Name: Joyce A. Fitzpatrick
Age: 69
Residence: Houlton
Political Party: Republican
What position are you running for: State Representative, District 8 (incumbent)
What other political offices have you held? Political positions — Houlton Budget Committee, one year as chairman; Houlton Town Council, one year as secretary; member Southern Aroostook Solid Waste District Board. Leadership experience — Past president of Aroostook chapter of the National Association of Insurance Women; Insurance Association of Greater Houlton; National Association of Insurance Women; Maine Micro Mini-Group – Affiliate of AMS Users Group (Computer users group); New England AMSUG – Affiliate of AMS Users Group; Houlton Community Chorus; Houlton Rotary Club; Houlton Business and Professional Women; Maine Business and Professional Women; and Friends and Needles Quilt Guild.
Served in other leadership positions as: Secretary, F. A. Peabody Company; Treasurer, Houlton Area Affiliate of the Literacy Volunteers of America; Secretary/Treasurer, Drews Lake Property Owners Association; Vice President, Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Project; Vice President, Houlton Chamber of Commerce; Chairman, Houlton Bicentennial Committee; served on board for: and United Way of Aroostook.
Designations/recognitions — Society of Certified Insurance Counselors, CIC; NAIW of Aroostook – Insurance Woman of the Year 1986; National Association of Insurance Women – Certified Professional Insurance Woman; Insurance Association of Greater Houlton – Insurance Woman of the Year 1997; Maine BPW Woman of the Year and Maine BPW Member of the Year 1993; Houlton Rotary Club – Paul Harris Fellow; Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce – Community Spirit Award 2008 Maine, New England and National AMS User Groups – Service and Contribution Awards.
What is your career background? F. A. Peabody Company Insurance Agency, retired 2008 after 32 years. Licensed Property and Casualty and Life and Health Insurance Agent.
What made you decide to run for this office? As evidenced by my past experiences in service to others, I have always been drawn to offer my expertise and talents to help others in whatever way that I could. I felt that running for office was an opportunity to expand my sphere of service beyond the local level to the district and the state. I also felt that the values of the citizens of our district were not being properly represented in Augusta.
What do you see as the most important issue facing the community you will serve? Jobs always seem to rise to the top, but I also think that the cost of health care and how it gets regulated is a very important issue. They are somewhat tied together by the Affordable Care Act. I believe that businesses will be reluctant to start up or expand when the federal government puts yet another mandate upon them. The legislature this term will be given the difficult task of making sure all of our people have the opportunity to get the best health care at the lowest cost, and in the process support the free enterprise system and not more government.
Why should people vote for you? All who know me are aware of how hard I work whenever I am presented with a task. Whether it was in my employment, my Rotary activities, or one of my other community or professional activities, I have always done my homework and given my best effort to achieve the desired outcomes. I don’t presume to say I have all the answers, but will always do my best to find them and be responsive and accountable to those I represent.
Name: Mike Jenkins
Age: 55
Residence: Houlton
Political Party: Democrat
What position are you running for: State Representative, District 8
What other political offices have you held? If none, what other offices, honors, titles have you earned? Current member of Houlton Town Council, serving second term.
What is your career background? Management. I have recently retired from the Postal Service after a career of over 26 years. I began my work experience working for Ralph Peabody at his company at 15. I worked for the first automatic car wash in Houlton while attending high school. After graduation I worked in the farming industry until hired by the Ward Cabin Company. In 1981, I began attending Eastern Maine Vocational Technical Institute, graduating on the Dean’s List with an associate’s degree in refrigeration and air conditioning.
In July of 1983, I worked for the Simons Company in Bangor until I returned to the Houlton area in 1986 to start my career with the Postal Service. I have experience in customer service, labor relations, mediation and am a certified facilitator, along with moderating the annual Monticello town meetings.
What made you decide to run for this office? To represent the needs of the people of southern Aroostook rather than a partisan agenda.
What do you see as your primary goal if elected? Investment in all levels of education, from early childhood, to community college and university systems.
What do you see as the most important issue facing the community you will serve? Access to affordable health care.
Why should people vote for you? I want to work to maintain and hopefully improve the services we all enjoy as citizens.
