FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25th 2014
CONTACT: Matt Dunlap (207) 626-8400

Bangor City Clerk Lisa Goodwin Named Recipient of the 2014 Lorraine M. Fleury Award at State Elections Administration Conference

BANGOR, Maine—Secretary of State Matt Dunlap presented Bangor city clerk Lisa Goodwin with the prestigious Lorraine M. Fleury Award at the beginning of the second day of the Maine State Elections Administration Conference in Bangor on Thursday.

Each year, the Secretary of State solicits nominations for the award, named for long-time state Director of Elections Lorraine M. Fleury. The award is presented to recognize and honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to the election process and who exemplifies the qualities of fairness, experience, knowledge and service.

The integrity and efficiency of the election process depends almost entirely on the devoted service of municipal elections officials, said Dunlap. Its always a challenge to single out any one of them, but the acknowledgement and praise from co-workers, neighbors, colleagues, and the elected officials who also serve our communities makes this an incredibly gratifying process.

Lisa Goodwin was nominated by her colleagues and constituents, both in Bangor and in Lincoln, where she served as clerk and town manager for nearly 20 years. She was noted for her ability to not only stay up-to-date on changes to the election laws, but to convey her efforts to deliver the most efficient election effort possible to her town government and to the voters. She successfully transitioned the town of Lincoln from using a hand-count process to a machine-tabulated process seamlessly.

Her dedication and tireless efforts earned her prior recognition from the Maine Town and City Clerk’s Association as Clerk of the Year in 2005. In Bangor, she has devoted many hours to the transition of Bangor’s unified polling place from the old Bangor Auditorium to the new Cross Center. She has led her staff in bold new ideas for the best use of that space, and has always worked for the best interest of voter access in the maximization of that new space with the Secretary of State’s office and with her peers in the City of Bangor. Her efforts have led to community-wide engagement in the election process in Bangor, and the enhanced access will insure a smooth election for as many as 8,000 voters to cast their ballots on Election Day, with the public processing of another 8,000 absentee ballots as well. Despite the hours she puts in for the citizens of Bangor, she nonetheless finds time to work with other clerks and has assumed a leadership role as a board member of the New England Association of Town and City Clerks.

Lisa Goodwin was described by one of her nominators as “an energetic leader, goal-oriented and possessed of a great deal of integrity,” a description Dunlap agreed with. “Lisa Goodwin runs one of Maine’s busiest city offices, but when you work with her on an issue, that’s what she focuses on. She delivers absolute devotion to solving problems to her constituents, colleagues, and partners. We’re really pleased she was nominated, and proud to inscribe her name on this award.”