Doug Malcolm

 

Family of origin – 3 generations 1964-71
I was born in 1953.
Not long after, we became a family of 6: with 3 kids (I was the youngest), 2 parents, and 1 grandmother (my mom’s mom). ‘Granny’ lived with us through all of my junior high and high school years.

Merrymeeting Chimney Service              1978-88
Founder / Owner
Company grew to 14 employees
Served 3,500+ customers in Portland and coastal towns surrounding Casco Bay.

Homeschooled my three young children        1990-94
Preschool through 5th grade levels

Maine Cohousing (the following was spread over 15 years)
For about two years each, I was involved with three cohousing projects during their start-up, pre-move-in phase. From this experience and others I’ve learned a good deal about intentional communities, much of it relevant to ‘Hope Rural’. For reasons noted, I did not move into any of these communities.

  • Kennebec Valley Cohousing                              1993-94
    As the first Maine project of its kind, the Readfield planning board voted not to grant the necessary permits.

  • Two Echo Cohousing                                          1997-98
    This one was/is in Brunswick, but my family’s priorities changed just as construction was beginning in earnest.

  • Belfast Cohousing & Ecovillage                        2007-08
    The “Great Recession,” for me, made buying into this project financially out of reach.

Maine Island Trail Association (MITA)     1993-95
Lead Donor and a Founding Board Member as MITA split off from the Island Institute. 
MITA started with ~30 sites used by a few hundred members along the Maine coast. Currently, the Trail includes over 225 coastal camping and day-use sites used by more than 9,500 members.

Maine Initiatives – A Fund for Change 1993-96
Founder, lead donor, first Executive Director     
This public foundation began with pooled funds from ~25 donors contributing a total of ~$400,000. As of Fall 2024, MI had more than 6,000 donors, had raised well over $20,000,000 and, in turn, had distributed early-stage, hard to find support to more than 450 community inspired, Maine-based, highly progressive, start up nonprofits. 

New England Rehab Hospital, Portland 2008-14
Registered Nurse in clinical practice
Worked full time on the traumatic brain injury floor serving, primarily, adults 55+. 

Portland Wheelers                           2015-21

Founder, first Executive Director

Inspired by a small ride program that served a single nursing home on Cape Cod, I led a volunteer team in Greater Portland that designed, continually improved, and scaled this model program to grow and serve people of any age and many kinds of disability – “‘wheelers’ “who cannot ride a bike by themselves but would love to go for a ride.” In 2024 (the latest numbers), Portland Wheelers gave 3,000 rides pedaled by 140 volunteer ‘pilots’ to roughly 1,200 wheelers from 55 care facilities and other locations. 

‘Kin Commons’ (links to original Vision Paper)     2024-present
Founder, Executive Director
I read the book Neighbors: The Power of the People Next Door by the founder of Hope Meadows, Brenda Krause Eheart. Inspired, I came out of retirement to help organize then build ‘Hope Rural’, a similar community to the one Brenda writes about. When it’s ready for us, I want to move there. I want to be part of this intentional neighborhood. To get to be “Poppy Doug” to the community's ‘grands’, while also enjoying my elder peers – our daily interactions and mutual support.“It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.