Meet the Cottage Connection Team

Meet Team CCM – About Us: A Message From Audrey & Jeff

Greetings from beautiful Maine, and thank you for visiting our Vacation Rental website. We have assembled a great group of local people to help you pick from a wide variety of outstanding Vacation Cottage Rentals in several towns around Mid-Coast Maine, in Wayne, Maine, and Brandon, Vermont that we know you will enjoy. We are proud partners with property owners to make each vacation home a true “Vacation” home, not overly done, complete with sentimental family furnishings and lots of love, welcoming and accommodating for family reunions, corporate retreats, and great getaways to relax, renew and refresh your body and soul and reconnect with family and friends. We look forward to making new friends!

We ask for and listen to feedback from our guests and listen to their suggestions. It’s little things like clear instructions for trash removal, how to log on to the Internet at the cottage, puzzles, games, books, maps and a binder full of local information to point you in the right direction to the nearest grocery store, the best restaurants, and a few lesser known places that you might otherwise have missed.

We welcome you to contact us with any thoughts or questions you may have about our properties. You can use this website to find out everything you will need to know about reserving a vacation cottage with us, as well as making your actual reservation. We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to some of our favorite Maine and Vermont places.

If you have a question about any of our vacation homes or our vacation destinations of Mid Coast Maine or Wayne, Maine or Brandon, Vermont please use the Contact Us link at the top right. If you would like immediate assistance, please feel free to give us a call at 1-207-633-6545 or email to [email protected]. We look forward to helping you find exactly what you are looking for!

~ Jeff and Audrey


 

Jeffrey H. Miller and Audrey Leeds Miller, Co-Founders

In 1992, Jeff and Audrey were dating and trying to find something they could do together to earn a living in Boothbay Harbor. Audrey had a background in sales and marketing and Jeff in real estate. They realized that vacation rentals were not highly valued by real estate offices and thought that a company devoted exclusively to vacation rentals would be a good thing for the Boothbay Region. In 1993 they founded Boothbay Cottage Connection, Inc. Starting with 15 houses in 1993, by 2001 business had grown to over 150 rental properties. Today, they focus on quality not quantity and working with the property owners that share the same hospitality mindset. Cottage Connection is exclusively dedicated to vacation rentals. Audrey is a founder of, and on the Board of Directors, of the Vacation Rental Professionals of Maine Inc. (VRPOMe.org). She was also their first President. They have one daughter who currently attends Champlain College in Vermont.

Jeff’s Favorite Lunch: Bet’s Fish Fry on the common in Boothbay
Best Sunset: On the Front Porch of Captain’s Quarters in Linekin Bay with a glass of scotch
Must Do: Go out on the boat and fish for mackerel in Linekin Bay

Audrey’s Favorite Shop: Her Tile Shop, Tile Connection, next to Cottage Connection in Boothbay
Best Pizza: Blueberry Gorgonzola or Veggie with Arugula at the East Boothbay General Store
Must Do: Play golf and get season tickets the Maine State Music Theater in Brunswick

 

Alan Dodge, Maintenance and Guest Services

Alan is a handy man to have around. He likes fixing things. If you have a problem while staying at one of our properties, Alan will probably come by and take a look. Alan has lived in our area of Maine his entire life (a true Mainer) and is a great resource for places to go, to eat or to just have fun. Alan is a Chef by trade and has had a long career cooking in local restaurants. He works at Bowdoin College in the “off-season” as a chef still. He likes working at CCM because it gives him a chance to get some exercise and fresh air. He enjoys riding his motorcycle, camping, and music.

Best Day Trip: A ride to Pemaquid or Old Orchard Beach
Best Lunch: Slipway Restaurant on the waterfront in Thomaston
Must Do: Walk Around Ocean Point

 

Alexis (Lexie) Loring Miller, Guest Services and Social Media

“Traveling is a passion of mine. I have been to Montreal, Budapest, Vienna, Prague and lots of places in the United States from Los Angeles to Washington, DC. I think it is very important to have a local contact wherever I go and am certainly happy to share my local knowledge of our area to help you plan your vacation. Maine and Vermont are wonderful places with something for everyone! And, yes, Jeff and Audrey are my parents." 

Lexie’s Best Dinner: Brown’s Wharf in Boothbay Harbor
Favorite Activities: Mini Golf and The Boothbay Railway Village Train Rides
Must Do: The Boothbay Harbor Aquarium on McKown Point

 

Pamela Munroe, Reservations and Multi-Media

Pamela comes to us from Southeastern Massachusetts. She and her husband lived on busy Martha’s Vineyard for ten years, where she managed a retail store where good customer service was critical to success. "Several years ago while visiting family here in the area, my husband and I instantly knew where we wanted to live. No place has felt more like home than the Mid-Coast [Maine]!"  With her experience in website design and customer service, Pam works with reservations as well as our multi-media projects. Her hobbies include tap dancing, camping, performing arts, balloon “Twisting” and event decorating. 

Favorite Seafood: Fish and chips from Bet's Fish Fry in Boothbay
Favorite Activity: Going on nature trail walks and visiting the Maine State Aquarium
Must Do: Picnic on the rocks at Ocean Point in East Boothbay
 

 

Melba Gunnison, Administration, Director of Operations

Melba has been a valuable member of the CCM team since 1999. She calls this job, “my fun retirement job”. If you have an “After Hours” problem and call the emergency cell phone, it is likely that you will be talking with Melba. She oversees almost everything at Cottage Connection. Melba is a great-grandmother with 3 daughters, 7 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren. She has also adopted Alexis as a grandchild and enjoys watching her grow and blossom. “I feel very blessed to have been able to retire to this beautiful place that I fell in love with as a child spending time with family and later as an adult with my husband and children, help CCM guests plan their vacation, and be part a company that is like family." Melba is also chair of the Government Relations Committee of the Vacation Rental Professionals of Maine, Inc. (VRPOMe.org). She has written legislation and testified in front of committees and participated in local efforts to educate and legislate for the benefit of vacation rentals.

Favorite Restaurant: China By The Sea (“Best Chinese Food North of Boston”)
Best Chowder: Kaler’s Restaurant
Must Do: Monhegan Island Trip or Sailing on the Schooners Eastwind or Lazy Jack.

 

 

OTHER TEAM MEMBERS:
We have additional assistance from a great group of people (15-20) who take care of our seasonal housekeeping, maintenance, and additional office needs during the season. Many of them return year after year.

PNM 04/18/2018