Board of Trustees

Emil P. Genest is a U.S. Army Veteran, having served as a communications and staff officer from 1981 to 1984. After his military service, Mr. Genest had a 33-year career in education, serving in leadership roles that included Assistant Superintendent for Business for school systems in Hampden and Lincoln, Maine. He currently works for the Maine Community College System and serves as Treasurer of the MVH Board of Trustees.

Julie Schwetz graduated from the United States Military Academy in West Point and served 13 years in the Army as logistics officer, including two deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Her last Army assignment was at West Point where she managed a $28M budget and led core higher education functions, including marketing and human resources. She currently works for UNUM as an Assistant Vice President, Product Manager.

CAPT Suzanne Krauss grew up in Brunswick and graduated from Boston University and the U.S. Naval War College. Piloting multiple-type helicopters, C-130s, and MQ-9 Reapers, she has deployed or been mobilized to Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Suzanne is former director of the Maine Emergency Management Agency and is currently employed as an unmanned systems NATOPS product developer at KBR. She has over 20 years of experience in senior leadership and program management.

Donald O. Lagace, Jr. served for more than 38 years in the military and retired in 2020 as Maine’s Assistant Adjutant General – Army for the Maine National Guard. He previously served as Maine’s U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer, representing the Chief of the National Guard Bureau and as Deputy Commissioner for the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans’ and Emergency Management. A Persian Gulf War Veteran and U.S. Army War College Graduate, he commenced his military career as an enlisted Soldier in March 1982 and subsequently received an ROTC commission from the University of Southern Maine in May 1984. Don owns two property management companies in Augusta, Lagace Properties, LLC and Capitol City Associates, LLC. He is also the President of the Board for UPLIFT, INC, serving individuals with development disabilities.

Mitzi Sequoia served in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve from 1975-78. She became an LPN in 1982. She also earned BA and MSW degrees in psychology and counseling. She moved to Maine in 1993 and worked as a crisis worker for Evergreen Behavioral Services and Tri-County Mental Health Services. Ms. Sequoia serves on the board as the American Legion representative.

Heather Burr served in the Army Reserve and earned her nursing degree through the US Army Academy of Health Sciences.  She has 23 years of experience working primarily in long-term care specializing in geriatric and dementia nursing.  She joined the AMVETS in 2014 and was elected to the executive board of Robert W. Boyd Amvets Post 2 in 2016 currently holding the position of Adjutant.  Ms. Burr serves on the MVH board as AMVETS representative.