MMA Releases “Your Vote Counts” Campaign

Augusta, Maine - The Maine Municipal Association unveiled public service announcements this week thanking town and city election workers, and polling volunteers, for their service during the recent election.

Two short videos also explain the election process to voters and assure the integrity of Maine’s municipally administered system.

“It is important to us that the hundreds of election officials and volunteers are recognized for their diligence in upholding the integrity of the election process here in Maine,” said Stephen Gove, executive director of the MMA.

Featuring municipal clerks Kathy Montejo of Lewiston, Lisa Goodwin of Bangor and Becky Hapgood of China, the PSAs recognize Maine’s election staff and volunteers for their months of preparation and the countless hours spent to ensure fair, open and professionally run elections.

MMA will implement a social media, electronic media and print strategy to share the PSAs throughout Maine. Maine media may feel free to post these videos to their websites and share them on their Facebook pages.

For more information about the Maine Municipal Association, including its PSA campaign, please visit the association Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MaineMunicipal

Guilford’s William Thompson Wins Prestigious Award

AUGUSTA – Long-time Guilford Select Board member and Chairman William Thompson – who also served his community as a science and driver’s education teacher for many years – received the Ethel Kelley Memorial Award at Maine Municipal Association’s 79th Annual Convention earlier this month. The Ethel Kelley Award recognizes distinguished community service and is considered MMA’s most prestigious annual award.

Thompson joined the Guilford Select Board in 1980 – and has not missed a meeting since. He has served for 35 consecutive years, including 24 as chairman. In nominating Thompson for the award, Guilford officials used similar adjectives in describing the man: reliable, dedicated, calm and conscientious.

“He is, simply, the consummate selectman, a model to be emulated,” wrote Thomas Goulette, manager in the Town of Guilford.

Peter Martell, who also serves on the Town of Guilford’s Select Board, cited Thompson’s community leadership during a 1987 flood that caused more than $8 million in damage.

“Bill worked in the board room to organize and provide essential services to the townspeople and, afterward, met with industries and businesses to convince them to rebuild,” Martell wrote. “Our town would be a lot different if it weren’t for his efforts to convince businesses to stay.”

Thompson also is well-known in his hometown as a science teacher, a position that he held for 45 years. His school was selected for national recognition several times during that period as a result of Thompson’s excellence in education. In 2009, he was a finalist for Maine Teacher of the Year. He also was a driver’s education instructor “on the side.”

“Well-loved and highly respected, there are many residents well into their 60s who still affectionately refer to him as ‘Mr. Thompson,’ ” wrote Goulette.


One of the judges who helped to select Thompson for the Ethel Kelley Award, Terry St. Peter, a former MMA Executive Committee president and manager for the City of Caribou, bestowed the honor at the MMA Convention on Oct. 7. St. Peter cited as highlights Thompson’s efforts in expanding Guilford’s community library, improving the town playground and athletic complex and obtaining a $400,000 downtown revitalization grant.

“One of the criteria for the Ethel Kelley Award is that the person chosen was a glue that helped hold the community together, as Ethel Kelley did during her years at MMA,” St. Peter said. “Clearly, the personality of this candidate and his multi-year involvement in all facets of his community strongly meet this criterion.”

While accepting the award, Thompson was surrounded by supporters including his family and close associates from the Town of Guilford. Thompson received the recognition on Oct. 7, at the first day of MMA’s annual convention, which was held at the Augusta Civic Center. More than 900 municipal officials and exhibitors attended the annual event.

Lockwood Announces Retirement From Maine Municipal Association

Augusta, Maine - Christopher G. Lockwood, who has led the Maine Municipal Association through 36 years of high-quality member service and continuous improvement and change, announced his retirement effective Aug. 21 of this year.

“From the outset,” Lockwood said, “I viewed my role as that of a steward. The organization has changed significantly during this 36-year period as our programs evolved to assist our members in meeting new challenges. Yet, we have strived to keep our core mission the same, providing quality service to our members.”

Maine has 492 municipalities, and 487 belong to MMA, a voluntary, non-partisan organization formed in 1936, when eight municipalities came together to have a common voice on legislative matters at the Statehouse.

During Lockwood’s tenure, the Association added the Maine Municipal Employees Health Trust and Risk Management Services self-funded programs. MMA’s Property & Casualty Risk Pool, formed in 1987, came about after commercial insurance companies across the country abruptly terminated essential liability coverage for municipal governments.

MMA has maintained its high-profile advocacy work at the Statehouse and has been involved in several successful statewide campaigns concerning so-called “citizen initiatives” that were placed before voters and would have had a significant effect on municipal services.

MMA also provides members with expert legal advisory services, executive search assistance and

Boothbay, Vassalboro Managers Join Maine Municipal Executive Committee

Augusta, Maine - Boothbay Town Manager James D. Chaousis II and Vassalboro Town Manager Mary Sabins have won elections to the 12-member Executive Committee that helps to guide the priorities and operations of Maine Municipal Association.

Chaousis, a Maine native and a former U.S. Marine who is a Persian Gulf War veteran, became manager in the Town of Boothbay in 2010, having previously worked as manager in the Town of Livermore Falls. Chaousis, in seeking to serve on the MMA Executive Committee, said municipalities in Maine are embracing technology and transparency with citizens.

“The next step is helping local government educate the public on these areas,” Chaousis said. “I would like to be a part of the effort to bring local government forward.”

Chaousis’ nomination was supported by Charles Cunningham, Chair of the Board of Selectman in Boothbay, and by municipal officials in Lewiston, Auburn, Edgecomb and Southport. He is a graduate of the University of Maine. Chaousis and his wife, Elizabeth, have two daughters. They live in Boothbay.

Chaousis recently received the annual “Leadership Award” from the Maine Town, City & County Management Association. He is a Director of the Boothbay Harbor Regional Chamber of Commerce and is active in various regional and local economic-development organizations.

Sabins, a 2001 graduate of the University of Maine-Augusta, began working for the Town of Vassalboro in 2008. She previously worked as manager for the towns of Windsor (2001-05) and Chelsea (2006-07). She also worked for School Administrative District No. 40 in Waldoboro and in various municipal positions for the towns of Hope and Union, dating to 1988.

Sabins is hopeful that the breadth of her professional municipal and school experience can bring a strong perspective to MMA.

“As does any manager, I have planning, budgeting and organizations skills to bring to the organization, along with problem-solving skills to resolve challenges,” said Sabins. “I will provide a new, open-minded look at the organization.”

Lauchlin W. Titus, Selectman in the Town of Vassalboro, said Sabins possesses a “calm, thoughtful and well-organized mind” that has benefitted his town and will be an asset to MMA. He credited Sabins with finding grant money that boosted Vassalboro’s recycling program and for “significantly improving” the town’s investment policy during her five-year tenure as manager.

Sabins and her husband, Scot, were honored with the East Union Pioneer Grange Community Service Award several years ago. They have lived in Union for more than 30 years and have organized the “Hooked on Fishing” events in Union for the past nine years, in honor of their late son, Mike. The Sabins also have a son, Kevin, who works as a heavy equipment mechanic for O’Connor GMC in Augusta.

Both Sabins and Chaousis will participate in the MMA Executive Committee’s Strategic Planning Meeting on Sept. 19-20 in Oakland. They officially begin three-year terms on the MMA Executive Committee in January 2014.

About the Maine Municipal Association: Founded in 1936, the MMA is a voluntary, non-partisan, member-service organization to which 486 municipalities in Maine belong. It has a core belief that local government is a fundamental component of a democratic system of government. MMA’s services include advocacy, education and information, professional legal and personnel advisory services and self-funded group insurance programs.