Our Staff
Ahmen Cabral
YLAT Program Coordinator/Facilitator
Bangor YLAT
207-228-8548
ahmen.cabral@maine.edu
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Ahmen Cabral has been working with YLAT since 2007. She is continually inspired by the energy and positive change that is created when strong youth and adult partnerships are developed. “Each YLAT member – youth and adults – bring experience, knowledge, and leadership to create positive change in child welfare.” Ahmen is also involved in the Southern Maine Youth Transition Network comprised of community members, youth, and providers that aim to increase employment, post-secondary education, community opportunities, and supports for youth aging out of foster care. You will see Ahmen at YLAT meetings, panel presentations, community meetings, and the annual Teen Conference. Ahmen enjoys spending time with her family and running with Chase, her chocolate lab.
Shannon Saxby
YLAT Facilitator
York YLAT
207-780-5832
shannon.saxby@maine.edu​
Shannon joined the YLAT team in 2011, and has been inspired ever since! Hearing the experiences of young people, and what youth in care are currently facing motivates Shannon to think creatively with her partners to create sustainable changes and reforms to the child welfare system in Maine. Shannon often describes her connections with young people as “humbling”, and feels truly lucky to be a part of their journeys. You’ll see Shannon facilitating YLAT meetings, panel presentations, and training, and as the voice behind the YLAT social media pages. Currently, Shannon serves as the Adult Liaison for Maine’s partnership with Foster Youth in Action, a national organization that brings a network of programs, like YLAT, together to create a larger voice for youth in foster care. When Shannon isn’t at work she enjoys spending time with her daughters, reading a good book, and catching up on her favorite TV shows with her fur babies.
Lily Maass
YLAT Youth Engagement Coordinator
Southern Maine, Lewiston, & MidCoast YLAT
347-415-5288
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Lily Maass joined YLAT in 2019 after studying Child Development and designing and implementing teen programming in a variety of settings. Lily’s passion for working with youth and young adults stems from the belief that all young people hold an inherent ability to strengthen the systems and communities they engage with through sharing their expertise and unique perspectives to enact change. Outside of work, Lily loves to try new recipes, relax on the beaches and in the woods of Maine, and spend time sitting on the porch with friends listening to old music.
Melissa Allen
Policy Associate
Aroostook & Central ME YLAT
207-576-0340
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Melissa joined the Cutler Institute in December of 2019. Over the past 20 years, she has been inspired by and supported youth and families in various capacities. For the past ten years, Melissa worked at a Therapeutic Foster Care Agency in Maine, where she had the opportunity to listen to voices of foster care youth and resource parents. Melissa is excited to have the chance to redesign the Resource Parent Training at Cutler. She feels very fortunate to be able to work with youth who experience Foster Care, and strives to impact the child welfare community's changes that will positively affect the lives of youth.
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Frances Kirk
Policy Analyst I
​207-780-5006
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Frances is proud to be the newest member of the YLAT team, joining in the fall of 2024. She comes from a background of non-traditional education and outdoor guiding, taking young people on hiking, backpacking, sea kayaking, and bike-touring adventures to strengthen their communities and leadership skills and build self-confidence and a sense of empowerment. Now, she hopes to bring the same energy to YLAT. Frances believes that having a strong, compassionate community is the most important pathway to success and most enjoys the time she spends with young people, whether in YLAT meetings, trainings, TCPC, or other events. She looks forward to helping plan and facilitate YLAT’s summer programming. Outside of work, Frances tries to be active and outside with friends as much as she can. She continues to be involved in outdoor education with the nonprofit Rippleffect in Portland. She also loves reading, writing, and crafting.
Sarah Louden
Policy Assistant II
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Sarah has worked at the Cutler Institute in various capacities since 2021; she joined the YCE and JP teams in 2024 and currently provides administrative, financial, and project support. During the last decade, Sarah worked in different spaces within the public service sector, including multiple years teaching ELL/ESL students within the K-12 school system. She enjoys collaborating with young people from a diverse array of backgrounds & cultures, who continue to inspire and challenge her, and who constantly promote change and compassion all around them.
In her spare time, Sarah enjoys the company of humans and cats alike; cooking and baking; and appreciating both beautiful urban and rural spaces in Maine. She can frequently be found volunteering her time on civic engagement and electoral campaigns in her community, where she believes in building people's power for both the present moment and the future.
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Tara Chabot
Policy Assistant II
207-228-8145
Tara joined the Cutler Institute in July 2016. She is a Policy Associate II. Is a member of several teams and projects. She works collects and tracks demographic data and is responsible for logistics for meetings and events with the Youth Community Engagement (YCE), Youth Leadership Advisory Team (YLAT), Maine Youth Transition Collaborative (MYTC), and the Learning Exchange Series (LES). I am honored to be part of these teams working to make a better world for the people of Maine. I enjoy hiking, fishing and am learning to horseback ride and play golf.