SUNDOG TEAM

BOARD

LYNNE KAPLINSKY, MD - FOUNDER, BOARD PRESIDENT

Ophthalmologist, Mid Coast Vision Care

Lynne moved to Maine over 25 years ago to start her family, her career, and her community involvement. In 2017, she founded Sundog Outdoor Leadership Initiative (formerly Midcoast Outdoor Leadership Initiative) with the vision of providing after school programs that get kids outside, learning and practicing new skills, and being challenged to build the social and emotional resiliency needed to successfully navigate the teenage years.

Lynne is a fellowship trained board-certified ophthalmologist specializing in the medical and surgical management of glaucoma and cataracts. She has served as a board member of The Megunticook Watershed Association, Fivetowns Babe Ruth, Adas Yoshuron Synagogue and The Children’s House Montessori school where she was board chair for a number of years.

In her spare time, you can find Lynne outside running, hiking, skiing, playing tennis and spending time with her four adult children and dog, Opal.

DIANE STERNBERG - BOARD MEMBER

Program Director, FieldHouse Adventures

A desire to explore Maine’s coast brought Diane here over 15 years ago and she’s been living and working in Midcoast since. She is passionate about connecting youth to growth-oriented experiences. She facilitated programs for Ocean Classroom, worked as a course director and the semester program director for Hurricane Island Outward Bound and helped Cornerspring Montessori School design and implement their inaugural integrative middle school. Diane recently completed her MA at Middlebury’s Bread loaf School of English. She loves going on adventures, watching the moonrise and swimming in cold water.

ELLEN REYNOLDS - BOARD MEMBER

Owner/Operator, Drift Oceanside Inn

Ellen holds an undergraduate degree in Environmental Science with a focus in Marine Ecology from the University of North Carolina, and a Master’s degree in International Logistics Management from Maine Maritime Academy. She is a nationally certified fisheries biologist through the National Marine Fisheries Service, and spent much of her work history in the fishing industries of the North Pacific, North Atlantic, Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. Ellen served as a teacher, board member, and ultimately Director of Children’s House Montessori School, contributing heavily to the development of their outdoor education curriculums. She is the owner and operator of Drift Oceanside Inn in Camden with her husband, Casey, and is raising her two sons here in Midcoast Maine.

STEPHEN HAND - BOARD MEMBER

Outdoor Programs Director,  Maine Sport Outfitters

Owner/Operator, Flood Tide Outfitters

Stephen is a born and raised Midcoast local, graduating from Camden Hills in 2013. Stephen is a Registered Maine Guide, holding his Master Recreational Guide license, along with his Sea Kayaking, Fishing, Tidewater Fishing and Hunting licenses. Stephen is also a Coast Guard Certified Captain and a Wilderness First Responder. Stephen enjoys getting people outdoors and creating lasting memories in all aspects of the outdoors in Maine. Along with managing the rental and program operations at Maine Sport Outfitters, he owns a hunting and fishing guiding business. Stephen also serves on the advisory boards for both the Outdoor Leadership Programs at MCST and Washington County Community College.

Along with his hunting and fishing obsessions, he is an avid hockey player. Stephen now resides in Montville with his wife Ellie, their dog Pepper, and two sheep Emma and Eloise.

ERICA GATES - BOARD MEMBER

IEP Coordinator/Rising Tide Teacher, Camden Hills Regional High School

Raised in Northern Maine, Erica developed an early appreciation for the outdoors, hard work, and the close-knit communities that shaped her roots. She lives in Rockport with her husband and two children, and teaches high school special education. She values exploring and sharing the outdoors with others.

Erica is an avid nature lover who feels most at home on the water or the trail. A former raft guide, she has spent years sharing her love of the outdoors with others and tries to bring that love into her classroom. With her family, Erica enjoys mountain biking through the woods or discovering hidden corners of the Maine coast. Erica brings energy, resilience, and a deep appreciation for the natural world and is excited to help get more kids outside!

STEPHANIE SEIGH - BOARD MEMBER

Retired Lieutenant Commander in Emergency Management, USCG

Stephanie recently returned to the Midcoast after spending the last few years in the Pacific Northwest. Originally from Michigan, she was drawn to Maine during her first visit in 2007. Thanks to the Coast Guard, she has had the opportunity to live here several times since then. With over 20 years in the Coast Guard, she spent a majority of that time in the Marine Safety field, where she led teams responding to pollution incidents and coordinated efforts to protect coastal environments. As a homeschooling parent, she created learning experiences centered on outdoor education, community involvement, and citizen science projects. Stephanie has previously volunteered in the Midcoast as part of the fundraising committee at Children’s House Montessori, a board member at the Coastal Children’s Museum, and as a substitute teacher. She lives in Camden with her husband, 2 teenagers and their rescue pup, Charlie, and enjoys gardening, a good book, and exploring with her family.

STAFF

KIENAN BROWN - PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Sundog Outdoor Leadership Initiative

Kienan grew up in the Midcoast where he fell in love with the outdoors from a young age. After graduating from St. Lawrence University with a Bachelor’s of Science in psychology, he moved to Colorado where he was the Wilderness Apprentice and then an adjunct backpacking and ski touring instructor for High Mountain Institute, a youth ski instructor at Copper Mountain, and a certified professional ski boot fitter. He is a recent graduate of Prescott College, receiving his Masters in Outdoor Leadership in December of 2025. Kienan is excited to be a part of the Sundog team and grateful to have the opportunity to help kids in the Midcoast get outside, off screens, and into all that our outdoor spaces have to offer. In his spare time, you can find him skiing, hiking, camping, or spending time outside with his fiancé Adeline and rescue dog, Auggie.