Reunion Weekend can be a feast for the senses. Debbie Hight ’75, P’07 certainly came away from her 40th Reunion impressed with what she’d seen and tasted.
Matt Caiazzo
As a member of the board of directors for the Maine Grain Alliance, a non-profit organization based in Skowhegan, Hight also saw an opportunity.
“The informative signs next to the offerings are helpful, the food is delicious, and the focus on local, when possible, is outstanding,” wrote Hight in an email to Mary Lou Kennedy, director of Dining Services, in which Hight also extended an invitation.
Through a scholarship provided by the Joan and Bill Alfond Foundation, Matt Caiazzo, Dining’s sourcing and menu manager, has been selected to attend the Maine Grain Alliance’s annual Kneading Conference and Bread Fair, a three-day conference that attracts 3,000 visitors each year.
The Maine Grain Alliance focuses on restoring regional grain production and educating people about baking with local grains and running grain-based businesses.
Hight, a senior manager at Sappi Fine paper for 20 years, left the position to become more involved in her local community through teaching and tutoring. She became involved with the Maine Grain Alliance when she attended the Kneading Conference and Bread Fair as an interested bread baker.
Hight’s family has a long history with Bowdoin — and with cars. The Hight family dealerships are a fourth-generation business. Father-in-law Kirby Hight ’38 is, at 99 years old, the second generation. His son, Lou Hight ’74, Debbie’s husband, currently runs the business with his brother. Sam Hight ’07, son of Debbie and Lou, runs the Ford dealership in Skowhegan.
