Bill Needelman is a professional deeply rooted in the waterfront community of Portland, Maine. He serves as the Waterfront Coordinator for the city of Portland, working within the Department of Economic Development. His role involves policy and development related to the preservation of the working waterfront and the industries that rely on it. His constituents include property owners, their tenants, and the city itself, which owns significant port-related properties and the city's fish pier. Needelman also holds an administrative role in the Portland Fish Pier Authority Board of Directors, further cementing his professional connection to the waterfront. Beyond his professional ties, Needelman has personal connections to the waterfront. His family has deep roots in the Portland area, including the islands of Casco Bay. He also ran a carpentry business that largely focused on cottage work on the islands, which required him to depend on piers, wharves, ferries, and boats for his livelihood.

Scope and Content Note
The interview with Bill Needelman, conducted by Corina Gribble and Kaitlyn Clark from the College of the Atlantic, provides an in-depth look into Needelman's professional and personal connections to the working waterfront of Portland, Maine. The discussion covers Needelman's role as the Waterfront Coordinator for the city of Portland, his responsibilities, and his constituents, which include property owners, tenants, and the city itself. Needelman also shares his personal ties to the waterfront, including his family's deep roots in the area and his previous carpentry business that relied on the waterfront for transportation and materials. The interview further explores Needelman's values and reasons for caring deeply about the waterfront, highlighting its recreational, imaginative, and emotional appeal. Needelman also discusses his involvement with the National Working Waterfront Network, emphasizing the value of the network in providing a platform for professionals to share and exchange information. The interview concludes with Needelman expressing the need for youth engagement and opportunities in the waterfront, emphasizing the importance of this for the future of the waterfront community.