Devon M. Newell

Project Manager/ Heritage Custodian. Devon Newell steps into his role as custodian of the Preserving Legacies program the way he approaches most things in his work — by listening first. Growing up along the cold, breathing waters of eastern Maine, he learned early that land and memory hold each other tightly, and that every shoreline has a story if you’re willing to sit with it long enough. Today, Devon carries that understanding into his work as a Project Manager in environmental stewardship, where he helps guide Tribally led coastal resilience efforts. Whether he’s supporting eelgrass restoration in Cobscook Bay or bringing partners around a shared table, his approach is rooted in relationships — with people, with place, and with the histories that shape them both. To him, Preserving Legacies isn’t just a program. It’s a responsibility. It’s the quiet task of tending to stories that risk being washed away, and making sure the voices of those closest to the land are not only heard, but centered. Devon brings storytelling into planning, Indigenous knowledge into science, and care into every conversation, believing that resilience is not just about surviving change — it’s about honoring who we are as we move through it. In this custodial role, Devon works to ensure that what is important is carried forward: the knowledge elders share, the persistence of coastal ecosystems, and the ties that bind communities to their homelands. He sees his work as part of a longer story — one he’s humbled to help continue.