Published in the August 14, 2018 edition.

By MARK SARDELLA

WAKEFIELD – It’s safe to say that growing up in Wakefield, Julie Dumont Rabinowitz never imagined that one day she’d be working as the Press Secretary and Senior Policy Advisor for the Governor of Maine. But in hindsight, it’s not all that surprising that the 1988 Wakefield High School graduate would one day land in a high-profile position involving a combination of politics and media.

Maine Governor Paul LePage appointed Rabinowitz as his Press Secretary last August. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Policy, Operations and Communication for the Maine Department of Labor.

As the Governor’s Press Secretary, she is responsible for working with the press and assisting in developing the Governor’s communications strategy as part of the Communications Team. Her job is to advance the administration’s priorities by increasing public awareness and understanding of these
issues in Maine and through national media coverage. As Senior Policy Advisor, Rabinowitz counsels Governor LePage on issues relating to defense, veterans and emergency management.

You might say that politics is in her blood.

Her mother, Joan Dumont, served on the Wakefield School Committee in the 1980s, when Julie was in high school. Joan’s uncle was once the mayor of Woburn. But more importantly, current events were always on the table in the White Avenue home of Robert and Joan Dumont as Julie was growing up.

“Both my parents followed what was going on in government, and we always watched the evening news and subscribed to several papers, including the Daily Item,” Rabinowitz says. “What was happening at all levels of government was always discussed at the dinner table.”

She can also trace her interest in media back to the television production classes she took at Wakefield Memorial High School.

“I also volunteered through Wakefield High School and WCAT to broadcast Town Meetings and School Committee meetings,” she recalls, “so I’ve had a long interest in covering public policy.”

That local cable TV experience gave her an early leg up in terms of understanding how media works.

“My work with WCAT and the high school TV studio also helped me with working with the press,” she says. “Most people have not had, until recently with the advent of live video streaming on social media, the opportunity to do live TV on a frequent basis. We had a ton of fun doing shows like “Trivia Live” back in the 1980s, but we learned a lot, too. Knowing what goes on behind the camera, and how it could be edited, helps you do better interviews and stage media events, like press conferences.”

Rabinowitz says that one of the things she likes best about her job is the variety of experiences that come with the territory.

“No day is the same, and I am always learning new things about public policy and the state of Maine,” she says. “I am also able to travel to events all over the state and meet a lot of wonderful residents. We have great team in the Governor’s Office and it is always wonderful to work with dedicated, smart and fun people.”

One of those smart, fun people is Governor LePage himself, who Rabinowitz says is very different from the way the media portrays him.

“The Governor is often seen on TV or in photos that capture his passion, but sometimes people interpret his passion or an unflattering photo as him being angry,” she observes. “He and the First Lady, Ann LePage, are down to earth and caring.”

She says that LePage tries to keep his staff engaged and entertained en route to and from events.

“The Governor has a passion for history and is a voracious reader,” Rabinowitz says. “When we are traveling to an event, he’ll often ask the staff accompanying him questions about the presidents and American history. Even though I’ve worked in two presidential libraries, I am frequently stumped — and when I look up the answer, he is always right!”

There are few dull moments on the job and Rabinowitz describes one of the more unusual episodes to occur during her tenure.

“The oddest incident in the year I’ve been here was a blogger who was in a press gaggle eating a chicken salad sandwich while the media interviewed Governor LePage,” Rabinowitz recalls. “It was an unusual encounter because some of the food came out of her mouth and landed on the Governor’s face and he gently pushed her aside. The TV stations put their videos of the incident on social media, and a lot of reporters made comments agreeing with the Governor’s actions, which is a rare occurrence. It was not funny at the time, but it’s funny now.”

Prior to working for the state of Maine, Rabinowitz taught communications and media studies at the University of Southern Maine and was an English instructor at Colby College. She also worked as business manager for the Maine Archives and Museums.

Rabinowitz has a B.A. in history from Marist College and master’s degree in communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has run her own freelance consulting firm providing editorial, research and nonfiction writing services for businesses, authors and scholars, with expertise in the humanities, social sciences and public policy.

Along the way, she married Seth Rabinowitz and became the mother of Sarah, age 16, and Daniel, age 12. The family lives in Falmouth, Maine, where Julie has served as president of the Board of Library Trustees. This volunteerism also has roots in her old hometown.

“One of my favorite places in Wakefield is the library,” she says. “I spent a lot of time there getting books, doing activities, researching for school projects and hanging out with my friends. I joined the board of the library in my town because of my fond memories and because I wanted to make sure that those opportunities are available for people in the town where I live.”

Rabinowitz notes that she is not the only one in Gov. LePage’s office who has a connection to Wakefield.

The Governor’s chief counsel is Madeline Melisa, whose mother, Ann Jason Kenney, grew up in Wakefield, attended St. Joseph’s School and graduated from Nazareth Academy, class of 1970. Madeline and her mom spent their summers in Wakefield visiting Ann’s parents, Madeline and James Jason of Hancock Road.

Rabinowitz still has fond memories of growing up in Wakefield and says that the education she received in Wakefield schools laid some of the groundwork for her future success.

“A lot of my job involves working under deadlines and a great deal of writing,” she says. “The timed writing assignments I had to do in English class with Diane Lind, and the research papers in U.S. History with Daniel Blanchard helped me to be a better writer in college and prepared me for a lot of the writing I do now.”