Commissioners

Betsy Fitzgerald - Machiasport

Commissioner Fitzgerald currently serves as the Washington County Manager and was appointed to the LUPC by the Washington County Commissioners in 2014. A life-long Maine resident, Fitzgerald is a graduate of the University of Maine Machias and the Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Policy at USM. Following a long career teaching high school history, government and law at Erskine Academy in central Maine, Fitzgerald returned to Washington County as the manager for the Town of Machias before moving "up the hill" to county government. A long-time code enforcement officer and plumbing inspector, Fitzgerald serves several area Washington County towns in those capacities.

Millard Billings - Franklin

Millard and his wife Beverly operate a fourth generation family farm in Franklin, where they raised 6 children and are enjoying 13 grandchildren. Millard has been involved in the lobster, sea urchin and farm raised salmon industries, as well as blueberry, Christmas tree and Christmas wreath industries. Millard was first elected to the Franklin School Board in 1974 and has been involved in municipal government ever since. He served 10 years as Tremont's Town Manager, 27 years on the Franklin Planning Board, 34 years as a Tax Assessor and 16 years as Code Enforcement Officer. He is presently the Unorganized Territories Supervisor for Hancock County, in addition to serving as Tax Assessor in 2 towns and Code Enforcement Officer in 2 municipalities. Hobbies include hunting, and cowboy action shooting. He is a volunteer hunter safety instructor and enjoys working with young people teaching firearms safety.

Tom DuBois - Salem Twp.

Commissioner DuBois is a lifelong Mainer, growing up in Auburn, graduating from the University of Maine in Orono with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering, and then taking a job in the land use consulting field, based out of Livermore Falls. He and his wife Betsy raised their family in Livermore Falls for 19 years. In 2006, Tom began a second career in ministry, serving as the Pastor for Western Mountains Baptist Church, then located in Kingfield, now located in New Portland. Tom worked bi-vocationally for many years and moved to Salem Township to be closer to his church family in 2010. He retired from engineering in 2021, and now works full time at his church.

Perry A. Ellsworth - Strong

A seasoned manager with over 45 years in a leadership position . 30 plus years in manufacturing and or construction and 18 years as a Town Manager. Chosen by the Maine Town and City Manager's Association as recipient of the 2014 Leadership Award. A change agent with strong background in negotiations and the ability to find closure in projects that have lingered for years. A manager who believes that a strong set of values and employee engagement are critical to a manager's success.

Gwen Hilton - Starks

Commissioner Hilton was appointed by the Somerset County Commissioners in early 2019, after having been off the Commission for several years. Her prior service was from 2005 to 2017. Commissioner Hilton resides in the Town of Starks and has been working and recreating within the LUPC jurisdiction for over thirty years. As a municipal consultant she has provided community planning services to a number of towns on the fringes of the jurisdiction, such as Greenville, Dover-Foxcroft, Lincoln and Willimantic. Her consultant work has included planning for the new Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Gwen has a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in Geoenviromental Studies. Ms. Hilton has been involved in farming most of her life. Her family's eight-generation farm operation includes commercial forestry and hay production, adaptive reuse of farm buildings for commercial storage and equestrian activities. In 1999, she and her husband, Ernie, were honored to receive the Somerset County Conservation District Outstanding Woodlot Owners of the Year award. Ms. Hilton is also very active in town government, including having served on the Starks Planning Board for several decades. In addition, she recently began service as a Supervisor for the Somerset County Soil and Water Conservation District. Gwen enjoys most anything outdoors, including hiking, canoeing, camping, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, gardening, haying and other farming activities. Family vacations with her husband and two daughters over the past thirty years has involved activities in many areas of the LUPC jurisdiction.

Peter Pray - Millinocket

Commissioner Pray was born in East Millinocket, Maine and in 1953 moved to Ripogenus Dam in Township 3 range 11. Mr. Pray and his brothers went to a one room school house, then Maine Central Institute and eventually graduated from Stearns High in Millinocket. Mr. Pray worked as a river driver on The West Branch of the Penobscot before working for Great Northern Paper Company and retiring after 38 years as a pulp mill supervisor. He has been involved in community activities and served as President of the Millinocket Fin and Feather Club, Director of the Katahdin Region of Ducks Unlimited, and Chairman of the Baxter State Park Citizens Advisory Board.
Mr. Pray and his wife owned and operated Pray's Big Eddy Campground for 34 years. The campground was located in Township 3 range 11 on the West Branch of the Penobscot River. During that time he also guided for game in the unorganized territories. Mr. Pray and his wife have had a home in Millinocket since 1965 and a summer camp in the Caucomgomoc region. Mr. Pray currently works for the United States Census Bureau.

Lee Smith - Albany Twp.

Lee is a retired economist who consulted on regulated energy issues for 30 years throughout the U.S. She and her family built their house in Albany Township in 1988. She and her husband have been living there full-time for 6 years. She is a lover of the outdoors, especially the mountains, enjoying hiking, skiing, kayaking and gardening. For indoor activities she plays cello and assists with the string instrument program in the local school district, cooks and does some mediocre art. She has been a long-term volunteer with the Mahoosuc Land Trust.

Leo Trudel - Madawaska Lake Twp.

Leo has been a full-time business professor at the University of Maine at Fort Kent since 2005. He holds a PhD in Finance, two master's degrees, and several security licenses. In the past he has worked in economic development, as a proprietary trader, and as an entrepreneur. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, riding his motorcycle, working in the garden, and studying the markets. He has motorcycled in all of the lower 48 states and much of Canada. He lives at Madawaska Lake with his partner Connie and their dog, Magnus.

Everett Worcester - Orneville

Commissioner Worcester started out his career as an educator. He is a graduate of Washington State Teachers College in Machias with a Bachelor of Science, has a Masters of Education Degree in math/science from the University of Maine in Orono and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Texas at Austin. He has taught from the 4th grade through graduate level, was a Peace Corp Volunteer, and has been an administrator at various levels including as the State Director of the Bureau of Louisiana Assessment of Educational Progress. In 1975 he and his wife Lee moved back to Maine and in 1978 he earned a real estate brokers license and has been self employed ever sense. In 1991 when appraisal licensing went into effect he became a Certified General Appraiser. He has owned his own agency and practiced real estate brokerage and appraisal for many years and now concentrates on appraisal work in Piscataquis, Somerset, and Penobscot Counties. He has also developed and taught many real estate and appraisal continuing education courses. He has been a private pilot since the early 1970's and he built and flew a two place, experimental, open cockpit bi-plane for many years.

He and his wife Lee own a blueberry farm in Orneville Twp. and harvest some 30 acres of Maine low bush blueberries each year. Most of their product goes to the fresh market through farmers market's, road side stands, and local grocery stores. They also have a value added business selling 14 products based from their own wild blueberries. In addition, they own and manage some 200 acres of woodland in Orneville. They also own a traditional Maine camp, out house and all, on an island in Sebec River 4 miles up river from Milo. Lee and Everett have one daughter, Courtney, who is an attorney in Boston and a Golden Retriever named Blue.