The Iris Network Board is committed to helping people with vision impairment and blindness
Pauline Lamontagne, Chair
Pauline, a retired attorney, The Iris Network Board and Chair of the Consumer Advisory Committee. She graduated from the University of Maine at Farmington where she majored in rehabilitation work and graduated magna cum laude. She was the first legally blind student to graduate from the University of Maine’s School of Law in 1984. She became a licensed Maine attorney in 1985. Now retired from the State of Maine, she is an active volunteer. She isn’t new to The Iris Network as she previously served on its board from 1985-1994. At present, she also serves as Guide Dog Users Inc.’s (GDUI’s) affiliates’ liaison and on its Board and on the Advocacy and Legislative subcommittee, as well as serving as President of Pine Tree Guide Dog Users (PTGDU), and as one of the community representatives on Maine’s Assistive Technology Advisory Committee and on Maine’s Information Technology Accessibility Committee. Pauline was born legally blind due to ROP (Retinopathy of prematurity), and in her mid-sixties lost the remainder of her eyesight. She joined The Iris Network’s Consumer Advisory Committee because she wanted to voice the needs of people of all ages with vision impairment or blindness and have services provided not only in their homes but also in the community so that they have the opportunity to participate in all aspects of life.
Holly K. McCarthy, O.D.
Holly K. McCarthy, O.D., an optometrist for the VA Maine Health Care System, is the Secretary on the Board of The Iris Network. She obtained her undergrad degree in biology at the University of Maine at Orono, after which she attended optometry school at the New England College of Optometry in Boston where she trained at multiple community health centers throughout the city. After graduating she completed an ocular disease residency program for the VA Boston Healthcare System. She is a member of both the American Optometric Association and the Maine Optometric Association. She is highly passionate about The Iris Network and the services they offer. As an eye care provider, Holly has experience treating patients with visual impairment, and refers patients to the Low Vision Center, when appropriate.
Nicholas A. Giudice, Ph.D.
Dr. Nicholas Giudice received his Ph.D. in the Cognitive and Brain Sciences program from the University of Minnesota in 2004. He is currently Professor of Spatial Computing in the School of Computing and Information Science at the University of Maine and founder and Chief Research Scientist of UMaine’s Virtual Environments and Multimodal Interaction (VEMI) Lab (https://umaine.edu/vemi). Nicholas’s research focuses on the design and evaluation of bio-inspired multisensory technology supporting graphical access, navigation with and without vision, and autonomous vehicle accessibility. His work is aimed at increasing information access and independence for people with vision impairment or blindness, older adults experiencing visual impairment, and sighted folks in eyes-free situations. He is himself with congenital blindness, has a long history of both designing and using assistive technologies.
Dr. Giudice has published over 150 scientific papers in these areas, advised over 100 graduate and undergraduate students, and collaborated on over $12 million in research grants in this field from NIH, NSF, and NIDRR. In addition to the Iris Network, He is on the board of directors of ACB of Maine, the editorial board of two accessibility journals (Transactions on Accessible Computing and Assistive Technology), the scientific advisory board of two information-access companies (Aira Tech Corp and Click&Go wayfinding maps), and the co-founder and Chief Research Officer of UNAR Labs, a Maine-based start-up company designing innovative multisensory technologies promoting inclusive information access. As a blind educator, researcher, and expert in assistive technology, Nicholas brings a wealth of first-hand knowledge and real-world experience to The Iris Network’s board and to the clients we serve.
Andrew B. MacLean, Secretary
Andy was born in Portland, raised in Bridgton, and has been a resident of the state’s capital district since 1998. He serves as Deputy Executive Vice President & General Counsel of the Maine Medical Association, a professional organization of physicians where he has worked since 1999. He has been involved in health care law and policy for most of his career.
Andy has cone-rod dystrophy, a hereditary retinal disease, and began experiencing vision loss in his late 40’s. He has received services at the Low Vision Clinic of The Iris Network and wanted to join the board to give back to the organization and contribute to others in our community with vision loss. Andy is a graduate of Duke University and the University of Maine School of Law. He went to Duke on a Navy ROTC scholarship and served four years on active duty as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps before law school. Andy has served six years as Mayor of the City of Gardiner and is now the President of the Johnson Hall Performing Arts Center in downtown Gardiner. He is a director of MaineGeneral Community Care and has been a volunteer with the American Cancer Society for many years. Among his leisure activities are cooking, running, golf, and snowboarding.
David J. Stuchiner, M.D., F.A.C.E.P.
David moved to Maine in 1989 to become the Director of Emergency Medicine at Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston, Maine, and the Medical Director of Tri-County EMS. Currently, David is a Physician Consultant to the Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services, State of Maine, and a consultant on medical quality. David is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and serves on the Lewiston / Auburn 911 Committee.
David attended The Horace Mann School, Riverdale, N.Y., and received his B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. He went to medical school at the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. His post-graduate education was at Salem Hospital in Internal Medicine where he became a Diplomate of the American Board of Medicine. He joined the Staff at Salem Hospital and later became a Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine.
David has retinitis pigmentosa and is legally blind, which sparked his interest in serving on the board of The Iris Network. He believes in the Iris Network’s mission of “Vision Without Limits”. David lives in Auburn with his wife, Kathleen Fanning Stuchiner.
Merrill E. Barter, CPA, Treasurer
Merrill Barter, CPA is a Managing Director in the state and local tax (SALT) practice at Baker Newman & Noyes in Portland, ME. With more than 25 years of experience in the tax field, Merrill has worked with a broad spectrum of clients, including large corporations and mid-tier/privately-owned business entities and their owners. He has experience working in multiple areas of state and local taxation and leverages his experience to provide a high level of service and creative solutions to address his client’s needs. In addition, he is a frequent speaker and author on a variety of SALT topics. Merrill is the past Chair of the Baker Tilly SALT Committee, has served on numerous nonprofit boards including serving as a past Chair and Treasurer at The Iris Network, and is on the Board of the Greater Portland METRO.
Todd McKee
Todd McKee worked as an Associate Director at Good Morning America and a variety of other shows at ABC News for nearly 20 years. He is a four time Emmy award winner, three time winner of the Edward R. Murrow award and is a FAA Part 107 certified drone pilot. After multiple visits to friends and family in Maine, Todd fell in love with the Maine lifestyle and left the fast paced world of New York City. He has started his own video production company, Bulldog Media, LLC, and currently resides in Falmouth, ME with his wife and two daughters.
Jane Eberle, Vice Chair
Jane Eberle, retired, is a 40-year resident of South Portland. She served in the Maine Legislature, was Director of Community Partnerships for the South Portland School Department for 19 years, and has been involved in the lake association and land trust in Belgrade where she owns a camp. Jane remains active in the community, serving on Boards for Southern Maine Community College and Maine Behavioral Healthcare.
Jane’s husband Brett Eberle, who passed away in 2021, had RP, and Jane is interested in continuing to support causes and organizations with a focus on RP in specific and IRD’s in general.
Terri Grijalva
Terri, a retired executive from a global insurance company, graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara, majoring in Law & Society with a concentration in criminal Justice; and the Southern New Hampshire University, with a masters degree in business management and a concentration in marketing. In her prior role, she gained experience leading multiple business and technology programs, ranging in size and complexity. She currently serves on the Alumni Board of Directors for SNHU; and enjoys supporting and volunteering for local community activities. She has lived on the seacoast of New Hampshire for over 25 years and, after leaving her corporate role, has decided to focus on local, New England-based, non-profit organizations. She joined The Iris Network’s board of directors because she wants to make a difference in the community, help people live their best lives, and support the organization’s vision to “build a world where no person is limited by vision impairment or blindness and everyone is an advocate for eye health and the needs of people with vision impairment or blindness.”