Rosa Scarcelli
Rosa Scarcelli announced today that she is a candidate for governor in the Maine Democratic Primary.
Scarcelli, 39, the owner and CEO of Stanford Management that provides quality, affordable housing in more than 30 Maine communities, declared her candidacy by filing papers with the Maine Secretary of State’s office.
At the same time, the campaign launched a website at www.RosaForMaine.com that includes an announcement video by the candidate, also available on YouTube.
“Maine people want change,” Scarcelli said, “and if we want change, we have to change who we send to Augusta.”
A native of Wilton, Scarcelli said she wants to use her business skills to help create a better climate in Maine for job creation and growth. “Like nearly all states across the country, Maine’s economy is suffering from the national recession and as a result, state government is facing a severe fiscal crisis,” she says. “It’s going to require efficient management of state government in order to have the resources we need to invest in education, health care, transportation and alternative energy so Maine businesses can expand and we can grow new jobs.”
Scarcelli said her experience building a successful business that employs 65 people in Maine and a total of 100 people in four states distinguishes her from her opponents. “The Democrats running for governor are all good people with the best intentions,” she said. “But they are all veterans of Augusta. They’ve had their chance and now it’s time for a change. We need new faces, fresh ideas and an outside perspective if we’re going to get this economy moving and put Maine people back to work. That’s why I’m running for governor.”
Throughout her career, she has adopted the philosophy of “doing well by doing good,” the same philosophy she intends to bring to managing state government. Her company provides quality, affordable housing to thousands of people, including single moms, veterans, elderly and disabled people in mostly rural Maine communities including Madawaska, Skowhegan, Farmington, Bethel and Old Orchard Beach.
Before becoming President and CEO of Stanford Management, Scarcelli was owner and President of DE Property Management LLC and Development Director for Landmark America LLC, an industry leading multi-family real estate Development Company. Today, she continues to build Stanford’s portfolio and was featured last year as one of the top 50 Affordable Housing Owners in the nation by Affordable Housing Magazine.
Scarcelli attended the University of Maine and graduated from Bowdoin College. Last year she served on the New England Finance Committee for Barack Obama. She is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO), the Women’s International Network of YPO, the International Women’s Forum and the Maine Women’s Forum. She has served as a Board Member of Ingraham, a non-profit social service and mental health care provider, where she received the 2004 Outstanding Leadership Award, and a Board Member of the Waynflete School, the Alumni Council and Annual Fund Chair.
Scarcelli was recently named to the Aspen Institute’s 2009 Henry Crown Fellowship Program, one of 20 “emerging leaders” across the country from business, politics and the arts whose past recipients have included Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell.
She lives in Portland with her husband Thom and three children ages 12, 9 and 8.
