Thornton Academy Postscripts Alumni Magazine Fall 2013 | Page 16

A L U M N I IN T H E N EW S

Troy Munford ‘80 receives
Governor’s Award

Wife-carrying contest at Sunday River

Troy Munford (left) receives award
from Governor LePage (right)

Troy Munford ‘80, Tour & Travel Sales
Manager at Sunday River, was
presented with the Governor’s Award for
Tourism Excellence during a ceremony
at this year’s Maine Governor’s
Conference on Tourism. Reportedly, his
cap has been equally feathered by his
successful promotion nationwide of
events like the North American Wife
Carrying Contest (photo far right).
The Maine Tourism Awards are
sponsored by the Maine Department of
Economic & Community Development’s
(DECD) Office of Tourism. The
Governor’s Conference on Tourism
brings together Maine’s tourism

Senator Linda Valentino ‘74 at
press conference announcing
ground-breaking agreement with
the University of Maine.
To the assembled crowd and television
cameras, Chair of the Workforce
Development Committee Senator
Valentino said, “This committee work
was one of Senate President Justin

16

industry for professional development
and to commend dedicated service.
Troy was nominated by Bethel-area
businesses that benefited from his
work, including: Bethel Outdoor
Adventures, Maine Mineralogy
Expeditions, as well as Sunday River.
Troy has increased year-round bus tour
business to Sunday River by 400% in
recent years and created summer bus
tour itineraries that benefit several local
businesses. Jeff Parsons of Bethel
Outdoor Adventures said Munford “saw
the value of Bethel in summer months
and promoted it to a wider audience,
including bus and tour groups.” Greg
Alfond’s top
priorities of the
session. The (LD
90) legislation
addresses ways
to close the
so-called skills
gap between the
State’s workforce
and the needs of
the State’s
employers. One of
the committee’s findings was that
STEM-related education is critical in
order for Maine to compete globally,
create jobs, and fill current vacancies
in high-tech positions. This press
conference announces an exciting new
partnership that I believe fulfills the
vision of the legislature, Senator Alfond,
POSTSCRIPTS

Sweetser, Executive Director of the Ski
Maine Association said Munford has
brought “well over 100 groups to Maine
each year. He is the reason Sunday
River’s North American Wife Carrying
Championship has been listed on the
American Bus Association’s top 100
destinations, an honor reserved for
such events as the Rose Bowl and
Mardi Gras.”
Munford said, “I was shocked. I
received the award in front of about
500 peers…it was an experience I will
never forget.”

my committee, and Maine Industry
Partnerships. Part of the Maine Industry
Partnerships was to coordinate
initiatives with post-secondary
education and I am pleased that
Thornton Academy has taken the lead
on this.”
Senator Valentino introduced Senate
President Justin Alfond who said,
“Thornton Academy has a proud
history - over 200 years - an
independent school with a public
school mission. Thornton Academy’s
incorporation of STEM education into
its regular curriculum, forging new
partnerships that will benefit its
students is an ideal model. I’m
particularly pleased to see the
partnership with Maine’s flagship
university.”