Board of Trustees

The administration of Maine Veterans’ Homes is vested in the Board of Trustees of the Maine Veterans’ Homes. The Governor appoints the Board of Trustees, whose members must be honorably discharged veterans. The Board of Trustees consists of eleven members who broadly represent the various veterans organizations and geographic regions of the state.

Robert E Whelan served 20 years in the U.S. Army retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1982. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam, one with the 5th Special Forces Group and one with MACV and subsequently held positions in a number of roles including United States Military Academy faculty, Deputy Director of Plans, Training and Security at Fort Devens, Mass., and Chief of an Inspector General Inspection Team in Germany. Whelan began teaching English at the University of Maine in 1983 and also served as the Executive Assistant to the President of the University. He semi-retired from the University in 2009, but continues to teach when asked. Whelan rejoined MVH’s Board of Trustees in 2014, where he previously served from 1993-2006. He is currently Chairman of the MVH Board of Trustees.

Joseph “Ernie” Lebel served for more than three years in the U.S. Army with the 82nd Airborne. Mr. Lebel has previously served on the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities Maine, Distributors and Suppliers Group Trust, and Cheverus High School. Mr. Lebel joined the MVH Board of Trustees in 2015 and currently serves as the Vice Chairman.

Peter Miesburger served 20 + years in the U.S. Air Force as a Master Sergeant/Fire Protection Crash Rescue Supervisor. Mr. Miesburger has served on the MVH Board of Trustees since 1990 and is currently the Secretary of the Board. He is a past Commander (1987-1988) of the Department of Maine Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Linda Laweryson served one year in the U.S. Marine Corps as a PFC in Telecommunications Repair. Mrs. Laweryson has served on the MVH Board of Trustees since 2002. She also serves as the Secretary of the Maine Veterans Coordinating Committee, a board member of the Hospice for Veterans Affairs, and an original member of the Maine’s Commission on Women’s Veterans.

LTCOL Adria O. Horn graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, in June 2001, and served more than 10 years on active duty in the Army. A veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, LTCOL Horn joined the United States Army Reserves and moved to Maine in 2011. In 2015 she was appointed as the Director of the Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services at which time she also began service on the MVH Board of Trustees.

Steve SanPedro served 20 + years in the US Army, and is a veteran of both Operation Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mr. SanPedro has served on the MVH Board of Trustees since 2015 and is the Veterans of Foreign Wars Representative. He is also the Current Senior Vice Chairman for the Eastern States Conference, the Commander for Maine, and a Silver Legacy Member of the VFW.

John G. Kezal served from 1951 to 1954 in the U.S. Coast Guard as a Fireman/Damage Control. He began serving on the MVH Board of Trustees in 2012. Mr. Kezal previously served as MVH South Paris Liaison since 2001. In addition to being a life member of the American Legion Post 24 in Rumford for 59 years, he is also affiliated with the Western Maine Veterans’ Advisory Committee, the Elks, the Eagles, and the Coast Guard Cuttermans Club. Mr. Kezal is a 2012 inductee into the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame. Mr. Kezal serves as the American Legion representative.

Kelley D. Wynne served 35 years in the Army National Guard, retiring at the rank of Master Sergeant. Mr. Wynne has served on the MVH Board of Trustees since 2000. He also serves as President of the Augusta Area Military Association and is on the boards of the Maine Veterans Cemetery and MVCC. He is affiliated with the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and serves as Vice President for Association of the U.S. Army. Mr. Wynne is the AMVETS representative, and serves as Aide-de-Camp for the Governor.

Richard K. Parent served 32 years combined in the Army and Maine Army National Guard, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1994. He was a fixed wing pilot and served one tour in Vietnam. Parent’s awards and decorations include the Master Aviation Badge, Bronze Star Medal and multiple Air Medals. He began serving on the MVH Board of Trustees in 2010, and is the Disabled American Veterans representative.

James A. Franklin served a total of over 24 years in the military, starting in the U. S. Air Force and retiring from the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant. As an enlisted Sailor, he had attained the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer as an aviation electronics technician. He also served as a Department of Defense Civil Servant and Defense contractor in the Navy from 1984 until his retirement in 2006. He is a member of the American Legion, and Kiwanis Club, and is the Vietnam Veterans of America representative.

Jim Settele graduated from the Naval Academy in 1982, and served 27 years as a Naval Flight Officer, retiring as a Captain with more than 3,000 flight hours and more than 600 carrier-arrested landings. He commanded a carrier based E-2C squadron, VAW-126, and served as Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, before finishing his career leading the Naval ROTC Unit at Maine Maritime Academy and the University of Maine. After his retirement in 2009, he became the Executive Director of UMaine’s Graduate School of Policy and International Affairs and currently serves as the Chief of Staff to the UMaine President.

Paul Neal served 26 years in the U.S. Air Force in the atmospheric research field, retiring as a Master Sergeant. He has served as the MVH Scarborough Liaison since 2007. He is affiliated with the American Legion, serving as past Post, County, and District Commanders, as well as the Disabled American Veterans and Air Force Sergeants Association.