Meet the Team
Elizabeth McLellan
Founder and CEO
Elizabeth McLellan received her degrees from American University, Northeastern University, the University of Southern Maine, and Boston University School of Medicine and Public Health. McLellan has spent her career working as a leader in nursing and healthcare administration. In recognition of her leadership, compassion, and service, McLellan has received numerous awards including the Hanley Center Leadership and Humanitarian Relief Award in 2010, the Red Cross Real Hero Award in 2011, the Outstanding Non-Profit Award in 2012, and the Northeastern University Social Impact Award in 2014.
Julie Nelson Forsyth
Chief Operating Officer
Paul Golding
Director of Development and Communications
Julie Forsyth is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Partners for World Health (PWH). Before becoming COO, she served as Director of Operations. She has helped lead the dramatic growth within the organization over the past 5 years. Julie came to PWH with more than twenty eight years of experience developing, marketing, running and optimizing brands for a wide variety of organizations. Before joining PWH, Julie held a range of senior positions in traditional retail operations, strategic planning, management consulting, product development, marketing and e-commerce. She worked for internationally recognized companies including Macys, Price Waterhouse/Coopers, Talbots, Keds, Timberland, Coach and Burberry. In the non-profit sector, Julie is a former Executive Director of the YMCA/Darien Norwalk, and in Maine serves on the leadership council of Let’s Get Ready Maine and AVESTA Advancement Council. A Portland native, Julie lived “away” for 30 years, returning eight years ago with her family. She received her BA from Harvard and Radcliffe Colleges and her MBA from Boston University School of Management.
Paul Golding was born and educated in the UK and has spent the last thirty years in the US working in Development and Communications in Higher Education, Public Health and Social Services .
Laura Nilsson
Programs Manager
A Massachusetts native, Laura has been happily living in Portland since 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Science, Accounting & Finance degree from Bentley University and a Master of Science, Global Studies & International Relations degree from Northeastern University. Laura brings a background in intercultural exchange, non-profit/social enterprise management and global public health administration to PWH. She is a humanitarian by nature and strives to embody global citizenship in all parts of life.
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Alan Clark
Operations Manager
Alan Clark earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern Maine. Having grown up in Houlton, ME, Alan is proud of his Aroostook County roots. His work ethic began at a young age by getting up at 5 AM to work in the potato fields during the harvest school break. That work ethic carries through to today. Alan spent close to 30 years as a manager in retail pharmacy from which he will bring his knowledge of operations, organization, and community involvement to Partners. Alan has lived in Portland for the last 18 years with his wife Shelly, and their 3 rescue cats.
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Laura Darnell
Warehouse Manager
With experience in disability advocacy and care, Laura brings a passion for accessibility for all to her position as Medical Supply Coordinator at PWH. She is excited to play a role in distributing medical supplies and equipment to those in need in the local community and beyond. A Massachusetts native, Laura recently moved to Portland after over a decade in San Diego, California. In her free time she enjoys hiking, cooking, and traveling with her partner Cindy. She looks forward to becoming a part of the PWH community, and Portland as a whole.
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Kali Focht
Volunteer Coordinator
Position Open
Operations Coordinator
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Ashlee McLaughlin
Communications and Social Media Coordinator
As a native Vermonter, Kali's sense of community is what propelled her to pursue the nonprofit world. With a background in events, and frontline customer service experience, she is ready to take on Portland with her husband and dogs in tow. With skills that come from working alongside people, Kali aims to bring her knowledge to Partners with goals to grow the volunteer team.
Ashlee McLaughlin is a social media expert and communications professional. An avid forager and animal lover, she’s been in ME permanently for 13 years now. Ashlee has historically worked in beer and cannabis, and worked for herself handling women-owned business’ social media in that space. She brings over a decade of experience and connections- in just 2 weeks she has already almost tripled our instagram reach! You can find her around our warehouse with a camera in her hand, so make sure to say hi if you’re around!
Harry Swan
Warehouse Coordinator
Bobbi Fraser
Bookkeeper
Jim Siulinski
Biomedical Engineer
Harry Swan grew up in Brunswick, ME and graduated from Hamilton College in 2013. He has lived and worked in many different places since then, including three years as an English teacher in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. (He will never complain about hot weather in New England again!) He recently returned to Maine and joined PWH as a warehouse coordinator in April 2023.
Bobbi joined the team in March of 2022. I am 63 and live in South Portland. I love animals, to walk, sew and crochet blankets. I have worked for big corporations as well as small companies from being bookkeeper to HR Director and Controller. My career has mostly been doing accounting, something I love. I hope to be with PWH for a very long time.
Jim is a Maine native who has retired from a career in semiconductor product development. His lifelong interest in technology has led him through many areas of engineering including software and hardware development and worldwide product support. He is currently reinventing himself as a biomedical engineer at PWH. Jim is also an avid hiker, woodworker and photographer.
Pearl McNeil
Third Party Resell Coordinator
I learned of PWH in 2009 when a friend in the medical field told me about the Blue Wrap Project. I loved everything about PWH but could not volunteer because I didn't have a car and there were no bus stops nearby. I held this place in my heart for 10 years until we finally got a car in 2019. One of the first things I did was to sign up for volunteer training. Now, 3 years later, I have decided to expand my scope and take on the job of Third Party Resale Coordinator. I look forward to learning about a whole different part of PWH that I never knew of before. Besides being at PWH I love to go beachcombing, explore this great state of ours, help those in need and create a wide spectrum of art. I live in Augusta with my wife, Patty, and our little snugglebug kitty named Junipurr.