Whitley seeks Maine Senate seat

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Dennise Whitley

NORWAY — Dennise Dullea Whitley of Norway announces her candidacy as a Democrat for the Maine State Senate District 13, which includes the towns of Baldwin, Bridgton, Brownfield, Denmark, Fryeburg, Harrison, Hiram, Naples, Norway, Otisfield, Oxford, Paris, Porter and Sebago.

Whitley, a Norway native, is a qualified Maine Clean Election candidate and seeks the Senate seat held by Senator David Hastings of Fryeburg, who is term-limited.

“Jobs, jobs, jobs are what legislators need to have as their marching orders in the next legislative session. There is no time to waste on divisive partisanship. Solutions to Maine’s economic crisis, our kids’ educational needs and our health care demands are within our reach,” Whitley said. “With my 12 years of experience working with the Maine Legislature and a good dose of common sense, I believe I can represent the folks of western Maine very well. I can be a leader with a fresh perspective in this important march to fiscal balance.”

For the past 12 years, Whitley served as the Maine Government Relations Director for the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) and worked for the passage of health-related laws.

Many of these public health laws, such as the creation of the Fund for a Healthy Maine and the tobacco control and prevention laws were collaborative efforts with the other major health related voluntary and public health agencies, the Maine Legislature and Administrations. Whitley points to these successes as the proving ground for her capacity and experience to work as a Senator in the Maine Legislature.

Whitley’s health care experience was gained from holding management positions in three Maine hospitals: Stephens Memorial Hospital in Norway, Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington and Brighton Medical Center in Portland. In 1995, Whitley worked as the Executive Director of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the American Red Cross in Tucson, AZ, returning to Maine in 1999 to take the position of Government Relations Director for the AHA/ASA. She graduated from Norway High School and attained a Bachelor of Science and a Master’s Degree in Health Management and Policy from the University of New Hampshire.

When she lived in Wilton, Whitley was the first woman to become a Trustee of the Franklin Savings Bank, and served for 10 years. She was appointed by Governor McKernan to the Maine Human Rights Commission in 1992. Whitley has chaired the Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine and has been an active member of the Governor’s Council on Fitness, Health and Wellness.

She has also contributed her time as a strategic planning facilitator to the Norway Memorial Library, the Norway Historical Society, the Western Maine Art Group and the Leavitt’s Mills Free Health Center in Buxton. She and her husband are volunteer foster parents for Responsible Pet Care in Norway.

Whitley and her husband, Barry Allen, a Professional Land Surveyor, live in the Yagger neighborhood in Norway with their two rescue cats. Family members include a son, Mark; five grandchildren and two adult grandchildren.