Staff
- Curtis Picard, Executive Director
Curtis Picard joined the Maine Merchants Association in November of 2007.
Prior to his current position, Curtis was Vice President of Business Development / International Trade for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. He directed the Vermont Chamber’s International Trade Program with offices in Shanghai, China and Taipei, Taiwan and coordinated the annual Vermont Business and Industry EXPO, the largest Business to Business tradeshow in Northern New England. Additionally, Curtis acted as Executive Director of the Vermont Aerospace and Aviation Association, a group formed to support the aviation industry in Vermont.
From 1996-2000, Picard owned and operated a special event and marketing firm, Back Roads Enterprises of Vermont. Back Roads helped coordinate large events such as the New York City, Boston and Vermont City Marathons, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, First Night Burlington and the Vermont Mozart Festival.
Picard has served on the Board of Directors of RunVermont, the organizer of the KeyBank Vermont City Marathon, Community Capital, and the Vermont Environmental Consortium. In 2003, he was appointed by Vermont Governor James Douglas to the Governor’s Commission on International Education. In 2005, he was appointed to the U.S. Department of Commerce District Export Council. He was elected in October of 2008 to a two-year term to serve on the Northeast Board of Regents for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute Program.
He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1991 with a B.S. in Business Administration / Marketing and he received a New York University Certification Diploma in Sports and Event Management in 1993. He is a graduate of the U.S Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organization Management in Tucson, AZ in 2008.
Picard is an avid runner who has completed four marathons including the 2008 Maine Marathon and a former volunteer firefighter. He is married with one son and lives in Topsham.
- Jim McGregor, Director of Government Affairs
Jim McGregor joined the Maine Merchants Association in 1993. During his tenure, Jim has worn every possible hats within the organization: Executive Vice President, Director of Government Affairs and more. Jim has kept a steady hand on the organization through a period of change within the association industry.
Jim is currently the Director of Government Affairs for the Maine Merchants Association. His legislative experience is second to none and he has earned the respect of legislators of all political stripes for his honesty and thoroughness in addressing legislative issues.
Jim got his start in 1965 after serving in the Air Force with a job working for the Montgomery, Alabama Advertiser. He quickly moved up and worked as a staff reporter for United Press International (UPI) in Montgomery until 1972.
In 1972, the UPI sent Jim to the Pine Tree State to become Maine's Bureau Chief. In 1974, Jim befriended a well-respected Maine businessman named Jim Longley and successfully ran Longley's campaign for governor, Maine's first Indepedent governor. After serving as Longley's right-hand man during Longley's term in office, Jim landed the role of chied spokesman for shipbuilder Bath Iron Works (BIW) from 1980 to 1992.
Jim was born in Mississippi but has resided in Maine since 1972.
Roger Pomerleau, Marketplace at Augusta"The Maine Merchants Association has been a vital part of my successful business strategy for decades. The monitoring of legislation and pro-active work on state legislation and rule making, by the Maine Merchants Association, has been vital to the survival and success of my business."