2021 Municipal Election Candidate Bios

Bio not yet submitted by candidate

Hello hello! My name is Alyce Lew (she/hers) and I am running for a 3-Year Term Councilor position. Originally “from Away,” I’ve been living/working in Orono for around 8 years. I live in downtown Orono with a rather grumpy rescue cat named Edgar. 

My personal and professional style is community-oriented, direct, and solutions-based which is how I plan to serve as a town councilor. I am not opposed to making decisions when needed, but I prefer to seek out group input/consensus for what needs to be done. I would love to help continue to strengthen the relationship between the Town and the University which I know has been something the Council and Sophie/Belle have been working on because our successes are intimately linked together.

I love this town and the people. My deep connection with this place comes from the natural beauty that I get to dig my hands into during the summer at the Orono Community Garden and the beautiful moments shared with friends and neighbors from community dinners to random run-ins across town. I hope that I am granted the opportunity to give back to this community that has given me so much. 

Please 'follow/like' me on Facebook at Alyce Lew for Orono Town Councilor for updates and more info about me in the coming weeks. I appreciate you taking the time to read this and hope to see you around town. Don’t be afraid to say hello!

My name is Laura Hoovler Mitchell and I'm running for election to Orono's town council. The election is March 9, 2021. I'd enjoy hearing from you about your impressions of Orono. If you don't know me, our family lives on Cromwell Drive. I moved to Orono when I was 12 and attended OHS and the University of Maine studying biology. I lived in Boston and San Francisco working in commercial real estate and advertising before returning to Orono for grad school doing a masters in environmental science and community development. 

My husband and I have lived in Bangor and Hampden and have two kids in the Orono school system, a 6th grader, Nina, and a fourth grader, Will. 

I serve on the Orono Veazie Water District Board, have been a member of the City of Bangor Planning Board and Historic Preservation Commission, the Bangor Land Trust Board, and have worked at the Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce, Eastern Maine Development Corporation, and United Way of Eastern Maine. 

Currently, I run my own consulting company, am the director of Bangor’s Community Health Leadership Board, and do group facilitation and leadership training through LM Strategy, LLC and Starboard Leadership Consulting. 

I love Orono - its restaurants, trails, sidewalks, friendly people, the University, rivers, and the amazing schools. My family couldn't be happier to be here and have our children grow up here. I enjoy community, group, and municipal process, and it would be a pleasure to serve the residents of Orono and this community on the town council.

Cheryl Robertson, Ed.D has served three years on Orono Town Council. As an incumbent, her experience in service to Orono has been one of growth and learning; not only about the responsibilities of local government but also as a better communicator. During her term, Cheryl drafted and submitted a proposal to create an ad hoc community-based Environment Committee charged with helping to reduce Orono’s environmental footprint. Cheryl is actively working to give all community members access to recycling, and introduced a Recycling Reform resolution to be adopted by the town of Orono that supports the state-wide initiative to involve producers of wasteful packaging in disposal and reimburse a portion of municipal recycling costs in the form of revenue for the Town of Orono. 

An Orono resident since 2005, Cheryl frequented Orono as a student at UM and received an undergraduate and later her doctorate in Education. She was an instructor in the College of Education and Human Development, as well as a Student Success Coach with the Office of International programs. Pre-covid, Councilor Robertson introduced incoming international students to the Town of Orono as a place that values diversity and cultural expression and where they could feel safe. She organized Orono’s first ever “Kid’s Night at Council” and joins in the Street and Stream Clean-Up as well as other local happenings. She continues to mentor students and connect with friends and colleagues at the University and especially values their input and expertise when working and collaborating on projects that benefit our community. Cheryl also appreciates the activism and local support and response that seeks to continue to keep Orono a caring community that honors not only civil rights, but civil responsibilities. Personally, Cheryl enjoys kayaking the Stillwater, walking the trails, eating at local restaurants, and shopping locally. As a parent, challenges of parenthood were consistently met with an invaluable, child-rearing Village! Service to this community, she feels, has been and continues to be a valued opportunity to give back to a place she calls home.

I am Geoff Wingard and I’m running for Town Council because while I know that Orono is confronted with significant challenges, I believe we possess unique and powerful assets to help overcome them. When I consider what makes Orono special I think of the inclusiveness of our community, the environmental quality of our region, and the diversity and work ethic of our people. First, as a Councilor I hope to represent the entire community as we work to attract and retain an economically and demographically diverse population. Orono is a place where elders mix with students and young families rub shoulders with retirees. Council should be involved in facilitating opportunities for the various segments of our community to come together and it should refine its strategy for increasing demographic and cultural diversity in Orono. Second, we enjoy living in an area that is rich in environmental resources, but we sometimes forget how privileged we are to have access to the woods and waters of our region. Council should continue to work with landowners who graciously permit public use of their land and it should recognize the importance of protecting public spaces that attract residents and businesses. Finally, we must also realize that Orono is more than just a bedroom community. People work here in many fields. Council must realize that brick-and-mortar businesses, e-jobs, the gig economy, and the service sector each contribute to the economic viability of our community and that all need to be supported. The actions of Town Council should not merely be regulatory – they should support businesses that allow people to earn a living in our town. 

I am committed to helping Orono prosper and public service has been a hallmark of my life in Orono. I have served on local boards, the School Committee, and as a community volunteer and coach. Professionally my life has also been devoted to public service as a teacher and a police officer. Finally, I have a listening ear. I want to understand your vision of Orono’s future. I welcome hearing your thoughts and opinions on the issues facing Orono.

Bio not yet submitted by candidate