The Home Start Board

  • Betsey Remage-Healey, President

    After a varied career in human services and school counseling, Betsey has been the president of Home Start for the past 10 years. She oversaw the building of the ADU at 18 Luther St. as well as the sale of that property to an Island first time home buyer. Betsey also led the successful effort to broaden ADU zoning while specifically requiring ADUs on Peaks be year-round. After 30 years in central Maine, Betsey and her husband, Todd, moved to Peaks, where they have now lived for 12 years.

    Betsey can be reached directly by e-mail here.

  • Todd Healey, Interim Treasurer

    Todd (center) is a retired high school math teacher who continues to teach math as a tutor at Portland High School. Todd is also a part-time carpenter / woodworker doing small jobs on Peaks. 

  • Timmi Sellers, Secretary

    A retired RN, Timmi and her family have lived on the island since 2013. She loves to run, swim, garden, dance and practice yoga and Tai Chi.  A one-time architecture student, Timmi has always been interested in housing and building things of all kinds. She and her husband built a geodesic dome in Downeast Maine in the 1970s. They raised their two daughters in Santa Fe and Monterey.

    She also serves on the board of PEAT, is a former PIC member and is a current member of the Housing and Zoning Committee.

  • Peter Eckel, Board Member

    Peter and his family have lived on Peaks since 2007. His professional career was split between the public sector - where he served as County and City Administrators and the private sector where he led businesses for several wireless carriers. He currently works as a ski instructor and a sea kayak guide.  He was a previous member of the Peaks Island Council and currently on the Boards of the Island Taxi and Peaks Energy and Tax Assistance.

  • Rhonda Berg, Board Member

    Rhonda is from Bangor and moved to Peaks in 1986. Her background is in social welfare. Rhonda currently works as an Associate Broker for Harborview Properties. She is devoted to supporting and strengthening the Peaks community.

  • Irv Williams, Board Member

    Irv has recently settled on Peaks as a year round resident, starting his third year on the island. He is retired from a career in education and continues to be involved in volunteer work with children at the Peaks Island Children's Workshop, where he is also a board member, and at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Barbara Bush Children's Hospital. He includes walking the island, photography and camping as interests and is a part time amatuer poet, teaching in the Senior College at USM. 

  • Anna Hatwell, Board Member

  • Helen Peck

    Helen has had a home on Peaks Island since 1979. While her time here has been primarily seasonal, she finally moved here full time in July of 2023. Although her professional experience has been in totally unrelated fields, she has had a passion for city planning and community development most of her adult life.

Our Partners and Advisors

  • Andrew Jackson, PE, Advisor

    Andy has worked as a project manager or consultant for over 400 units of affordable housing in Maine and in New York City. His work experience includes affordable housing finance, development consulting, and island construction. Andy is focusing on advocating for this project and representing Home Start in conversations with the City of Portland and other stakeholders.

  • Brenda Buchanan, Esq.

    Brenda is a principal in the law firm CurrierBuchanan and is a former Peaks Island resident, Brenda has provided invaluable legal counsel to Home Start for many years.

  • Doug Wilber

    A respected Peaks Island builder for 20 years, Doug lives across the street from 18 Central and will help with construction oversight and representing Home Start’s interests during the demolition and rebuilding process.

  • Jubal Kessler

    Jubal is a computer engineer as well as the first owner of a Backyard ADU’s modular house on Peaks. He knows first-hand of their process and staff and also lives near the 18 Central project. Jubal will assist the Home Start team in the administration of the project.

  • Travis Drake

    Travis is the Vice President of Housing Operations for Volunteers of America for Maine and New Hampshire. Travis will continue to work closely with Home Start as VOA assumes the management of 18 Central Ave once the units are completed.

Our Contractor - Backyard ADUs, Brunswick

Based in Brunswick Maine, Backyard ADUs has built over 40 highly efficient small dwellings in Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. They blend on and off-site construction to keep costs down while ensuring quality stays high. They stick to their stated budgets and take pride in completing projects on time. For more information, see www.backyardadus.com.

The photos below are courtesy of Chris Lee of Backyard ADUs; they show the process by which prefabricated units are placed side by side for the finished residence. This house on Lower A was their first project on Peaks Island.