Gov.-elect Mills names Heather Johnson as economic development chief
Courtesy / Office of Gov.-elect Janet Mills
Heather Johnson, who currently serves as director of the ConnectME Authority, was named as Maine's next Commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.
Gov.-elect Janet Mills on Thursday named Heather Johnson as the state’s top economic development official, saying her extensive private- and public-sector background would be “tremendously beneficial to marketing Maine, attracting and retaining people, growing businesses and strengthening our economy.”
If confirmed, Johnson would serve as the next commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development.
Johnson, 48, who grew up in Skowhegan, is currently director of the ConnectME Authority, the state agency tasked with bringing broadband to all Maine households and businesses.
She said that in her new role, “I am excited not only by the opportunity to work with economic development agencies, business and communities across the state, but by the great potential we have to find sustainable growth strategies for all parts of Maine.”
Before joining ConnectME, Johnson served as executive director of the Somerset Economic Development Corp. from 2015 to 2018.
Her private-sector experience includes work at technology hardware company Gateway, where she was vice president of sales; Polaroid, where she was vice president of worldwide operations and Americas channel marketing for Latin America and Canada before becoming vice president of international sales, operations and worldwide ecommerce; and Nokia, where she served as vice president, Verizon, and was responsible for channel sales and marketing in North America.
If confirmed by Maine legislators, Johnson will be charged with overseeing more than two dozen experts across several bureaus that aim to help communities and businesses prosper through programs including tax relief and community block grants.
Mills, a Democrat, is set to be inaugurated on Jan. 2 as Maine’s 75th governor, succeeding Gov. Paul R. LePage, a Republican who took office in 2011.
Johnson’s nomination is the latest in a series of cabinet announcements by Mills, including Jeanne Lambrew to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Kirsten Figueroa to lead the Department of Administration and Financial Services, Judy Camuso to lead the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Bruce Van Note to lead Maine Department of Transportation, Laura Fortman to lead the Department of Labor, John Rodhe to serve as executive director of the Workers’ Compensation Board and Pender Makin to lead the Department of Education.
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