Media Alert: Governor to Hold News Conference at 10AM

January 8, 2016

For Immediate Release: Friday, January 08, 2016
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

AUGUSTA— Governor Paul R. LePage will hold a news conference at 10:00 AM in the Cabinet Room to discuss his recent remarks regarding Maine’s drug crisis. All verified media is welcome to attend.

When: Friday, January 08, 2016, 10:00 AM

Where: Cabinet Room, State House, Augusta

Governor to Visit Bridgton for Next Town Hall

January 4, 2016

For Immediate Release: Monday, January 04, 2016
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage has announced he will hold his first town hall of the New Year Wednesday in Bridgton where he will deliver remarks about moving Maine forward and answer questions residents.

The Bridgton Town Office, 8 Iredale St., will be the location for the town hall from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

The town hall meeting will focus on the Governor’s vision for Maine, including further reducing the income tax; reforming welfare by strengthening the State’s safety net for the most vulnerable; cutting energy costs; and addressing Maine’s high student debt burden.

The Governor has held town halls during the last three months in Farmington, Auburn, Rockland, Portland and Waterville.

 Franklin Memorial Hospital Welcomes First Baby of 2016

Baby boy was born at 12:46 a.m. on January 1

Farmington¾

Franklin Memorial Hospital is pleased to welcome its first baby of 2016, Isiah Norman Daku. Dr. Tara Aumand of Franklin Health Women’s Care attended the birth of Isiah, a 9 pound 12.6 ounce baby boy who was born at 12:46 a.m. on January 1.

Isiah’s parents are Levi Daku and Meghan Bitterauf of Farmington. Isiah is the couple’s first child.

As Franklin Memorial Hospital’s first baby of 2016, Isiah’s family will be presented with a Cozy Coupe donated by Franklin Memorial Hospital full of gifts donated by area merchants including: Calico Patch, baby bowl and book “Bunny and Bear”; Devaney, Doak & Garrett Booksellers, book “One Green Tree, Ten Chickadees”; Walmart, $25 gift card; Mary O’Donal, crocheted baby outfit; Bangor Savings Bank, $25 deposit account certificate; and Renys, $25 gift card.

Governor Nominates Col. Douglas A. Farnham

December 28, 2015

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 29, 2015
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today he has nominated Colonel Douglas A. Farnham as Adjutant General, the supreme military officer of the state and Commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management (DVEM).

For the past three years, Col. Farnham has been the Wing Commander of the 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor, known as the “MAINEiacs.” A graduate of Brewer High School and the United States Air Force Academy, he holds an MBA from Chapman University and has 31 years of military service.

Commissioned in 1984 as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, he served as primary pilot for CINC U.S. Space Command, a C-21A pilot, a flight examiner and ground school instructor for pilots of C-21, C-12 and C-9 aircraft. As a pilot of a KC-135E aerial refueling aircraft in the Air Guard, he was activated for Operation Noble Eagle, a mission to support homeland security in response to the September 11 attacks. He also served as a KC-135 evaluator pilot, full-time Air Guard technician, 132nd Air Refueling Squadron Operations Officer, Chief of Wing Plans.

In 2005-06, Colonel Farnham served as commander of 132nd Air Refueling Squadron. From 2006-12, he served as Operation Group Commander, 101st Air Refueling Wing, then from 2012 to present as Wing Commander, 101st Air Refueling Wing.

He is also president and fourth-generation owner of Getchell Bros. Inc., a family-owned packaged ice company in business since 1888, and has been active in local civic organizations.

“The next Adjutant General will serve at an important time for Maine airmen and soldiers,” Farnham stated. “Shrinking national resources are putting intense pressure on future Department of Defense budgets. As we’ve seen, the entire relationship between the active duty force structure and the reserve components is and will continue to be under debate. Our Adjutant General needs to be engaged at the national level to insure Maine is part of the discussion on emerging missions and force structure.”

Governor LePage had first nominated acting Adjutant General Brigadier General Gerard F. Bolduc to serve as the permanent Adjutant General, but Brig. General Bolduc withdrew his name from consideration. He will continue to serve until the new Adjutant General is confirmed.

Nominee for Adjutant General Withdraws his Name from Consideration

AUGUSTA – Brig. General Gerard F. Bolduc informed Governor Paul R. LePage today that he has withdrawn his name from consideration as Maine’s next Adjutant General.

“Thank you very much for your nomination as the Adjutant General of the Maine Army National Guard and the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management,” stated Brig. Gen. Bolduc. “Upon further reflection, however, I withdraw my name from consideration. I am grateful for your support for the Maine National Guard and of my leadership over the past several months.”

“I’d like to thank General Bolduc for his willingness to consider the nomination and for serving as acting Adjutant General for the past nine months,” said Governor LePage. “A subsequent nominee for Adjutant General will be named in the coming months.”

The Adjutant General is the supreme military officer of the state and concurrently serves as Commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management (DVEM).

Disaster Drill Slated for December 29

Farmington¾

As part of its Joint Commission compliance and readiness program, Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) will be conducting a drill that will test the FMH Emergency Operations Plan on Tuesday December 29. It will start at approximately 7:30 a.m. and be done by 1 p.m.

Various phases of emergency management operations will be evaluated during the exercise, including preparedness and response operations.

The drill will focus on the management of a patient with an infectious disease. Those entering the hospital’s main entrance that day may notice more activity near the Emergency Department entrance, as well as hospital personnel wearing personal protective hazardous materials suits.

Franklin Memorial Hospital stresses that the impact of the drill on hospital operations will be of no consequence. Patient access to the Emergency Department and family access to patients in the hospital will not be impacted.

Governor LePage Announces Judicial Nominees

December 22, 2015

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

Governor LePage Announces Judicial Nominees

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today judicial nominations of three lawyers to serve in Maine District Court. Selected are Charles F. Budd Jr, Cynthia Montgomery and Thomas Nale Sr.

Charles F. Budd Jr. is a partner at Rudman Winchell who focuses his practice on criminal law, divorce and child custody, family law and personal injury law. Prior to law school, Budd worked for a member of Congress in Washington, D.C. and later for Massachusetts Governor William Weld. Prior to joining Rudman Winchell, he worked for the Boston law firm of Hill & Barlow.

Budd was born in Toronto, Ontario. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Boston College, he graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as an editor of The Tax Lawyer, an ABA publication. He now resides in Bangor.

Cynthia Montgomery has served as Chief Counsel since February 2015 in the Office of the Governor.

A native of Texas, Montgomery is a graduate of Georgia State University, where she also received her law degree in 1994. She served as a union representative and in-house counsel for the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, Local 623 from 1989 to 1995. In her private practice, she successfully litigated discrimination actions against several urban governments and multiple national and international companies.

Recognizing public service as her true calling, Montgomery worked as a trial attorney for the EEOC, representing the federal government in discrimination actions in Georgia federal courts. After relocating to Maine in 2002, she worked as EEO/ADA Coordinator for Maine DHHS. In 2003, she accepted a position in the Bureau of Employee Relations as a Labor Relations Specialist, then Counsel in 2006 and was promoted to the position of Chief Counsel in 2011.

Montgomery lives in Palermo with her former opposing counsel, who is now her life partner.

Attorney Thomas Nale Sr., of Nale & Nale Law Offices, has been practicing law since he was admitted to the Maine Bar in 1979. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire School of Law and Thomas College. Nale specializes in divorce, family matters and litigation. With over 35 years of litigation experience, he has tried cases before the Maine District Court, Maine Superior Court, Maine Supreme Court and the United States District Court for the District of Maine.

He is a member of the Maine State Bar Association and the Waterville Bar Association, where he serves as vice president. Nale served as the Mayor of Waterville from 1986-1987. He is a former President and Treasurer of the Waterville Bar Association and is a life-long resident of the Waterville area.

Governor Nominates Cabinet-Level Positions

December 22, 2015

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary, 207-287-2531

Nominees named for Adjutant General, DOE and DEP Commissioners

AUGUSTA – Governor Paul R. LePage announced today several Cabinet-level nominations, including Adjutant General and Commissioners for the Department of Education and Department of Environmental Protection.

Governor LePage has selected Brigadier General Gerard F. Bolduc to serve as Maine’s next Adjutant General. The Adjutant General is the supreme military officer of the state and concurrently serves as Commissioner of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management (DVEM).

Brig. Gen. Bolduc has served as the Acting Adjutant General for the State of Maine since March, 2015. Prior to March, Brig. Gen. Bolduc served as the Commander of the Maine Air National Guard and the Assistant Adjutant General, Air at the Joint Force Headquarters, Maine Air National Guard at Camp Keyes, Augusta. In that role, he was responsible for the combat readiness and mission capability of an Air Refueling Wing and two Geographically Separated Units. He was also responsible for the command, control and operations of plans and programs affecting more than 1,100 Maine Air National Guard personnel. Since becoming Acting Adjutant General, Brig Gen Bolduc has played an active role in status of forces planning at the Maine Army and Air National Guard and has overseen the work of the Bureau of Veterans Services and the Maine Emergency Management Agency.

Brig. Gen. Bolduc joined the Air Force and was commissioned in March 1982 through the Academy of Military Science, Knoxville, Tenn. After completion of navigator training, he was assigned to Bangor Air National Guard Base. He served in numerous operations and maintenance assignments and held squadron, group and vice wing command positions.

Earlier today, Governor LePage notified the chair of the Maine State Board of Education, Martha Harris, of his decision to nominate Dr. William Beardsley to be Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education (DOE), pending that 10-member board’s evaluation of the candidate. Dr. Beardsley serves currently as Acting Commissioner and has previously served as Commissioner for the Maine Department of Conservation.

While most gubernatorial commissioner appointments go directly to the legislative committee of jurisdiction, Maine statute requires the State Board of Education, which Dr. Beardsley served on until October 2015, have an opportunity to meet and interview the Governor’s nomination for Education Commissioner.

Beardsley served as President and CEO of Husson University for 22 years and also served on and has chaired numerous boards, including the Maine Development Foundation, Finance Authority of Maine, Maine Higher Education Council, Maine Independent College Association and Maine Development Foundation. Most recently, he served on the Maine State Board of Education and on the Maine Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Council.

Beardsley earned his bachelor's degree in economics from Earlham College in Indiana and his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University. He completed the Harvard Institute for Educational Management Program.

Governor LePage also nominated Paul Mercer as the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Mercer has worked at Maine Maritime Academy since 2006 and has held positions as Associate Professor and Department Chair within the Engineering Department. At the Academy, he has also served as a member of the senior leadership team as the Assistant to the President for Sustainability, where he led the recent Strategic Planning process, among other efforts. Mercer has used this role to promote innovation and environmental initiatives at the Academy.

Mercer has an extensive background in environmental issues. He has worked with renewable energy development, solid fuels and biomass energy systems throughout the United States and Canada. This included acting as the lead developer of an energy project resulting in a 50 percent reduction of emissions at the Bucksport paper mill.

Additionally, Mercer was president of Northeast Engineering in Bucksport from 1983 until 2008. The company provided a full range of consulting services to the power generation field, as well as project development of waste wood, biofuels, de-inking and wood products facilities. He also served as president of Bay Engineering from 1978 until 1982.

Mercer earned a bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering from Maine Maritime Academy.

Governor LePage to Consider Tax Conformity Options

December 22, 2015

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Contact: Adrienne Bennett, Press Secretary (207) 287-2531

AUGUSTA – Today Governor Paul R. LePage announced his plans to review recently passed federal legislation that makes a number of changes to federal tax law. The governor’s review is necessary following changes made by the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016.

President Obama signed the legislation, known more commonly as the omnibus spending bill, into law on December 18, 2015. In addition to funding the federal government through September 30, 2016, the Act retroactively extended a number of federal tax relief provisions through the end of 2015 after they initially expired on December 31, 2014.

“Congress waited until the waning weeks 2015 to approve some tax breaks that will only be good for this year,” said Governor LePage. “To their credit, Congress has made a number of so-called tax extenders permanent. However, delaying such important decisions unnecessarily burdens our small businesses as they plan their investments and estimate their tax obligations.”

Governor LePage has instructed the Office of Tax Policy to review the recently enacted federal legislation and prepare options for consideration by him and the Legislature. In the coming days, the Governor and the Commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services will reach out to Legislative leaders and ask whether they are willing to conform to benefit Maine taxpayers.

Seven Medical Assistants Earn Credentials

Ninety-eight percent of the health system’s medical assistants are certified

Farmington, Maine¾

Tania Dawson, MSN, RN, CHPN, clinical instructor at Franklin Memorial Hospital (FMH) announces that seven medical assistants affiliated with Franklin Memorial Hospital recently earned credentials, with six becoming certified clinical medical assistants (CCMS) and one earning registered medical assistant status (RMA).

Dawson provided study guides, books, and flashcards to the seven who prepared for the credentialing, and facilitated two 90-minute group study sessions. Participants also had the opportunity to take five practice exams.

Those earning credentials include: Cheryl Foy, CCMA, Franklin Health Farmington Family Practice; Sheryl Plog, CCMA, Livermore Falls Family Practice; Jaclyn Mellor, RMA, Franklin Health Behavioral Health; Becki McGhee, CCMA, FMH Occupation Health Department; Ariel Hunter, CCMA, Franklin Health Internal Medicine; Lauren Farrington, CCMA, FMH Outpatient Specialty Services; and Melany Buxton, CCMA, Franklin Health Internal Medicine.

According to Dawson, 100 percent of all medical assistants system-wide have associate’s degree or military training, and 98 percent of medical assistants are certified − a remarkable accomplishment that provides for a more consistent standard of care for patients.