Geoff Scott has the kind of long-term perspective of Camden that I want in a Select Board member, having raised children here, developed a career here, and now retired here.  He also has civic leadership experience, and an approach to that work, that our Select Board would greatly benefit from.  This combination of leadership style and community-wide perspective are why he has my vote for Select Board, and why I feel compelled to speak out on his behalf.

I got to know Geoff when serving on the Pathways Committee, which he co-chaired.  His leadership of that group was impressive, showing an ability to listen meaningfully, delegate effectively, and communicate clearly.  The hallmark of his leadership in my eyes was an effective combination of patience, persistence, and readiness.  As one example, when the traffic light at the intersection of Route 1 and Route 90 in Rockport was being replaced by the state some years ago, the Pathways Committee was prepared and able to advocate for inclusion of crosswalks and pedestrian landings in the design in order to keep open long-term opportunities to improve pedestrian access to Erikson Fields and the high school. 

The kinds of projects seen by the Pathways committee require a leader that is attentive to upcoming opportunities, capable of developing collaboration across town borders and with state agencies, and the sensitivity to recognize when improvements can and should be made and when the status quo is the better approach, just as much of the work of a Select Board member requires.  Geoff met all of those challenges, and did so with humility and a simple goal of improving the lives of town residents, nothing more.  

His considered, deliberative approach to civil service and leadership can also be seen through his choice to serve on the Budget Committee prior to considering a run for a seat on the Select Board.       

As a neighbor, Geoff has never hesitated to lend a hand when I’ve asked, from contributing to the relocation of the skatepark when the Teen Center closed in 2020, to helping me unload a U-Haul when my mother-in-law moved to Camden from Bucksport.  He has consistently volunteered in various ways in our community — as a coach at the high school, on trail maintenance crews, with the Restorative Justice Project, and with local organizations to maintain frequent opportunities to dance to live music in the Midcoast.  The fruit of this community involvement can be seen if you are lucky enough to join Geoff on a trail some time – you’ll find him bumping into an incredibly wide range of close connections, from twenty-somethings to his peers and beyond.  Thus, his understanding of the wide-range of challenges faced by Camden residents comes not just from having lived through various stages of life here, but by maintaining close connection with a large cross-section of current community members.

Geoff’s deep and wide knowledge of our community, his approach to leadership, and the community-servant mindset he brings to his civic work make him just the asset our Select Board needs at this moment.  

Wyatt McConnell lives in Camden