Maine Policy Review, a leading peer-reviewed journal focusing on policy analysis and research in Maine, is excited to announce an afternoon panel discussion with Rhiannon Hampson, Shelley Megquire, David Vail, Ann Acheson, Dora Ann Mills, and Tora Johnson, to celebrate MPR’s special issue on rural Maine at the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Skowhegan, Maine, on May 20, 2026, at 3 p.m.

Rhiannon Hampson, Vice President for Economic Development, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, will discuss her essay, “The Case for Rural Prosperity.” Hampson believes that when rural America prospers, the whole country does better.

Shelley Megquier, Director of Policy and Research, Maine Farmland Trust, will discuss the commentary “Maine’s Farms and Farmland: The Foundation of a Rural Future,” which argues that if we want to keep Maine’s working lands working, we must see farmland protection and farm business viability as two sides of the same coin.

David Vail, Professor of Economics Emeritus, Bowdoin College, & Ann Acheson, former Research Associate at Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center, will discuss “The "Two Maines" Revisited,” in which they present statistical indicators of change in rim county demographics, economics, and personal well-being and highlight stories of revitalization in Skowhegan and the Moosehead Lake region.

Dora Ann Mills, Chief Health Improvement Officer, MaineHealth, will discuss “Maine’s Rural Maternity Crisis: A Policy Agenda,” in which she describes Maine’s worsening rural maternity crisis driven by the closure of hospital maternity units and deteriorating maternal health and offers evidence-informed policy solutions.

Tora Johnson, Director, Sustainable Prosperity Initiative, Sunrise County Economic Council, will discuss “Challenges and Opportunities for Climate Action in Rural Maine,” a project that sought to engage with rural Maine residents, particularly those experiencing poverty, aging in place, participating in municipal government, or operating small businesses to inform the Maine Climate Plan of 2025.

Maine Policy Review publishes timely, independent, peer-reviewed analysis of public policy issues relevant to the state of Maine. The journal is published two times per year by the Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center at the University of Maine and the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation.