Meet Our Team

Spencer Traylor

Co-Founder | Director of Community Development

Spencer is the Co-Founder and Director of Community Development for Samara Strategies. A passionate advocate for community-led transformation, Spencer brings over a decade of experience in education, facilitation, and program design to his work at Samara. After graduating from Colby College, Spencer came to Lewiston as an intern with Tree Street Youth. He later ran the internship program at Tree Street, led the design and development of Next STEP High School for Lewiston Public Schools, and served as a Facilitator and Camp Director for Seeds of Peace International Camp in Otisfield, ME. Spencer has consulted with schools, nonprofits, and colleges on topics ranging from implicit bias to dialogues on race and international conflict.

Julia Sleeper

Co-Founder | Director of Strategy

Julia is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Tree Street Youth Center. Born and raised in Bangor area, she initially moved to Lewiston as an undergraduate at Bates College. During her time as a student, she began connecting to the Downtown Lewiston community youth through service learning opportunities afforded to her as a Psychology and Education major. Over the past 10 years, Julia has continued to build on the relationships formed as an undergrad, seeking to provide valuable programming to at-risk youth in Lewiston-Auburn. After completing her Masters in Leadership and Organizational Studies at USM-LAC, she began the present-day Tree Street Youth Center.

Mary Acheson-Field

Design Team Member

Mary (she/her) was born in Washington State, but moved to Maine when she was three. She has lived in various parts of the world, but considers Maine home. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Community, Youth & Education Studies and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. She is passionate about both the meaningful and silly parts of working with youth and supporting the communities and leaders that strive to better the world for them. When not at work, you can find Mary indulging in all sorts of food, spending time outside, dancing, and being with friends and family. Mary is excited to be part of the Samara Strategies team and to continue working and supporting the incredible work being done across Maine and beyond.

Alli Nolan

Design Team Member

Born in Southern California and raised in Western Maine, Alli has lived in many places including Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, and Panama, but Lewiston is her favorite! She has a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies with a minor in Education from Colby College, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Education in Early Childhood. Alli joined Tree Street Youth in 2014 first coordinating the BRANCHES College Access Program. Since then she has taken on different roles at Tree including Development & Marketing, Elementary Program Director, Operations & HR, and directing Pre-K programming for the littlest learners at Tree. Alli loves cooking, hiking, music, and spending time with family & friends.

Kim Sullivan

Samara Design Team & Board Member

Founder & Creative Director, Tide Pool Creative

Kim is an entrepreneur and a non-profit leader dedicated to empowering community-led programming, movements, and solutions. With over a decade’s worth of experience in project management, direct service delivery, business operations, design, web development, and fundraising, Kim has worked on a diverse portfolio of projects throughout her career. She is passionate about partnering with small businesses and non-profits to create customized and easy-to-maintain solutions that address their unique challenges. Kim is a community-oriented person who thrives in collaborative environments. Her superpower is her ability to simultaneously hold the big picture and the details that make it happen. Originally from Maine, Kim currently divides her time between Maine and Brooklyn, NY. She is excited to collaborate with your organization and help you achieve your bold visions!

Philip Johnston

Samara Board President

Longley School Director – Next STEP High, RootED, and OWL and LMS-BRANCHES Programs

Philip Johnston serves as the Longley School Director in Lewiston Public Schools, overseeing and supporting multiple collaborative, community-based school partnerships between LPS and Tree Street Youth. Since 2018, he has been instrumental in designing and implementing a collaborative school model that emphasizes social-emotional learning, real-world problem-solving, and student voice for under-credited youth at the high school level. Today, he oversees staff and programming at Next STEP High (a 9–12 program serving as an incubator for innovative design methods in the district), RootED (a 6–12 transitional program supporting students to reground before re-entering school), and the OWL/BRANCHES-LMS programs (pilots preparing middle school students for high school success).

Philip’s previous experience includes developing STEAM, job readiness, and entrepreneurship curriculum for The Possible Project in Cambridge, MA; serving as a Teaching Fellow with Citizen Schools; and working as a Social Media Strategist for The Right Question Institute. He holds an M.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Southern Maine and a B.A. in History from Boston College. Outside of work, Philip enjoys deep dinner conversations, music, and stand-up comedy.

Adam Burk

Board Secretary

Director, Intentional Philanthropy

Adam Burk has a diverse professional background spanning social services, education, economic and community development, social innovation, storytelling, and the trades. Career highlights include curating and producing TEDxDirigo, serving as the founding curator of the Portland Global Shaper Hub through the World Economic Forum, building farm-to-school programs, and leading the facilitation of a regional vision and action plan that continues to guide the Katahdin Region of Maine.

Adam holds an M.A. in Education from Goddard College, and dual B.A. degrees in History and Psychology from Thomas Edison State College. A first-generation college graduate and Registered Maine Guide, Adam is committed to living well in his place and with others while fostering community-based youth development and practicing philanthropy through reciprocal, evolving relationships.

Outside of work, Adam enjoys time with family, gardening, foraging wild mushrooms, biking, playing squash, and sharing plant-based meals with friends.

Ian Yaffe

Board Treasurer

Director, Office for Family Independence, Maine Department of Health and Human Services

Ian Yaffe leads the Office for Family Independence (OFI) at Maine DHHS, connecting individuals and families to programs that foster health, safety, resilience, and opportunity, including MaineCare (Medicaid), SNAP, TANF, and education and career services. Prior to joining DHHS in 2021, Ian served for 11 years as Executive Director of Mano en Mano, a nonprofit working with immigrant and farmworker communities in rural Maine to ensure access to essential services, education, and housing.

Ian holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies and Education from Bowdoin College and an M.P.A. from the University of Washington.