Commissioner Johnson Names New Director of Maine Office of Outdoor Recreation

September 25, 2024
Contact: Victoria Foley  

 COMMISSIONER JOHNSON NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF MAINE OFFICE OF OUTDOOR RECREATION

Augusta, MAINE – Maine Economic & Community Development Commissioner Heather Johnson today announced that Jeff McCabe will be the Director of Maine’s Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR).  

McCabe replaces Carolann Ouellette, who assumed leadership of the Maine Office of Tourism and its subsidiary offices as Director of Tourism, Outdoor Recreation, and Film in June. McCabe has served as Deputy Director under Ouellette since November 2023.  

            “I am pleased that Jeff will be able to seamlessly continue and build upon the important work being done in outdoor recreation to contribute to Maine’s economy,” said Heather Johnson, Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. “He is a strong voice for outdoor recreation in our state, an industry that is helping to advance our statewide goals of talent attraction, innovation, manufacturing, and rural economic development.”  

            “Maine’s Outdoor Recreation economy is strong and growing,” said Jeff McCabe, Director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation. “It has been an honor to work with and to hear from those in the industry from across the state and I look forward to the work ahead.”  

            “I am pleased to see Jeff take on this new role and look forward to continuing our work together,” said Carolann Ouellette, Director of Tourism, Film, and Outdoor Recreation.  “The intersection of Maine’s outdoor tourism assets and the outdoor recreation industry offers many opportunities for continued growth as well as terrific experiences for visitors to our state.”  

Since its creation in 2018, MOOR has become an effective convener of the outdoor recreation economy, forging impactful public/private partnerships that make Maine an example for other states to emulate.   

The Department plans to post the Deputy Director position soon.  

About Maine’s Office of Outdoor Recreation:

Maine’s Office of Outdoor Recreation (MOOR) was permanently established in 2019, to leverage Maine’s assets and outdoor recreation heritage to grow the outdoor recreation economy and build Maine’s outdoor recreation brand as part of a coordinated effort with partners from the public and private sectors. Learn more at maine.gov/decd/programs/maine-office-of-outdoor-recreation. Maine is a member of the Confluence of States, a coalition of eighteen states working to strengthen the outdoor recreation economy.

About the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development: 

The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD), consists of more than two dozen experts who work to help communities and businesses prosper through a variety of programs providing everything from targeted tax relief to community block grants to tourism marketing. Whether your business wants to make a film here, bring a Maine-made product to market, expand an aquaculture project, or explore financing when moving a business to our state, DECD’s experienced staff can help.   

 

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