Business Club Community Chat Series: Community Service & Perception

Meet the Panel

Joe Corey

Joe Corey is the President of Day’s Jewelers, a 108-year-old chain of full-service jewelry stores in Maine and New Hampshire. Joe has been involved with the jewelry business since childhood, working alongside his parents and former Day’s owners, Jeff, and Kathy. Joe earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. Recently, Joe was elected to serve on the board of directors for Jewelers for Children, an organization established by the jewelry industry, to benefit many children’s charities including Make-a-Wish® and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Since its founding, Jewelers for Children has raised over $58 million for a variety of children’s charities benefiting children in need. Joe currently resides in Scarborough, Maine with his wife Sarah Beth and sons Cameron and Owen. He is an avid sports enthusiast and enjoys skiing, snowmobiling, ocean sailing and golf. Joe is the third generation of Corey’s to be employed at Day’s.

Katelyn Pushard

Katelyn Pushard has over ten years’ experience working in the social service, nonprofit sector. Graduating with a degree in special education at the University of Maine in Farmington, she began working as a children’s case manager at the Children’s Center Early Intervention and Family Support in Augusta. After taking other leadership roles within her department for a few years, she shifted focus and efforts towards development in order to share and further the mission of the organization.

United Way of Kennebec Valley hired Pushard as the organization’s Community Engagement Manager—a newly created position since UWKV’s expansion into northern Kennebec County. She leads a portion of resource development and fundraising initiatives, manages donor groups, and heads volunteer engagement strategies. Additionally, she is responsible for generating the greatest possible community-wide results through the 10-year Impact2032 initiative.

A recent graduate of the Kennebec Leadership Institute, Pushard has shown dedication to the community and remains heavily involved in numerous volunteer committees and projects, including Cynergy through the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce, KV Connect through the Mid Maine Chamber of Commerce, Waterville Rotary Club, and youth coaching through the Augusta Recreation Department. Because of her involvement and dedication to Kennebec County, she was nominated for the Cynergy Young Professional Award through the Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce in 2020.

Ken Walsh

Ken was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. one of 7 children of an Irish and Italian catholic family.

Ken earned his degree in Physical Education with a minor in Sports Management at SUNY Cortland.

After graduating in 1985, Ken accepted his first job as the youngest director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of New Rochelle, NY where he served as the Assistant Executive Director for 7 years.

In 1992 Ken moved to Waterville, Maine and accepted the challenge to lead the Waterville Area Boys and Girls Club organization as their Executive Director. Quickly after 2 years he started fundraising efforts to redefine the Boys and Girls Club and successfully raised 2.1 million dollars to renovate the old Main Street building.  After the completion of the Capital Campaign the Club merged with the YMCA.  Ken was named Chief Executive Officer of the only merged Boys and Girls Club and YMCA in the country resulting in a new campaign to build a new facility.

After a two year Campaign the BGC/YMCA raised over 11 million dollars.  In May of 1999 with the presence of Governor King and General Colin Powell the Boys & Girls Club and YMCA at the Alfond Youth Center was opened. The youth membership soared from 1,200 youth members to over 8,000. The towns served increased from 33 to over 191 towns. Ken also expanded the service of his out reach opening up eight other Clubs through out the State. Five on Indian Reservations. The organization is the largest accredited licensed childcare center in the State.

In 2005 Ken, his staff and the Board continued the fundraising efforts with the support of the New Balance Foundation and raised over 5 million dollars to develop and enhance the Camp Tracy operation in Oakland, Maine. Now the Camp serves over 200 kids per session and is the premier Day and Residential Camp operation in Maine.

In 2006 Ken continued the Capital Campaign efforts and increased the size of the Alfond Youth Center by another 14,000 square feet. The addition added another floor to the facility as well as a new Teen Center, Gymnastics area, Climbing Wall, Karate Dojo, Youth Wellness Center and Library. Now Waterville Y is finishing another 7M campaign adding another 15,000 sq. ft. creating a new wellness center, indoor track, teaching kitchen, locker room and lobby renovations in partnership with Maine General Hospital and the Dental Center. Competition is scheduled for fall of 2019.

Ken led the effort to build two of the only licensed MLB replica ball fields in country; Fenway Park and Wrigley Fields. With the endorsement of Major League Baseball, Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, the field was dedicated by the Iron Man of Baseball Cal Ripken Jr. In 2020 The Y of Greater Waterville will be the host of the Cal Ripken Youth World Series.

Ken has dedicated his life to improving the wellbeing of youth and families. His recent efforts have been to develop a long lasting opportunity for kids now and into the future. Ken has been on an endowment campaign in which he has raised over 14 million dollars to date. His goal is to add another 25 million within the next 10 years. A new legacy campaign is now beginning with the goal to reach another 100 new gifts by 2024. Ken has raised over 50 million dollars for youth programming in his 28 years serving the Waterville community.

Ken lives in Waterville, Maine with his wife Suzanne his son Sean and daughter Kate.