Maine Women's Lobby Staff

Sarah Standiford

Executive Director

Sarah Standiford has served as Executive Director of the Maine Women's Lobby and its sister organization, the Maine Women’s Policy Center, since 2003.  She oversees the public policy development, research, organizing, and advocacy efforts of these two multi-issue women’s organizations that have been expanding opportunities for Maine women and girls for 30 years.

Sarah represents the needs of Maine women in the areas of affordable health care, reproductive privacy, economic security, and freedom from violence and discrimination to policymakers and the media.  She has several appointments representing women including on the Commission to Develop Strategies to Increase Postsecondary Access, Retention, and Completion for Low-Wage Low-Skilled Adults, the Governor’s Council on Jobs, Innovation, and the Economy, the Maine Jobs Council, and the Commission to Study Livable Wages.  She serves on the board of Consumers for Affordable Health Care Coalition and the Maine Association of Nonprofits. Sarah is a recipient of the Maine Women’s Fund’s 2007 Evening to Honor Maine Women and Girls award.

Prior to her service with the Maine Women’s Lobby and Maine Women’s Policy Center, Sarah was the Community Organizing Manager with Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE).

Graduating with a major in social anthropology from Bates College in 1997, Sarah studied with the School for International Training in Nairobi and Lamu, Kenya.

She is married to Jeff Fetterer and lives in Richmond, Maine.

Sarah can be reached at the Maine Women's Policy Center, PO Box 85, Hallowell, ME 04347, (207) 622-0851, ext. 20, and sstandiford@mainewomen.org.

Laura H. Harper

Director of Public Policy

Laura H. Harper joined the Maine Women's Lobby and the Maine Women’s Policy Center as Director of Public Policy in November 2006.  She directs the legislative agenda for the Maine Women’s Lobby in partnership with the Legislative Committee.  Laura’s work also includes research, education, and advocacy to promote women’s equity and justice.

Laura comes to the Lobby from the Senate Majority Office, where she worked as a legislative aide supporting several Senators in constituent work, writing legislation, drafting press releases and materials, as well as working with organizations and advocates.  She has also worked with the Secretary of the Senate as the board operator in the Senate chamber.  Laura’s campaign experience is extensive including working as a field organizer for Maine Won’t Discriminate and serving on the campaign’s steering committee.  Laura also served as Grassroots Organizer for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England and during her tenure organized the Maine contingent of the 1.3 million person March for Women’s Lives in 2004.

Currently Laura is serving a three-year term on the Hallowell School Board.  She is an active member in her neighborhood, NoHa, and can be seen every year in the Old Hallowell Day Parade.  She is a 2002 graduate of Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women’s Studies.

Laura can be reached at the Maine Women's Lobby, PO Box 15, Hallowell, ME 04347 (207) 622-0851, ext. 21 and lharper@mainewomen.org.

Bonnie Buckmore

Development & Administrative Manager

Bonnie Buckmore, Development & Administrative Manager for the Maine Women’s Lobby and the Maine Women’s Policy Center, brings a wide range of membership development, fundraising, editing, and graphic design experience to her work on behalf of Maine women.  Bonnie coordinates fundraising events and membership activities and provides extensive administrative support for both organizations.

Bonnie came to the organizations in August 2004 after working in the development department of Consumers for Affordable Health Care.  Prior to that, she provided administrative support for the Maine Democratic Party and also worked in both the external affairs and development departments of the Family Planning Association of Maine.

She has been married to Todd since 1984; they live in Fairfield.

Bonnie may be reached at the Maine Women’s Policy Center by calling 622-0851, ext. 22 or by e-mailing her at bbuckmore@mainewomen.org.

Charlotte Warren

Outreach & Communications Manager

Charlotte Warren has served as Outreach and Communications Manager since January 2008.  Her responsibilities include planning and conducting membership outreach and communications strategies for the organizations, along with managing efforts to recruit and retain new members and activists.  Her experience includes 11 years at Kennebec Valley Community College (KVCC) as a Math / Science Learning Specialist with the TRiO program, working to increase the success of first-generation and low-income students and students with disabilities.  She also taught Mathematics courses for 12 years as an adjunct faculty member. 

Charlotte has served on the Hallowell City Council for over six years and has been the City Council President since April 2007.  She serves as Chair of the Downtown Streetlight Committee and the Vaughan Field Committee.  She is a member of the Waterfront Advisory, Health and Welfare, and Claims Committees.  She also serves on the Hallowell Food Bank’s Board of Directors. 

Charlotte earned a Master of Science in Adult Education from the University of Southern Maine in 2004 and a Master of Social Work in Organizational & Community Practice from the University of New England.  She had started with the Maine Women’s Lobby as an intern, as part of her MSW field practice in September 2007.

Charlotte lives in Hallowell with her five cats: Neeko, Mojo, Suki, Fatsy Cline, and Rex. 

Charlotte can be reached at 622-0851, ext. 24 or at cwarren@mainewomen.org

Lillian Pease

Volunteer

Lillian Pease has been a dedicated volunteer since 1994.  She is a former Board member and currently serves on the Board's Legislative Committee.

During her Board tenure, Lillian helped develop personnel policies, create the employee manual, and revise the organization's by-laws.  As a volunteer, she provides administrative support in the Augusta office.

Elyse Wilkinson

2008 Linda Smith Dyer Fellow

Elyse Wilkinson, our Linda Smith Dyer Fellow, is a first-year student at the University of Maine School of Law and graduate of UMF. Her work and volunteer experience includes working with the Abused Women's Advocacy Project and Upward Bound.

Elyse, referring to her recent schooling and experience, "Things that are important to me from that are my year abroad traveling through Spain and France and honing my language skills.  I also love Mexico and hope to live there some day for a period of time.  I also really enjoy working with High school age youth, at least in my experiences last year substitute teaching at Thornton Academy and working at Upward Bound."

Elyse grew up in Saco, Maine and has lived in Portland for 2 years, and hopes to apply her law degree to be better able to help people in need of legal services such as immigrants and the GLBT community.

She says, "I think of myself as an activist, especially environmentally.  I am crazy about recycling, composting and being "green," and I've been a vegetarian for most of my life.  In addition to always being drawn towards the work of non-profit organizations, I love to cook and eat. I also enjoy fermenting things in my kitchen like sauerkraut and beer."

Anne Sheldon

2008 Summer Intern

Anne is a philosophy major at Bates College, with a special interest in political and feminist theory. Anne first became involved with the Maine Women's Lobby through Kim Simmons' "Activism and Social Change" course at Bates and was an active participant in our paid sick days campaign. Anne is now working with us full-time through a fellowship from the Harward Center for Community Partnership at Bates. She is researching policy proposals around flexibility at work and finalizing our 123rd Legislative report.

April Barter

2008 Summer Intern

April is a student at the University of Southern Maine. She volunteered with us at Girls' Day at the State House and has begun a weekly internship at the the organization working on Women's Leadership Action Coalition activities and a handbook of women's organizations. She says, "I look forward to the opportunity to be a part of policy in the making; and learn first hand about the causes, issues and concerns of diverse women...My primary interests involve equal pay, reproductive rights and opportunities for women of all and economic circumstances."

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