Carmen Lone, executive director of the Bridgton Community Center, was recently named as the initial honoree of the “Al” Glover Nonprofit Leadership Award by the Bridgton Lions Club.

The three-person selection committee, chaired by First V.P. Jeffrey Richards, had a difficult task in choosing from amongst eight outstanding and quality nominees submitted for the award by area nonprofits.

The Lions Club recently established the award in memory of Al Glover, who was a longtime, perfect attendance club member and leader. The premise is to recognize the exceptional leadership that Al gave to the greater Bridgton community for over 60 years. In addition to his teaching career and consistent coaching duties, he served on the Board of Directors of no fewer than eight nonprofit organizations, at least five of which he also chaired. A professional photographer, he regularly taught that subject for the adult education program locally and served as official photographer for several area police departments.  

It seems most fitting and a bit ironic that the last board on which Glover served and chaired was that of the Bridgton Community Center; two years before his death in 2019.  

During a recent interview with Ms. Lone, she stated that Al was one of her very favorite people, as she arose from her desk and took from the nearby bookcase a framed newspaper photograph of Al Glover.

Lone’s nomination letter, signed by four of her board members, a staff person and written by Phil Tarr, chairperson, it was said of her, “In addition to performing her job at an exemplary level, Carmen demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to the citizens of the Bridgton community.” They went on to say, “Carmen is a wonderful ambassador for our Community Center in assisting people of all ages as they navigate the complexities of life…if she did not already exist (we) believe the Board of Directors would try to invent her.”

Her management skills were recently illustrated when the town received a community block grant of $125,000 for the first of the COVID relief plans; the Center was asked to administer the grant for the town. It was an extra task for her, but she willingly accepted and exceptionally well handled. 

“She is a behind-the-scenes miracle worker,” her board stated. 

Now in her 18th year at the center, Carmen began as a program coordinator in 2004. She assumed the interim director role in 2005 and became the executive director in 2006. It was also said she exemplifies the mission of the center.

A member of the Bridgton Rotary Club, Carmen served as its president in 2009-10 and continues as an active member. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Bridgton Food Bank and is serving her first term on the Bridgton Select Board. She told this writer that she “feels she is part of all the organizations in the community due to the privilege of working cooperatively with them.”

In departing her unassuming office (which appears to also serve as a ready storage area for emergency and needed supplies) she said, with a bit of a tear in her eye that “she has the best job in Bridgton.” And then added that when she was 20, she would have turned this job down.

Carmen will be honored by the Lions Club at a special ceremony on May 24. At that time, the Community Center will also be presented with an unrestricted grant of $1,000 in her honor. In lieu of the present COVID restrictions, the originally planned banquet will be not be held and the honoree will be presented with a gift certificate for her and a guest to dinner at a local restaurant.

The Lions wish to remind all area nonprofit organizations that nominations for the Al Glover Nonprofit Leadership Award will again be open in February of 2022, and encourage participation in designating their outstanding leader, either staff or volunteer for the honor. — Submitted by Carl Talbot, Bridgton Lions Club