This guest column, written by Mary Orear was originally published in the Bangor Daily News.
I first saw Hannah as a young girl modeling wool sweaters featured in a knitting book published as part of her mother’s sheep and yarn business on North Haven. Perhaps that is where Hannah began her business education — learning at home, in the family business.
A few years later, I met 14 year old Hannah when she and her mother co-presented a session on girls’ leadership at the annual Camden Girls Conference. It was clear to me that Hannah was already developing her own leadership, working alongside her mother to inspire the next generation of young women.
Years later, Hannah — just 26 years old — was elected to the State House of Representatives.
I once watched her chair a legislative committee hearing in Augusta, struck by her professional, respectful demeanor. It’s no surprise that Hannah’s colleagues voted her to be the youngest female Speaker of the House in the entire country.
Most recently Hannah’s leadership of the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future shows she has been on the frontlines of moving Maine forward. The position has provided her with the understanding, insights and connections so valuable for our next governor.
I believe Hannah has the temperament and integrity that make her a good leader for all Maine’s people. She has developed her leadership skills from her earliest years. Her experience at the state level and the relationships she has established put her in an excellent position to guide our state forward in a positive manner and be an outstanding governor.
I hope you, too, will vote for Hannah!
