Getting to Know You:
Elizabeth Gattine

Elizabeth Gattine, Senior Policy Analyst for the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and Cabinet on Aging Coordinator, has visited 10 of Maine's Lifelong Communities since late winter, learning about the network. It came as no surprise that the differences stood out more than the similarities. But all shared a similar mission – to improve the lives of all in the community. And that connects them.

 In a recent interview, we asked her to tell us what she learned.

“The Age-Friendly/Lifelong Communities work is all grounded in the same framework, based on the same goals, but they prioritize their actions based on their individual communities needs. This is so important.”

 She went on to talk about the successful partnerships that exist and the ones that could exist to strengthen the work. The Cabinet on Aging serves as a gateway to state agencies. Leaders of the agencies who sit in the Cabinet include

●        The Department of Health and Human Services

●        Department of Labor

●        Department of Economic and Community Development

●        Department of Administrative and Financial Services

●        Professional and Financial Regulation

●        Department of Public Safety

●        Department of Transportation

●        Maine State Housing Authority

The cabinet is an advocate for age-friendly policies.

Considering the varied focus of Age-Friendly/Lifelong Communities, there is much overlap of interests and goals with the Committee on Aging that can be leveraged to make local work a little easier.  Elizabeth said that communities should see the cabinet and the commissioners as valuable resources. State government can seem impersonal and remote. The Cabinet brings it to the local level.

And this is Elizabeth’s goal.

Her listening tour took her to all areas of the state—from York County to Aroostook, which brought home the critical role that the UMaine Center on Aging serves- it is the connector of all the communities.  She recognizes that the Center is a trusted partner and provides technical assistance, program support and more to the communities. In the future, she would like to strengthen the alliance between the state, the university, and the communities – all pursuing the same goals – supporting the work each is doing.

She complimented the people she has met as highly professional with expertise and commitment that enables them to bring the community together to develop the right programming for their city or town. The quality of the volunteers that make this happen in Maine is clear. Supporting those volunteers is a specific goal.

So successful were these visits – which took different forms in different places – that she plans to continue and has already scheduled a few more visits.

Additionally, you will see her first column written for the News in our next issue! We welcome her and look forward to what may come!