Senator King hires D.C. and Maine staff

    BRUNSWICK — Senator-Elect Angus King has announced all positions have been filled in his state offices. The regional representatives will work under the guidance of State Director Edie Smith who was the field director for the Angus2012 Campaign. Smith has been a political consultant for 30 years and worked on a number of Republican candidate campaigns. In the meantime, King has extended the current office leases held by Sen. Olympia Snowe until final decisions can be made around permanent space.
    Hires include regional representatives:
     Bonita Pothier — York County: Pothier has spent the last eight years working as a manager for KeyBank. Prior to her time at Key, she served as the director of Saco Spirit, the Main Street Maine downtown economic development program for Saco; mayor of Biddeford; home economics teacher in the Biddeford school system; general manager of a private recycling company; and she also owned several businesses in Biddeford’s downtown. Pothier has been actively involved in a number of community and state organizations including GrowSmart Maine, Women Work & Community, Maine Women’s Policy Center, Leadership Maine, Mobilize Maine and the Maine Tourism Advisory Council, among others. She is a Maine native, born in Biddeford, and is a University of Maine at Farmington graduate.
     Travis Kennedy — Cumberland County: Kennedy served as chief of staff for Maine House Majority Leader John Piotti and then House Minority Leader Emily Cain in Augusta, where he was responsible for managing the support staff of the House Democratic caucus and working with leaders to negotiate policy and develop political strategy. Before serving as chief of staff, he worked as a communications director and legislative aide in the State House. A 2001 graduate of the University of Maine, Kennedy grew up in Buxton.
     Ben Tucker — Androscoggin County: Ben Tucker III, has been affiliated with a variety of Maine businesses including real estate sales and appraisal, manufactured housing industry and mortgage lending. Tucker has provided independent consulting and marketing services for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, and several healthcare-related organizations. He has worked on Republican local and statewide campaigns and referendum issues and most recently served on the Angus King campaign as deputy political and field director. 
    Gail Kezer — Midcoast Region: Kezer is a graduate of Dartmouth College and University of Puget School of Law. Kezer has held positions at Maine Lawyers Review, Bowdoin College and the JTG Foundation. Her community involvement spans volunteering at Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project and service to Brunswick’s schools. Kezer was elected to Brunswick’s School Board for two terms.   
    Chris Rector — Eastern Maine: Rector served in the Maine House and Senate for a decade as a Republican. Prior to that he attended Boston University, University of Southern Maine (receiving a B.A. in economics), Kennedy School at Harvard University Program for Senor Executives in State and Local Government.
    A career entrepreneur in retail art and picture framing, ice cream and real estate management, he served in the House and Senate of Maine from 2002-12 with expertise in R&D and economic development.’
     Elizabeth Schneider — Central and Northern Maine: Schneider recently completed her fourth term representing Senate District 30 as a Democrat in Penobscot County. Previously she was elected twice to serve on the Orono Town Council. Before taking office in the Maine Senate, Schneider worked in business development. Schneider was an active member on numerous nonprofit area boards of directors from the Penobscot Downeast Cable Consortium to The Peace and Justice Center of Eastern Maine, The Orono Economic Development Corporation, Maine Robotics, and Orono Village Association. In addition she has worked on over 14 political campaigns.
     Sharon Campbell — Aroostook County: Campbell is an Aroostook County native and a longtime Snowe staffer. She has served as the Aroostook County representative for Sen. Snowe for over 10 years, representing the needs of northern Maine.
    Campbell has extensive experience in understanding the issues of the area and in advocating for the people and businesses of northern Maine. She is active in community service projects and lives in Presque Isle with her family.
 Additional Washington, D.C. staff include: Scott Ogden, press secretary, a native of Monmouth; Margaret Williams, deputy press secretary, from Rockport; Christopher Rauscher, legislative assistant, who grew up on the Midcoast; and Aisha Woodward, legislative assistant, who grew up in Sedgwick.Senator-Elect Angus King said, “The regional representatives will be key to staying in touch with the people of Maine.
     This is a diverse group of people that I am proud to bring on the team. We have added excellent people to our Washington, D.C., staff that will be instrumental in the legislative process.”