RANGELEY —  For more than a decade, Leeanna Wilbur has kept her eye fixed on the health and well being of her native community as president of the board of directors of the Rangeley Region Health and Wellness Partnership (RRHWP). This year, Wilbur stepped down from her role as president, a position she held for 13 of 15 years on the board, and continues to serve on the board as treasurer.

Wilbur’s involvement with the organization finds its roots in the town’s Medical Needs Committee, formed when the family medical practice in Rangeley was closing in the early 1990s. The committee, on which Wilbur was asked to serve, quickly evolved into the board of directors of the Wellness Partnership after the decision was made to hire a private firm to provide medical services to the region.

As the president of the RRHWP board, Wilbur provided an understanding of the community she was working to benefit and stepping forward as effective spokesperson for the organization.

“One of the things about Leeanna that makes her such an all-star is that she was born and raised here. She knows the terrain and is well respected. It’s great to have that knowledge base,” said Dave McMillan, a 15-year member of the RRHWP board.

Equally important to being the front person for the RRHWP for the majority of the last 15 years is Wilbur’s willingness to work in the background as well as lead from the front when necessary. She has cleaned the health center, painted floors and burned brush on the site of the Wellness Pavilion.

Wilbur also recognizes the strength of the organization she led for 13 years.

“No one person makes a difference. It’s all about the team. If the team does not succeed, no one does. We have become much more global in our thinking, but we are still a group of doers. And we have grown from believing in a dream to seeing the dream. Our goal was to bring stable health care to Rangeley. That was the goal. And it (the Wellness Partnership) just grew up like a big baby,” she said.

Outside of the Rangeley community, Wilbur has served as a connection to HealthReach, which staffs Rangeley Family Medicine, and Franklin Memorial Hospital, which runs the physical rehabilitation program at the Wellness Pavilion.


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