LWVME Staff

Anna Kellar (they/them)
Executive Director

Anna grew up in Maine before earning a BA in Political Science from Yale University and a Masters in Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics. Their experience with democracy and anti-corruption campaigns in Eastern Europe and Central Asia makes them all the more committed to preserving and strengthening civil society and grassroots democracy in Maine. Anna started working at MCCE in 2014 as an organizer on the Clean Elections Initiative. They ran for the state legislature as a Clean Elections candidate in 2016. In 2017, Anna was appointed as the first joint Executive Director for MCCE and the League of Women Voters of Maine.

Lado Lodoka (he/him)
Program Director

Lado holds a BA in Political Science from USM and a Masters in Community Development Policy and Practice from UNH. Prior to joining MCCE, he worked for the Kansas Department for Children and Families as Regional Refugee Coordinator and Program Consultant for Employment Service Provider Agreement. Lado leads the League and MCCE's voter engagement and advocacy work in immigrant and low-income communities.

John Brautigam (he/him)
Senior Advisor & Counsel

John is an attorney and consultant with over 25 years of experience in campaign finance and election law, public policy, advocacy, and legal representation. He is a former Maine State Representative (2004 - 2008) and House Chairman of the Insurance and Financial Services Committee. Prior to his tenure in the legislature, John served as Assistant Attorney General. As legal counsel he successfully defended the constitutionality of the 1996 reforms to Maine campaign finance laws, including the Maine Clean Election Act. John holds a law degree from Stanford Law School, a BA in Government from Wesleyan University, and an MA in History from Trinity College.

Nadya Mullen (she/her)
Operations Director

Nadya is a returning Maine native delighted to be home and actively supporting nonpartisan democracy efforts in Maine. She spent 18 years living in the UK, working primarily in higher and further education, and most recently as Administrative Officer for the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge. Her background in not-for-profit administration and organizational transformation serves her well at the League and MCCE.

Evan Murray (he/him/they/them)
Civic Engagement Director

Evan is a Mainer with a degree in sociology from USM, who spent ten years on the other side of the US and came back in 2019. Their nonprofit and educational experience in equity and inclusion led them to the League and MCCE, where they can work to ensure that everyone has equal access to our government. They've been delighted to revisit their 20-year-old political roots in Maine, where they first learned what civic engagement means.

Jen Lancaster (she/her)
Communications Director

Jen hails from the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She’s worked in public libraries, and has done communications work in the fields of environmental education & sustainability, city government, and higher education. She served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for 3 years in the London Ferrill Community Garden, a radical space where members grew healthy and free food for the community. She has a B.A. in English and French from Transylvania University and a M.A. in French from the University of Kentucky.

Will Hayward (he/him)
Advocacy Program Coordinator

Will comes from a background of working in advocacy on a variety of issues including juvenile justice reform, worker’s rights, and foreign policy. He received a Masters in Global Policy Studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, and is excited to apply his background and interest in civic engagement and strengthening democracy to LWVME and MCCE. In his free time he enjoys Portland Sea Dogs games and hiking in the Katahdin region and the White Mountains.

Lane Sturtevant (they/them)
Organizer

Lane is a Vermonter who came to Maine for college and never left. They have worked at nonprofit organizations in Lewiston and the Midcoast in youth programming and education roles. Most recently, they served as a youth coordinator for OUT Maine, an organization supporting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth in rural Maine. Lane has a B.A. in anthropology from Bowdoin College. They are excited to combine their passion for an equitable democratic process with their love for Maine communities in this organizing role.

Allyson Gardner (she/her)
Director of Maine Students Vote

Allyson has based her career in working towards a liveable and just future. She has worked for the past twelve years with nonprofits whose missions ranged from growing youth leadership to fighting for equitable financial access to demanding food justice. The through line of all of these organizations has been rooted in uplifting community voice and local organizing. Allyson is excited to leverage this experience as the Director of Maine Students Vote.

LWVME Staff

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