Newsroom

Portland, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate former Portland Police Chief Mike Sauschuck to serve as Commissioner of Public Safety and Randy Liberty, Warden of the Maine State Prison, to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections.

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Heather Johnson, Director of the ConnectME Authority and former Executive Director of the Somerset Economic Development Corporation, to serve as the next Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate long-time educator and past Maine Principal of the Year Pender Makin to serve as the next Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. Makin, who has experience in both the classroom and in administration, currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of the Brunswick School Department, a position she has held since 2015.

Mills also taps John Rohde to serve as Executive Director of Workers’ Compensation Board

Portland, MAINE - Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Houlton native Bruce Van Note to serve as the next Commissioner of the Maine Department of Transportation (MaineDOT).

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today the appointment of Jeremy Kennedy as her Chief of Staff. Kennedy, who currently serves as co-director of the transition effort along with Ben Grant, also served as Campaign Manager for the Mills campaign.

As Chief of Staff, Kennedy will serve as a top advisor to Governor Mills, directing the Office of the Governor, managing the staff and budget, and coordinating the administration’s agenda across state government, among other responsibilities.

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills announced today that she will nominate Judy Camuso, the Director of the Wildlife Division at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW), to serve as the agency’s next commissioner. Camuso has worked at MDIFW for more than a decade and brings a wealth of experience to the position.

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills today announced that she will nominate Kirsten Figueroa, Chief of the Administrative Services Division in the Attorney General’s Office, to serve as the next Commissioner of the Department of Administrative and Financial Services (DAFS). Figueroa will bring to the position more than 22 years of public sector and non-profit financial executive experience, having overseen the financial, administrative, human resources, and technology aspects of several large organizations and government departments.

Hallowell, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills issued the following statement today in response to last night’s ruling by a federal judge in Texas regarding the Affordable Care Act:

This is a backward, poorly-reasoned decision, but it does not change the fact that the Affordable Care Act is still the law of the land. I pledge to the people of Maine that, as their governor, I will fight not only to preserve and protect their health care, but also to work with the Legislature to strengthen it.

Governor-elect Mills: “The people of Maine have told me time and time again that health care is the number one issue in their lives. I heard them, I made it a focus of my campaign, and now I am now making it a top priority of my administration.”

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills today announced that she is appointing Scott Ogden to serve as Communications Director and Lindsay Crete to serve as Press Secretary for her incoming administration. Ogden currently serves as the Communications Director for the Governor-elect’s transition effort. Crete currently serves as the Deputy Director of Campaign Communications, State and Local for EMILY’s List.

Portland, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills issued the following statement today congratulating Maine's Constitutional officers on their elections:

Maine’s Constitutional officers play critical, independent roles in the functioning and operation of our state government. I congratulate State Treasurer-elect Henry Beck, Attorney General-elect Aaron Frey, and Secretary of State-elect Matt Dunlap on their elections today, and I look forward to working closely with them over the next two years to serve the interests of the people of Maine.

New Orleans, LOUISIANA – Governor-elect Janet Mills released the following statement this morning on the passing of President George H. W. Bush:

Augusta, MAINE – Governor-elect Janet Mills issued the following statement today regarding the Kennebec Superior Court ruling on Medicaid expansion:

Augusta, MAINE – Following her historic victory, Governor-elect Janet Mills today announced the formation of a transition team to begin the process of assembling her incoming administration.