What Partnership Looks Like in Action: WinterKids + CMP

What Partnership Looks Like in Action: WinterKids + CMP

At WinterKids, we know that our work doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s built through partnership with educators, families, and organizations across Maine who share a commitment to helping kids grow up active, confident, and connected.

That’s what makes partnerships like the one with Central Maine Power meaningful.

We recently connected with CMP President and CEO Linda Ball to talk about community, responsibility, and the role we all play in supporting Maine’s future.

Grounded in Community

In Maine, community isn’t abstract; it’s something you feel. It’s neighbors, schools, and families showing up for one another, especially during the winter months, when connection matters most.

For Linda, that sense of responsibility is deeply tied to the role CMP plays in everyday life.

She spoke about how essential electricity has become, touching everything from homes and schools to hospitals and small businesses, and how seriously her team takes the responsibility of delivering it reliably.

“Every light in houses and businesses, schools and hospitals, every streetlight, heat pump, EV, laptop and tablet relies on power. Our responsibility to deliver this power reliably and consistently is one I take very seriously, and so do each of our almost 1,300 employees.”

She also emphasized the importance of balancing that responsibility with the realities facing Maine families, including rising costs and the need to make thoughtful, long-term investments in infrastructure.

It’s a perspective grounded in both service and accountability, one that reflects how interconnected our communities really are.

CMP has been one of WinterKids’ longest-standing partners. What makes the partnership meaningful is the way their team consistently looks for opportunities to engage directly in the work, helping bring these experiences to life for Maine kids and families.

Where Partnership Meets Purpose

At WinterKids, we focus on helping kids build healthy habits through movement, outdoor learning, and shared experiences. Linda immediately connected to that idea not just from a professional standpoint, but a personal one.

“Outdoor activity and learning are crucial to education, and are such an important part of childhood, especially in a place as beautiful as Maine. Whether it’s for personal recreation or career development, knowledge learned outdoors can be really impactful.”

She spoke about how time outside shapes not just childhood experiences, but long-term interests and opportunities.

From understanding Maine’s geography and weather to building skills that translate into careers, those early moments matter.

“Our line workers and operations teams use their knowledge of Maine’s geography and weather systems to make critical decisions about our customers’ electricity service. Our arborists apply their skills and time spent outdoors to protect our grid from falling trees as much as possible in the most forested state in the nation. Interest in these types of careers can start early, especially if kids spend time outdoors, appreciating the beauty and power of nature.”

And on a more personal level, she shared something we hear often from families in our programs:

“Having a go-to activity to get outside, be active, and practice healthy habits, especially during our cold Maine winters, can truly be life-changing. That’s a message and feeling I hear echoed by CMP employees all the time.”

That connection between access, experience, and confidence is at the core of our work.

Investing in What Comes Next

WinterKids works in all 16 counties across Maine, reaching thousands of children, families, and educators each year. For Linda, investing in young people is part of a long-standing commitment.

“Building a foundation for the next generation of Mainers is part of who CMP is… All of us here in Maine benefit when we invest in our young people and then recruit them to work here at home.”

She pointed to efforts like CMP’s industry-leading high school internship program that is expanding to more Maine schools, doubling enrollment, and enhancing training opportunities to include both line and substation operations for 2026. This will be the second year of the program that will provide more Maine high school students with hands‑on training alongside frontline union employees in the electric utility industry. Ball says these kinds of workforce development initiatives are helping young people explore career pathways, build their skills, and invest in the next generation workforce that is right here in Maine.

At the same time, CMP employees are contributing in other ways—volunteering in communities across the state and supporting organizations like WinterKids.

At our Welcome to Winter event, families gathered around the CMP truck for a hands-on touch-a-truck experience, including bucket lift demonstrations that sparked curiosity and excitement for kids of all ages.

During the Winter Games opening ceremony, CMP was part of the celebration, with Senior Analyst-Community Relations, Jade Wu, joining us to kick off the season and serve as a judge, helping recognize the energy and effort of students and teachers across Maine.

And at Downhill 24, two CMP teams took part in our 24-hour ski and ride fundraiser—an event that plays a vital role in raising the funds that make our programs possible.

It’s one piece of a much larger ecosystem of support that makes this work possible.

Leadership & Perspective

Linda’s approach to leadership is shaped by where she started—working directly with customers.

“Spending time directly listening to customers gives me a real appreciation for how deeply our work affects people’s lives.”

That experience continues to inform how she makes decisions today, grounding them in the real experiences of the people and communities CMP serves.

It’s a reminder that leadership, like partnership, is most effective when it stays connected to people.

Moving Forward, Together

As we look ahead, Linda shared a sense of optimism that we also see reflected in our work every day.

“What gives me the most optimism is the energy and positive outlook of Maine’s young people.”

We see that same energy in our programs—kids trying something new, building confidence, and finding joy in being active outdoors.

Partnerships like this one help make those moments possible.

Because when we show up together, we create more opportunities for every child to move, learn, and explore.