Prominent UNE alumni named to Mainebiz’s annual ‘40 Under 40’ list
Hotham portrait courtesy of Brandon Hotham
Two University of New England alumni have been named to Mainebiz’s “40 Under 40” list, an annual recognition of Maine’s rising young leaders, entrepreneurs, and executives.
Brandon Hotham, B.A. ’12, M.P.H. ’14, president and CEO of The Dempsey Center, and Melissa Hue ’15, M.P.H. ’20, director of Portland’s Office of Economic Opportunity, were including in this year’s list that honors the next generation of professionals who are driving economic growth, innovating in their industries, and actively strengthening their local communities across Maine.
According to Mainebiz — Maine’s premier statewide business publication — this year’s “40 Under 40” honorees represent a broad range of industries and organizations across the state, from financial services, healthcare, hospitality, nonprofits, and more.
Hotham, who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and English from UNE in 2012 and a Master of Public Health in 2014, has long credited UNE for his success as an advocate for centering patient experiences across diverse populations.
“UNE shaped my understanding of whole-person health, and this partnership reflects that same commitment to meeting people where they are with dignity, care, and evidence-based support,” he told UNE News last November.
“UNE gave me the space to discover what I was interested in and how my interests in people, health, communication, and research could come together,” he recently wrote to UNE’s Alumni Office.
Hue, who is also a double-alum of UNE, delivered the keynote address at the University’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration in January, which she told Mainebiz in her “40 Under 40” interview was her “proudest achievement.”
“As a student, I had watched African American leaders take that stage and speak about experiences that validated and inspired me. Years later, being invited to stand where I once sat was surreal and deeply meaningful,” she told Mainebiz. “It felt like a full-circle recognition of the work and communities that shaped me.”
At the event — which honors King’s historic 1964 visit to UNE’s predecessor St. Francis College — Hue spoke to more than 150 attendees on the Portland Campus for the Health Sciences, where she encouraged attendees to view community-building as a shared responsibility rooted in compassion and connection.
“UNE taught me to look beyond the immediate problem and search for the root causes through a healthcare lens with the betterment of people at the center,” she recently told the Alumni Office. “I carry that lesson into every part of my career, always asking what’s really creating a barrier and how to get at its root.”
“What makes this recognition so meaningful is not simply what Brandon and Melissa have achieved professionally, but the people they have become,” said Alicia Fereday, MBA, vice president for Institutional Advancement at UNE. “They are making a real difference in their communities, helping others, leading with purpose, and creating opportunities for those around them. UNE is incredibly proud of them and grateful to count them among our alumni.”