RUMFORD – Jolene Lovejoy, a selectman for the past eight years, will become the Maine Municipal Association Executive Committee’s new president in the autumn.

She becomes the first president of the town advocacy group from Rumford since former Town Manager John Madigan headed up the organization in the early 1990s.

“This is a privilege few people get to do,” she said. “I’m in awe of most of the people who sit on the executive committee. They are hard-working with a great deal of experience and knowledge.”

When she speaks at the organization’s annual convention in October, she hopes to talk about the many responsibilities people who serve the public must assume.

“They are the unsung heroes,” she said.

Lovejoy has served on the MMA Executive Committee for several years, including one as vice-president. As a member, and now as president, she said the organization gives officials from small towns a voice in issues that affect their town.

From Rumford, that may mean a voice from a mill town. “Our issues may be parallel to other towns, but they may also be different,” she said, suggesting the scrutiny the state’s business equipment tax rebate (BETR) program is currently getting could greatly affect towns such as Rumford that are home to paper mills. She is also an advocate for regionalization and the benefits it can bring to the area.

Sitting on such a committee gives her a chance to learn about a wide variety of problems facing Maine’s communities and a gain a new perspective.

As president, she will try to ensure that everyone is represented. She has also served as chairwoman of the MMA’s Legislative Policy Committee.

“Becoming president is an awesome responsibility and a great thing for the town. It will expand my vision,” she said.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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