Sebago Technics, a Maine-based, employee-owned, engineering consulting firm, announced the appointment of Kylie S. Mason as chief operations officer in July 9 news release. Sebago Technics’ President/CEO Mark Adams announced the promotion.

Kylie Mason Courtesy photo

Mason joined the company in 2005 as a landscape architect. She has progressively increased her role and responsibilities in the company, serving as a design team leader and most recently as vice president of project delivery.

According to the release, “Mason is an accomplished and award-winning designer and project manager, leading some of
Sebago Technics’ largest projects and client relationships. She has managed projects for L.L.Bean, Bowdoin College, Martin’s Point Healthcare and dozens of commercial/institutional clients for more than 15 years.

“She has also led the firm’s expansion into the educational (secondary and post-secondary) sector over the last decade.”

Under her leadership, Sebago has designed and permitted some of the state’s largest and most visible education projects in recent years including Sanford High School, Morse High School, Lewiston High School expansion, and numerous projects at Bowdoin, Colby and St. Joseph’s colleges.

Mason is a Maine registered landscape architect and a graduate of Michigan State University. She currently serves as board chair of the Susan Curtis Foundation. She resides in Scarborough with her husband and daughter.

In her new role, Mason will be responsible for “overall operations of one of Maine’s largest and most
successful land development firms.”

According to the email, “Her duties will include a focus on client satisfaction, project delivery, quality, revenue generation, resource allocation, and internal communications. She will oversee civil engineering, CAD, permitting, landscape architecture, GIS and natural resources services. The position will expand her coordination of the company’s overall workload including survey/geomatics and transportation services projects.

“She will also be responsible for ongoing integration of remote offices and recent and ongoing acquisitions. Building on her skills and success with the project delivery team, she will expand and enhance the company’s emphasis on high-performing teams and an engaged, collaborative culture.”

“In her new role, Kylie will continue to help us recognize and achieve our potential – as a company, teams, and individual,” Adams said in an email.

University of Maine announces spring dean’s list

The University of Maine recognized 3,670 students for achieving dean’s list honors in the spring 2021 semester. Of the students who made the dean’s list, 2,392 are from Maine, 1,195 are from 39 other states and 83 are from 35 countries other than the U.S.

Local students named to the dean’s list:

Cape Elizabeth: Sierra Galgano, Ethan Gillespie, Nathaniel Holmes, Sara Taylor and Mary Isabelle Wisell.

South Portland: Jake Angell, Ryan Boles, Rosalie Bryson, Jack Crain, Taylor Davis, Lauren DiBiase, Lauren Elsemore, Michael Feely, Anna Folley, Luke Foster, Josh Frank, Jason Halvorsen, Sam Holbrook, Daniel Joy, Aleksandar Kaurin, Aurore Looney, Erica Magnuson, Caleb Marston, Caitlin McDonough, Mia Quint-Wood, Luke Rainsford, Andrew Riley, Max Saffer-Meng, Sydney Sherburne, Jack Vose-Gimbel, Jessica Wibby, Jackson Wilson, Daniel Woodhouse, Hannah Yesse and Nik Youells, Alex Yu.

Co-minister named at Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church

Kathleen Decker Szakas became the new part-time minister at the Cape Elizabeth United Methodist Church on July 1, joining Pastor Priscilla Dreyman as co-ministers.

Kathleen Decker Szakas Courtesy photo

Decker Szakas was appointed to the Cape church by the United Methodist New England Conference after serving as a full-time minister at the Highland Avenue United Methodist Church in Gardiner. She also has served as a local licensed pastor in both East Pittston and Dresden Richmond.

Prior to becoming a minister, Decker Szakas was a 20-plus year veteran in the Air Force after graduating from the United States Air Force Academy and beginning work as an imagery intelligence officer. The Air Force later sent her to earn a master’s degree from Ohio State University in geotetic science and she became a mapping, charting and geodesy officer.

She spent 10 years on active duty, 10 years in the reserves and retired as a lieutenant colonel in 2011, having served at bases around the country and in Korea.

A year after her retirement from the Air Force, Decker Szakas entered the Boston School of Theology.

“Much to my surprise,” said Decker Szakas in an email, “I got a clear and mystical call to ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church. It has been an amazing way to live as a ‘professional Christian’ and minister. Thanks be to God every step of the way.”

She began serving the Highland Avenue church in 2016 and continued there until last month.

The Rev. Decker Szakas lives in Winthrop with her husband, Joe, and three teenage children. Her husband is provost/vice president for academic affairs at the University of Maine at Augusta.

Resident named to UMaine Fort Kent dean’s list

Cape Elizabeth resident Stephen Murray was named to the University of Maine at Fort Kent’s dean’s list for the spring 2021 semester.