children his top priority, despite the demand of his work.

“My dad never let his work life take away from our family life, no matter the stress or intensity of his job. He was always able to joke around with us or be there for us when we needed him,” said Elisabeth LeFebvre, 20. “… He was the dad that was at every single sports game, the dad who would warm up the car before school in the winter for us, the dad who would always come home with a treat for us if he found a new bakery.”

Megan LeFebvre sees parallels in her husband’s career and private life.

“I believe the Coast Guard instilled in him a strong work ethic that he continues to have to this day,” Megan LeFebvre said. “His hard work and leadership skills have enabled him to be successful.”

Since retiring from the Coast Guard, LeFebvre has worked as the marine affairs manager for TotalEnergies, which produces and markets energy around the world.

An avid sports fan, he also enjoys skiing, cycling and paddle boarding.

“When I think about my dad’s time in the Coast Guard, I am extremely proud and inspired by it. Through his hard work, drive and passion, he has been able to achieve and accomplish so much while providing for our country,” Elisabeth LeFebvre said. “His time in the Coast Guard pushes me to put myself into something that I am passionate about and work hard to achieve great things.”