President
Jill M. Ward (South Portland)
Jill served as President of the LWVME and MCCE from 2015-2023. Jill has been a League member since 2009 and has been involved with MCCE since 2008. She is the founding director of the Maine Center for Youth Policy and Law and an adjunct professor at Maine Law and consults on youth policy issues in Maine and nationally. From February 2023 to December 2024, Jill served as Senior Policy Advisor in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Educated at the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown Law, Jill has always had a strong interest in civic life, public service, and advocacy. She returned to her home state of Maine in 2007 after more than 15 years’ experience in the public sector, including senior policy positions with Girl Scouts of the USA, the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and the Children’s Defense Fund in Washington, DC. Jill also worked in the U.S. Senate for Senators Paul S. Sarbanes (MD) and George J. Mitchell (ME). When not working or volunteering, Jill can be found at a soccer field, in an ice rink, or at a ballpark cheering on her boys, Michael, 18, and Nicholas, 15.
Vice President
Melissa Hanley Murphy (Scarborough)
Melissa has been a member of LWVME since the 1980s when she moved to Maine after marrying a South Portland native, whom she met at the University of Michigan Law School. Melissa practiced law at Perkins Thompson, a Portland law firm, for nearly 40 years, advising for-profit and nonprofit real estate owners, developers and lenders in governance and operational and transactional matters before retiring at the end of 2021. Her involvement with the League waxed and waned with the demands of her legal career and child-rearing, but she is a past Board member of the Portland Area League of Women Voters and the LWVME Education Fund, which she assisted in forming. Melissa has been an active volunteer in Scarborough as a past member of the Scarborough Housing Alliance and the Open Space Committee and as the incorporator and a founding Board member of the Scarborough Education Foundation and Scarborough Baseball Boosters. She currently serves on the Board of The Park Danforth, a longtime Portland nonprofit organization that provides housing and services to older adults, and Goodwill Northern New England, a nonprofit social enterprise that helps people achieve their life and work goals. Melissa is passionate about community engagement, including protecting voting rights and encouraging voter participation. One of her favorite LWVME activities is registering new voters at naturalization ceremonies and in schools.
Secretary
Benjamin Gaines (Brunswick)
Ben Gaines is an attorney based in Cumberland County with a practice that focuses primarily on elder law, nonprofit organizations, and election and political law. Before coming to Maine and beginning his legal practice, he spent over a decade working on political campaigns nationwide, from the Deep South to the Pacific Northwest. Preparedness and dedication are qualities Ben has cultivated throughout his career, passionately holding his family and political beliefs close to his pursuits. With roots in local advocacy and leadership, he is committed to serving his community by working and volunteering with activist groups, including sitting on the Board of Directors for Maine League of Women Voters, Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, and Fair Election Portland.
Treasurer
Ann Luther (Trenton)
Ann currently serves as Treasurer of the League of Women Voters of Maine and MCCE. She served as President of LWVME from 2003 to 2007 and as co-president from 2007-2009. In her work for the League, Ann has worked for greater public understanding of public policy issues and for the League’s priority issues in Clean Elections & Campaign Finance Reform, Voting Rights, Ethics in Government, Ranked Choice Voting, and Repeal of Term Limits. Representing LWVME at Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, she served that coalition as co-president from 2006 to 2011. She is active in the LWV-Downeast and hosts their monthly radio show, “The Democracy Forum”, on WERU FM Community Radio. She was the 2013 recipient of the Baldwin Award from the ACLU of Maine for her work on voting rights and elections and is the namesake and 2017 inaugural recipient of the LWVME’s Ann L. Luther Volunteerism Award. She joined the League in 1998 when she retired as Senior Vice President at SEI Investments. Ann was a founder of the MDI Restorative Justice Program, 1999 - 2000, and served on its Executive Board.
Other Members
Maya Eichorn (York)
Maya is an Emerson College student and a York County Community College graduate. She uses she/her or they/them pronouns. Since starting with the League as an intern in the summer of 2022, she has become very involved in working with the League on all levels. She sits on the National League’s 2024-26 nominating committee. She was also chosen for the Student Learn Students Vote Coalition’s 2025 Advisory Board. When she's not in League meetings or studying for a test, Maya enjoys sewing and creating hand-bound journals for her friends.
Alison Smith (Portland)
Alison has been a League member since the 1980s, and it was through the LWVME that she first got involved in Clean Elections. She was one of 1,100 Mainers who volunteered to collect signatures in 1995 to put the question on the ballot and has worked on Clean Elections in either a volunteer or professional capacity ever since. Today she serves on two board committees, Development and DEI Membership, as well as the Money in Politics and Advocacy teams. She values not just the League’s policy and voter service work, but its important role in civic engagement and leadership development. The League provided Alison with a civic education and the opportunity to make a difference, and she is committed to strengthening our organization so that all Mainers can find and fulfill their roles as active citizens. Democracy works best when we all participate, and that has never been more true or urgent than it is today.
Alex Newell Taylor (Southwest Harbor)
A lifelong summer resident, Alex made the permanent move to Maine in 2019. After a career in education and non-profit management, Alex turned her attention to the political landscape after the election of 2016. She was a founding member of Women's March Florida, and served as the Vice President of the state Executive Board. In 2018, Alex was the Deputy Director of Voter Engagement for the Second Chances Florida/Amendment 4 campaign, which successfully passed with 64.5% approval. Amendment 4 restored voting rights to 1.4 million people with previous felony convictions- the largest increase in US voting access since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Currently, Alex works as a community organizer for National Nurses United, with a focus on healthcare justice. Until recently, she was the Executive Director of Summer Festival of the Arts, an arts education nonprofit serving Mount Desert Island. Alex is a graduate of the New Leaders Council and a magna cum laude graduate of Emory University. She lives in Southwest Harbor with her two kids, husband, and dog.
Susana Hancock (Freeport)
Dr. Susana Hancock is an interdisciplinary polar climate researcher with three graduate degrees from the University of Oxford, whose work encompasses both social and natural sciences. A former international elite rower, she now meets her athletic cravings by skiing across polar ice sheets and glaciers, during which she collects data in conjunction with global institutions. Susana was President of APECS (Association of Polar Early Career Scientists) from 2022-2023, and one of the founders of the UArctic Next-Gen Science Diplomats. She further expanded her science-policy background as the Science Manager for Arctic Basecamp, where she brought climate urgency into the business community at the World Economic Forum and through UN processes, and has been involved with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Susana is now the Global Mountains Director at the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative. She is part of the global Ambition on Melting Ice Secretariat, where she works to liaise between mountain communities, mountain cryosphere science, and international policymaking. Through these roles, she regularly participates in high-urgency meetings and summits with global governments, advising foreign and environment ministers on climate science, mitigation, and adaptation needs and pathways. Susana is also a regular columnist with the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, writing on climate and climate policy. As part of the League of Women Voters, Susana helped establish the Speakers' Bureau and has designed civic education curricula used in public schools. She has represented the National League at two UN Climate summits, COP27 in Egypt and COP28 in Dubai, and has represented the Maine League at the National Council and the Convention.
Tobin C. Williamson (Lewiston)
Tobin Williamson is the Senior Partnerships & Policy Manager with the Refugee Advocacy Lab, a state & local policy and advocacy-focused organization housed at Refugees International. Previously, he served as the Advocacy & Policy Manager for the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition. Earlier in his career, Williamson served in two U.S. Congressional Offices and two Consulates General. Williamson earned a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina. Outside of work, he also serves as a Board Member for the World Affairs Council of Maine, is part of the Aspen Institute Strategy Group’s Rising Leaders Program, and was in the 2023 cohort of Leadership Portland. He lives in Westbrook with his wife Kate, their cat, and their horse. In his spare time, you can find him somewhere on a hiking trail, reading a couple of books, watching soccer, trying new coffee shops, or planning his next international trip(s).
Lisa Bradley (Bar Harbor)
Lisa recently retired from Federal government service after 32 years, during which time she was dedicated to supporting public safety and national security objectives. She served in leadership roles around the world and domestically. Lisa also grew up living abroad, and loves international travel. Retirement has allowed Lisa to focus on other passions, such as serving in volunteer roles in her new community. She started volunteering for the LWV Downeast in 2024. She recently joined the Board of Directors for YWCA MDI after being involved in many of their volunteer activities over the past year. She actively participates in the Mid-Coast Forum on Foreign Relations and continues to work as an independent contractor for the Federal government. Lisa is thrilled to be living in Bar Harbor where the proximity to Acadia National Park allows her to enjoy frequent hiking, running, and biking adventures. She and her husband Chuck moved to Bar Harbor in January 2024.
Mary Pat Donnellon (Old Orchard Beach)
Mary Pat has been a volunteer with the League of Women Voters
since moving to Maine full-time in 2022. She enjoys working with
Maine Students Vote and the committee registering new voters
and naturalization ceremonies and in schools. Mary Pat is semi-
retired from her career in technology, having served executive
positions for several companies including vice president of
marketing at Blackbaud and chief revenue officer of CallRail. She
is currently a Senior Advisor for Susquehanna Growth Equity,
advising their portfolio companies on go-to-market strategy. Since
moving to Maine, Mary Pat has expanded her volunteer efforts,
serving on the Board of Advisors of Best Buddies, the Board of
Directors of Hope Acts, Vice Chair of the Old Orchard Beach
Conservation Commission, and as a member of Portland Rotary
Club. Mary Pat and her husband Tim are enjoying life on the
beach, and are adapting to Maine winters surprisingly well. She
likes spending as much time as possible with their three adult
children, reading, running and exploring the outdoors.
Judith Lyles (Ellsworth)
Judi Lyles has worked in a variety of nonprofit, academic, and health care settings. Her experience includes research and evaluation design; health promotion and community relations; and program development, implementation, and management. Her academic work focused on interpersonal and organizational communication, psychosocial medicine, and patient-centered interviewing. Judi first joined the League in the late 70s when living in Bangor and rejoined after she and her husband retired to Ellsworth in 2017. She is active in the LWV-Downeast and sits on the boards of two community nonprofits.
Belviga Mpolo (Portland)
Belviga hails from Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, and has lived in Portland for nearly a decade. She holds an Associate Degree in Human Services from Southern Maine Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Southern Maine. She is currently a case manager at Catholic Charities of Maine where she helps newly arrived refugees integrate into the community by helping them navigate everything from school enrollment to transportation to keeping current with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to cultural orientation. She speaks French, Lingala, and Kituba in addition to English, and has worked closely with the immigrant population in various supportive roles, both as an employee and as a volunteer. Before earning her degrees, Belviga worked as a Certified Residential Medication Aide at several local social service agencies. In 2023, Belviga joined the League’s Neighbor to Neighbor program, canvassing in Portland, Westbrook, and South Portland to encourage civic participation and provide nonpartisan information about the voting process. She is passionate about the League’s mission and hopes to strengthen our work, especially among new Mainers.
Tanya Emery (Bangor)
Tanya Emery is the Development Director at the Maine Connectivity
Authority (MCA), the state's broadband office, where she spearheads
economic and workforce development and policy initiatives. With a keen
focus on leveraging technology to drive economic growth, Tanya played
a pivotal role in shaping Maine's Broadband Equity, Access, and
Deployment (BEAD) strategies, which are bringing over $271 million to Maine for broadband deployment. Her efforts now concentrate on utilizing technology to empower economic development, particularly within Maine's traditional industries.
A proud native of Maine, Tanya earned her degree in Political Science
with honors from Trinity College, where she was distinguished as a
President's Fellow. Beginning her career with a telecommunications
startup allowed her to live and work across the United States, launching
new markets and locations as the company grew. Tanya returned to
Maine to raise her children near family, a return home that allowed her to
pursue her passion for economic development. She worked as a local
and regional development leader in Maine for over two decades before
joining MCA in October 2022. Tanya is currently a member of the board
of directors of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association.
Previous board service includes the Bangor Region Chamber of
Commerce, Penobscot Theatre Company, Fusion: Bangor, Eastern
Maine Community College Foundation, and she was an elected member
of the school board of Regional School Unit 22, serving Hampden.
Joanne Bautista (Portland)
Joann Bautista is an associate director with the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Elections Project. Before joining BPC, Joann was the deputy secretary of state and policy advisor for the Maine Department of the Secretary of State under Secretary Shenna Bellows. Joann played an integral role in shaping and implementing the department’s legislative goals and priorities; frequently met with elected officials, advocates, and other stakeholders; and collaborated with federal and state partners on election and motor vehicle matters. Prior to that role, she was the advocacy director at Preble Street, a statewide organization in Maine that provides services to those experiencing homelessness, hunger, or poverty, and previously worked for the ACLU of Maine. Joann holds a B.A. in Journalism and International Studies from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law.
Alex Wu (Scarborough)
Alex Wu is currently a high school senior from Scarborough, Maine. They enjoy all matters of civic engagement work, from voter registration and referendum signature collection to lobbying legislators and canvassing. Alex joined the LWVME in 2023 and has since joined countless projects of voter engagement.
Alex knows the inherent power that youth hold in democracy. Whenever movements are leading social change across the country, youth are at the forefront. That leadership and commitment to progress is why youth voices are so important. They hope to use their leadership and community organizing skills to make legislative spaces more equitable for youth.
They are currently working on the Vote16 bill that the LWVME youth advocacy group has put forth (and will hopefully pass) in the Maine 132nd legislative session.
Wendy Huo
Wendy Huo is currently a senior at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics. She joined the League of Women Voters of Maine as a summer intern in 2024 and has remained actively involved ever since, contributing to the Youth Advocacy Team and the Vote16 initiative. Through her work with the League, Wendy discovered her passion for civic engagement and youth advocacy. She is joining the board as the Youth Representative and is committed to fully representing the Youth Council and contributing to continued advocacy efforts.