Dottie Perham-Whittier sits Thursday afternoon at her desk in Lewiston City Hall. She announced this week she will be retiring after 42 years at City Hall. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal LEWISTON — Elected officials and city staff come and go, but Dottie Perham-Whittier has maintained a sense of continuity in the Lewiston administrator’s office since Ronald Reagan was president.
However, after 42 years at City Hall, Perham-Whittier announced her retirement this week from her role in the communications office and is still pondering her next move. Perham-Whittier, who will turn 63 next week, said she made the decision on Monday after “thinking and praying a lot” about it. Due to some well-earned vacation time, Friday will be her last day at City Hall.
“I just feel that, personally and professionally, it’s time for something new,” she said. “There’s been a lot of changes here and I think it’s time for me to seek a new adventure that I think will bring a lot of joy and happiness into my life.” Current and former colleagues in Lewiston described her Thursday as a driven employee who was willing to help where it was needed, and recognized her for years of mentoring young people.
She had already received flowers Thursday from someone who found out about the news. Perham-Whittier was hired by former city administrator Lucien Gosselin and started on Sept. 13, 1982.
Her position has evolved over the years, beginning as administrative secretary, and then shifting to administrative assistant, executive assistant, and then community relations coordinator. Two years ago, the city added a director of marketing and communications position, and Perham-Whittier’s title changed to communications coordinator. She’s worked with countless city councilors, city administrators, deputy administrators and other staff.
Mayor Carl Sheline is the 14th mayor she’s worked with at City Hall. The first was Paul Dionne, who just recently spoke at a Lewiston Youth Advisory Council event. Perham-Whittier, who helped create the youth council program and has served as its advisor since it began in 2001, said it felt like a “full circle” moment.
The youth council, she said, has likely been her most rewarding experience at City Hall. “That’s been a highlight of my career, to watch young people come up with ideas to enhance their city and then really do something about it,” she said. “It’s just been a joy to see the growth within the youth in the city of Lewiston.
” Many of the youth council members keep in touch with her after they’ve gone on to college or careers. She’s already heard from three of them regarding her decision to retire. Ed Barrett, who was city administrator for a large portion of Perham-Whittier’s time at City Hall, said Thursday that Perham-Whittier is “one of the kindest, most helpful individuals I have had the honor to work with.
” “She was always prepared to take on any task and, through her work with the Youth Advisory Council, she mentored many future community leaders,” he said. “City Hall will never be the same without her. She will be missed.
” Dottie Perham-Whittier, center, poses May 11, 2016, with members of Lewiston Youth Advisory Council after their presentation at the Lewiston Public Library. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file During her many years at City Hall, Perham-Whittier led several successful projects and annual programs and events. She helped get the state’s first universally accessible playground — Jude’s Place at Marcotte Park — built in Lewiston; led the Twin Cities’ holiday celebration for years; co-chaired the L-A CA$H coalition, which offered free tax preparation; and helped the city achieve its “All-America City” designation in 2007.
She worked with Auburn staff on the state’s bicentennial parade; led the former “shining stars” program that highlighted young people in the community; and has worked with elected officials on several ad hoc committees as well as the Lewiston Area Public Health Committee. She said her time on that committee has “ignited a real love and understanding” of the recovery community for those recovering from opioid addiction. In 2003 — in her 21st year with the city — she received a United Way award for her work with youth in the community.
Liz Allen, who as director of communications in Auburn has worked alongside Perham-Whittier on several projects, said Perham-Whittier’s “dedication, hard work and sincere love for her community have impacted our region beyond measure. She will be deeply missed by her municipal friends and colleagues and most certainly by our community.” While Perham-Whittier has countless positive memories from her time in Lewiston, she’s been there long enough to remember some tragedies as well.
However, she said even during dark times Lewiston has always been a community that comes together when it needs to. That includes in the days following Sept. 11, 2001, she said, when she put together a community gathering in Kennedy Park, and of course, this past October following the shooting.
“I think everybody witnessed the love and support of each other in this community,” she said. Mayor Carl Sheline said Perham-Whittier is essentially “the face” of Lewiston City Hall. “Dottie is always a shining light in my day, and I will miss her terribly,” he said.
Dottie Perham-Whittier, center left, holds her phone before taking photos April 12, 2016, with Tree Street Youth members, parents, leaders and members of the public during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new addition to the Tree Street Youth facility in downtown Lewiston. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal file Phil Nadeau, the former deputy city administrator, worked with Perham-Whittier for his entire 18-year tenure at City Hall. He said he first met her in the early 1990s when he was doing an internship.
Then, in 1999, he was hired as the deputy administrator. “I had 18 years in that office and there’s no doubt that she was the administrative glue that ran that office,” he said, “Everyone depended on her, from administrators to elected officials.” He said once additional staff came on board in the administrator’s office, Perham-Whittier was able to focus on other projects, like “shining stars” and the youth council.
But, he said, while elected officials or staff can create an exciting new program, “someone has to run it.” “You can’t do something that was as successful as those without the work and the attention that she gave to those programs,” he said. “It’s hard for me to imagine anyone else being given that responsibility and generating those kind of results.
” Perham-Whittier was born in Lewiston and has lived in either Auburn or Lewiston her entire life. Next week she’ll use vacation time to spend some time on the Maine coast. After that, she said, she’s “just going to see what happens.
” On Thursday, she said she had received some “beautiful emails” from people she’s worked with over the years. “It’s just been very touching to receive such kind comments,” she said. “I’m going to miss a lot of people.
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