Valerie Crooker Clemens held the title of Miss Maine in 1980.  She has stayed active and served throughout the years at the local, state and national levels of the Miss America Pageant System.  Currently she serves as President of the Miss Maine Scholarship Pageant and Past President National Association of Miss America State Pageants President.  As a judge of over 30 Miss America state preliminaries, most recently returning as Head judge of the Miss Virgin Islands Pageant held in St Thomas.

In January Valerie was instrumental in initiating the second annual "Habitat for Humanity Day of Service", conducted in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The day was dedicated to our 52 Miss America State Finalists as a thank you for their volunteer efforts all year long.  Over forty Miss America pageant volunteers from Rhode Island to Hawaii including, Ericka Dunlap, Miss America 2004 moved over 32 ton of gravel, cleaned the inside of homes and help with roofing, during Miss America week this past January.

She also serves as an active volunteer for the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and Melmark, a home, for the mentally and physically handicapped.  For the past 18 years she has hosted Miss Maine and state title holders from around the country including Miss Rhode Island for the Miss Maine Invitational, a "Miss America Boot Camp" to prepare the contestants for their Miss America Pageant experience, with a day trip to Atlantic City to the national office, a visitation to Boardwalk Hall and autograph signing.  Also an evening with mock interviews and a talent review with a panel of judges.

Valerie and her supportive husband Al, super ski-racing son A.J. and Pinetree Princess, CoCo reside in Radnor, Pennsylvania.

Mario is a 1992 graduate of Emerson College in Boston and began his television career as a director at WLVI-TV.  He also served as anchor and managing editor for Metro News in Brockton, Mass., and as a general assignment reporter at WLNE-TV before joining the NBC 10 team.

Living in Rhode Island since 1996, Mario has truly become a part of the community and volunteers his time with a number of different nonprofit organizations.

Mario is a member of Leadership Rhode Island's Alpha II Class, an organization that brings together community leaders from across Southern New England to examine issues facing Rhode Island and its future.  He is also involved in the Rhode Island Scholars Program, a collaboration of the Education Partnership that encourages students to challenge themselves during their high school careers.

In addition to his daily anchoring and reporting duties, Mario has written and reported two half-hour specials examining issues critical to Southern New Englanders.  "Where Do We Live?" looked at the problems of homelessness and affordable housing in our area.  "Breaking the Silence" looked at the problem of domestic violence from the unique perspective of those who are responsible for the abuse.

Mario won the Associated Press award for his work on the special "Where Do We Live?" and is also a two time Emmy award nominee.  When Mario is not working, he enjoys working out and puttering in his garden.  He also enjoys dancing, cooking and eating!

In 1998, Louis received the Pro Bono Publico award for outstanding public service through the Rhode Island Volunteer Lawyer Program, and in 2001 was appointed to the Commission on Judicial Tenure & Discipline by Governor Lincoln Almond.  Louis's bar affiliations include the Family Court Bench Committee and Barrister for the Family Court Inns.