About

The Maine Business Immigration Coalition (MeBIC) is the Maine chapter of the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC)

MeBIC is Maine’s only resource dedicated to providing information, education and advocacy on immigration and related issues from and for the business and economic perspective.

Together, ABIC and MeBIC work to advance sensible immigration reforms that grow jobs, strengthen our economy and benefit all American families.     

MeBIC’s PRINCIPLES:

MeBIC engages in education, advocacy and action to support  initiatives, laws and policies promoting economic growth and strong communities throughout Maine that are consistent with our  principles.

We believe in:

  • Providing consistent, reliable access to the talent Maine needs to sustain our global competitiveness in industries including healthcare, research, high-tech, manufacturing, construction, forestry, seafood, agriculture, retail, and hospitality/tourism.
  • Providing opportunities for immigrants and foreign students to enter the U.S. and our workforce legally, attracting and keeping the best, the brightest, and the hard-working.
  • Removing barriers that prevent immigrants from accessing employment, launching businesses, or working to their full potential.
  • Providing mechanisms that facilitate the hiring of foreign-born workers in response to market demands while also fully protecting the wages and working conditions of U.S. and immigrant workers, as outlined in joint principles issued by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and organized labor.
  • Establishing a path to citizenship for the undocumented currently living in Maine and the United States, to leverage their talent and to facilitate their complete integration as community members, consumers, workers, and entrepreneurs.
  • Promoting stability within Maine’s immigrant communities and families and thus our workforce and our immigrant consumer base.

MeBIC's HISTORY:

MeBIC was incorporated in Maine in 2017 with the support of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. as a §501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.   In 2021, MeBIC began partnering with ABIC, and in December, 2022, MeBIC formally dissolved as a Maine nonprofit corporation to become ABIC's Maine state chapter as of January 2023.

MeBIC's ADVISORY BOARD

MeBIC's Advisory Board provides advice and support to ABIC on Maine policies aimed at fostering immigrant success in Maine, and to advance ABIC's mission and work for common-sense federal immigration reforms to strengthen our communities and economy.

David Barber, President
Barber Foods/Tyson Foods
Portland, ME

Cathy Lee, Vice-President
Lee International Business Development
Westbrook, ME

Matt Marks, Secretary
Cornerstone Government Affairs
Augusta, ME 

Carla Dickstein, Treasurer
Wiscasset, ME 

Ben Conniff
Luke's Lobster
Portland, ME 

Dana Connors
Maine State Chamber of Commerce
Augusta, ME 

Mark St. Germain
St. Germain
Westbrook, ME

Jennifer Webber
Webber Consulting, LLC
Portland, ME

STAFF

Joby Thoyalil joined MeBIC in October 2022 and became MeBIC's Director and ABIC's Northeast States Director effective January 2023.  Joby has fourteen years of policy, advocacy, and coalition-building experience, including in Maine, where he has spent the last seven years working with Maine Equal Justice to advance policies improving the lives of low-income Mainers and strengthening Maine.

 

 

 

MeBIC is the Maine state chapter of ABIC.