Keynote speaker LuAnn Ballesteros is the Vice President of External and Government Affairs at The Jackson Laboratory. LuAnn is a longtime member of MDF’s Maine Economic Growth Council and serves on numerous advisory & policy groups including the Maine Innovation Economy Board, The State Chamber of Commerce Board, and Maine State Workforce Board. She is a tireless advocate for career opportunity and accessible education for all Mainers. LuAnn holds a bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from Husson College and an associate’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Maine, Farmington. She is a Leadership Maine alum from the 2007 Xi Class and the winner of the 2024 Kenneth M. Curtis Leadership Award.