Topic “Elected”

Following a 35-year career as a professional oboist, teacher, chamber music coach and advisor, and published author, essayist, and archivist, Sara Lambert Bloom’s second act includes establishing a career as a residential and commercial mortgage broker.  A resident of South Portland, Sara first came to Maine to perform in the Monteux Festival Orchestra in 1967, then summered with her family on Cranberry Island for over 30 years before becoming a permanent Mainer in 2002.  She continues to pursue her love of the arts in a variety of ways, bringing collaborative residencies to K-8 s

Charlotte Warren currently serves as the Associate Director of the Maine Women's Lobby team.  Her responsibilities include planning and conducting membership outreach and communications strategies for the organizations, along with managing efforts to recruit and retain new members and activists.  Her experience includes over 10 years as a Mathematics adjunct faculty member as well as a Math / Science Learning Specialist at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC), working to increase the success of first-generation and low-income students and students with disabilities.

Diane Russell has more than eight years experience in non-profit public relations, marketing and event & conference management.  Prior to launching her consulting practice, Diane served in the community relations department of Western Maine Health spearheading the hospital’s brand redesign project; formalizing the public relations strategy; and streamlining the advertising process including a budget analysis and justification.

Pat was born and raised in central Maine, and grew up in a French-speaking household.  She is a graduate of the University of Maine with a Masters in Public Administration and was a health program manager for 24 years at the Bureau of Maine Health. 

Jenna Vendil, 24, is a community organizer living on Portland's Munjoy Hill. In 2002, she received a scholarship to study at Bates College, where she was immediately attracted to Maine's political activity.

During college, Jenna primarily involved herself in advocacy work for housing and hunger/homelessness issues. After college, Jenna served as Androscoggin County's Regional Coordinator for Opportunity Maine's college affordability campaign.

Elsie was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 2008, the youngest women ever to serve in the Maine State House.  As a Bar Harbor resident, Elsie has been actively engaged in community organizing and advocacy, working for economic opportunity, environmental sustainability, and social justice.

Elizabeth Dickerson has been a City Councilor in Rockland, Maine since November 2008. She also serves on the Knox County Budget Committee. She is committed to community empowerment through local citizen action, ranging from social justice issues to municipal planning.

As a result of her commitment to smart growth, she was asked to join the Rockland Response Panel to the Maine DOT Gateway 1 Corridor Transportation Plan. This plan was created by the Midcoast communities along Route 1, working in collaboration with MDOT, so that future transportation improvements and land use planning would retain, not destroy, the unique quality of the region.

Elizabeth is a graduate of University of Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Music Degree, and a graduate of Kennebec Valley Community College, with an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science. Lizzie is employed as an Educational Technician III in Special Education at Medomak Valley Regional High School, and is passionate about educating and empowering young people. She is also the owner of two small businesses: Purple Planet Web Design and Artemisia Landscape Gardening.

Since 2007, Laurie Davis has been Executive Director of Upward Bound at USM, a federally funded educational opportunity program serving 106 low-income and/or first generation high school students at six high schools in southern Maine.

Before joining USM, she coordinated Portland Public Schools’ No Child Left Behind program for 10 years. Laurie also teaches a graduate course in education at USM, focused on the impact of homelessness, foster care, and hospitalization on student learning.

Anne Graham has been a nurse practitioner in pediatric health care for more than 25 years, the last 4 years in pediatric neurology. Anne owns a child health consultant business called Healthy Kids of Maine.  For the past four years, Anne has been a member of the Governor’s Early Child Care and Education task force and the Invest Early committee.