SWAG��Ƶ

The SWAG��Ƶ will honor and acknowledge the achievements of two remarkable Maine women at the 62nd Annual Deborah Morton Society Convocation and Awards Ceremony on Friday, June 14.

The event will be held at 11 a.m. in Arthur P. Girard Innovation Hall on SWAG��Ƶ’s Portland Campus for the Health Sciences. It is free and open to the public.

The Deborah Morton Award recognizes distinguished Maine women who have made an extraordinary impact through their careers and public service or leadership in civic, cultural, or social causes. The award celebrates the memory of SWAG��Ƶ’s own distinguished Deborah Morton of Round Pond, Maine. She was valedictorian of the Class of 1879 of Westbrook Seminary, the forerunner of Westbrook College, which merged with the SWAG��Ƶ in 1996. Following her graduation, Morton served as a dedicated faculty member at the seminary and was a staunch advocate for equal rights on social, political, and economic spheres.

In honor of her legacy, the Deborah Morton Society continues to champion education and leadership for future generations of Maine women. In addition to the annual award, the society grants scholarships for women studying in the Westbrook College of Health Professions, recognizing outstanding qualities of character, leadership, and academic prowess akin to those exemplified by Deborah Morton.

For the past six decades, the Deborah Morton Society has consistently emphasized the significance of women in society, serving as an inspiration to young women throughout the state, encouraging them to embody Morton’s values and service-oriented mindset.

Cianchette Maker is a former board member for Maine Public, the Maine Community Foundation, the Susan L. Curtis Foundation, and the Maine Coalition for Excellence in Education. A passionate advocate for positive change, Cianchette Maker’s core strengths lie in strategic, civic-minded leadership, achieving outcomes, and a remarkable ability to connect people and resources.

She has been honored with the Crystal Heart Award by the Maine chapter of the American Heart Association, named one of four “Women to Watch” by Mainebiz in 2016, and featured in Maine Magazine’s “50 Mainers” list. Cianchette Maker received her Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the UNH Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics. 

Riley chaired the Governor’s Steering Committee to develop a plan to implement the Affordable Care Act in Maine. She was the distinguished senior fellow in State Health Policy at George Washington University and taught at USM’s Muskie School of Public Service.

Riley has also held appointed positions under five Maine governors, directing the Office on Aging, Medicaid, and state health agencies. She has published and presented widely about state health reform. Nationally she has served as a member of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Health Services Committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, and the Federal Council on Aging. 

In Maine, Riley has served on numerous boards and commissions including the Maine Community Foundation, the Maine Humanities Council, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics, the Maine Health Access Foundation, and the Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute. 

Riley is an alumna of the University of Maine (UMaine), to which she returned, while working full time, to earn a master’s in community development. She has chaired UMaine’s Board of Visitors and the Alumni Association, as well as the board of the University of Maine Foundation. She presently chairs the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. She resides in Brunswick.