PARIS – Joel Dutton of Winthrop has been named administrator of the Maine Veterans’ Home in Paris.

Dutton assumed the position in October, coming from a long history of employment in the health care industry.

Working for the state of Maine for more than 20 years, he spent nine years working with adult services for individuals with mental retardation, 11 years as a manager with licensing and certification, and the most recent two years as the director/administrator of a pediatric nursing home in the Bangor area.

Prior to working with state government, Dutton spent four years working for a non-profit organization in Brunswick as an administrator of a six-bed group home and eight-bed intermediate care facility for persons with mental retardation.

Dutton spent four years in the U.S. Navy as an air traffic controller, followed by 18 years in the Naval Reserve.

He holds a bachelor of science degree in education from the University of Southern Maine, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Maine.

He lives in Winthrop with his wife. Together they have four grown children and one granddaughter.