WATERVILLE, MAINE, July 2025 — Thomas College is proud to announce that Tawny Alvarez, J.D., of Scarborough, Maine, and Andy Dionne, M.D., of Sidney, Maine, have joined its Board of Trustees. Alvarez is Partner in Verrill’s Labor and Employment Practice Group and Dionne is the Director of Clinical Medicine and Associate Program Director with Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency.
“We are thrilled to welcome two new Board members and grateful for the skills and talents they bring to the Board. Their areas of expertise, their life experiences, and their fresh perspectives will enhance our ability to deliver on our ambitious new strategic plan over the next five years,” said Thomas College President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi.
Alvarez, a 2005 graduate of Thomas College, has practiced with Verrill for over a decade. Her practice focuses on representing businesses in all aspects of their relationship with employees, including the impact of AI in hiring, pay transparency laws, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and maintaining a diverse work environment within the confines of Title VII and state and federal anti-discrimination laws.
Alvarez is a New Hampshire native and obtained her undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Thomas College. Alvarez attended the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University, where she was the Executive Production editor to the Pace Law Review, and recipient of the Adolf Homburger Humanitarian Award. After law school, Alvarez clerked for the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and the Northern District Court for the District of Iowa Bankruptcy Court.
In her spare time, Alvarez enjoys spending time with her family on the beach or skiing (season dependent), reading fiction, and scouring thrift stores for hidden treasures.
“I am excited to join the Board of Trustees and work with President Uzzi and her team as Thomas continues to expand its programing and the provision of accessible, high-quality education opportunities. I credit Thomas and its professors on much of what I have been privileged to accomplish in my career to date,” said Alvarez.
Dr. Dionne is originally from Augusta Maine, and graduated from the University of Maine, and Dartmouth Medical School. After med school, he returned to the Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency, and practiced family medicine for three years at Four Seasons Family Practice in Fairfield. In 2005, he joined the MaineGeneral Hospitalist team, providing inpatient medical coverage for a select group of primary care doctors in the area. Two years later, he focused his practice to just covering critical care inpatient medicine. From 2008 through 2022, he served in a variety of leadership roles at MaineGeneral, including Hospital Medicine Director, Assistant Chief Medical Officer, Chief Medical Officer (MGMC), and Senior Medical Director for MaineGeneral Practices. In 2022, he rejoined Maine-Dartmouth Family Medicine Residency as the Director of Clinical Medicine and Associate Program Director, while continuing his clinical work as a critical care hospitalist for MaineGeneral Medical Center.
He particularly enjoys teaching and education, working with residents and students on their ICU rotations. He was also awarded the MDFMR Teacher of the Year award in 2011.
In 2011, he published a book titled “The Little Black Book of Hospital Medicine”. He has also served as a committee chair and test question writer for the Hospital Medicine CAQ for the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). In addition, he had served for 12 years as a committee member and chair of the Victim’s Compensation Board through the state Attorney General’s office, as well as a board member and chair for the Augusta Country Club and Delta Ambulance.
Dr. Dionne lives in Sidney, Maine with his wife, Mary, and has two adult children, Emily and Drew.
“Having grown up, lived, and worked in central Maine my whole life, I have always been impressed by the commitment Thomas College has to state and local community, and how much the administration, faculty, and staff wrap around the students to provide the best environment for their learning and growth. I’m excited to learn more about the school, especially the commitment to growing majors in health professions, and play a small part in the continued success of this great college,” said Dr. Dionne.
Thomas College recently graduated its largest class ever which included 40 percent who identify as first-generation college students and 75 percent who graduated with honors. Historically, 73 percent of Thomas College graduates stay in Maine after completing their degree. Thomas College also welcomed a new President, Dr. Jeannine Diddle Uzzi in November and welcomes a new provost Jeremy Qualls in July.
About Thomas College:
U.S. News and World Report consistently ranks Thomas College as a top college in Maine for social mobility. Our clear career focus and one-of-a-kind Guaranteed Job Program™ makes it possible to advance faster in the arts and sciences, business, and education. Earn an undergraduate degree in three years and then choose from a variety of in-person or online graduate degree programs that can be completed in one-year or two. Located in Waterville, Maine, Thomas College is your pathway to a promising future, guaranteed. For more information visit thomas.edu or contact MacKenzie Riley Young at [email protected] or 207-859-1313. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok.