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Colleen Ippolito is the Chief People Officer at Coastal Enterprises, Inc. (CEI), a Maine-based community development financial institution with a mission to build just, vibrant and climate-resilient futures for people and communities in Maine and rural regions by integrating finance, business expertise and policy solutions in ways that make the economy work more equitably.

As CEI’s Chief People Officer, Colleen’s 20 plus years as an HR professional brings a diverse and well-rounded knowledge base and skillset to CEI.  Colleen is responsible for leading the strategic planning and direction of the organization’s people operations, including recruitment and onboarding, talent development, intern and fellowship programs, benefits and compensation, employee performance management, policy development and compliance, employment law compliance, safety, diversity, equity, and inclusion centered initiatives, and workplace culture. Colleen manages CEI’s office administration, including lease management and facilities maintenance. As CEI’s Corporate Secretary, Colleen is also responsible for corporate governance compliance for CEI’s Board of Directors. Colleen is a member of CEI’s leadership team, safety committee, and community team.

Prior CEI, Colleen held HR management roles in varied private sector companies including Sunday River Ski Resort, Northeast Bank, Pierce-Atwood, and MaineToday Media. Colleen is currently a student advisor and mentor to six young high school women in the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute program. She is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management, and the southern Maine Chapter of SHRM (“HRASM”). Colleen served as a former Board member for Volunteers of America, Northern New England, and HRASM. Colleen also volunteered in her community for many years as a youth basketball coach and was a member of the Greely Girls’ Basketball Boosters while her daughter was in high school.

A fun fact about Colleen is that Colleen attended culinary school at Southern Maine Community College for a semester. She bakes and decorates special occasion cakes as a hobby!

Education

• Bates College, BA in Biology
• University of Maine at Farmington – secondary education coursework
• SHRM Certified Professional
• HRCI Certified Professional

Community Connections

• Student Advisor, Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute
• Leadership Maine, Baskahegan Class of 2020