This article is part of our Guide to Harpswell’s 2026 Town Meeting. Click here to read more.
Harpswell Select Board candidate Ellen Glew said she wants the town’s decision-making to be more inclusive and responsive to resident feedback.
Glew, of Great Island, is an entrepreneur and former educator from Massachusetts who became a seasonal Harpswell resident in 2002 and a full-time resident in 2021. She is running against Select Board Chair Kevin Johnson, who is seeking his fifth term on the board.
Glew said inclusive leadership means more direct, respectful engagement with residents, especially those most affected by town proposals. She favors more direct notification to abutters, clearer responses to concerns, timely publication of meeting minutes, and exploring the use of online forums to encourage public dialogue.
Glew cited as a recent example the ongoing dispute between abutters and town leaders about a proposal to improve public access to a state-owned parcel at Clark Cove.
“A couple of the abutters said they were never notified of meetings where they could voice their concerns,” she said. “The response given to them was that the meetings were announced in the (Harpswell) Anchor. I would suggest that in situations like this, all abutters should receive in advance written notices from (the Town Office) about the times and dates of such meetings.”
Glew said she ultimately favors improving access to the site, as long as it’s done in a “respectful, noninvasive way.”
Glew experienced her own frustrations with town government while opposing a referendum to borrow up to $6 million to build a municipal fire and rescue station on Mountain Road. Glew had argued that the proposal, which voters ultimately approved, needed more study.
Glew said she enjoys researching local issues and was involved in such efforts in her previous community. “I believe in the value of research and analysis,” she said.
As a board member, Glew said she would push for the development of a long-term fire and rescue plan to ensure residents’ emergency needs continue to be met well into the future.
A former professor of German with a doctorate from Harvard University, Glew later worked in international marketing and founded a trade show company before becoming a part-time employee benefits consultant. She also raised two daughters as a single mom.
Her local volunteer experience includes the Harpswell Heritage Land Trust, Harpswell Anchor, Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program and the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department board. She also serves on the department’s Strategic Planning Committee.
Glew said she is not wealthy and shares affordability concerns common among many Harpswell residents. She has volunteered to serve on the board of a planned nonprofit housing trust focused on attainable options for local workers, families and older residents.
“I’m hoping we get more children in town by making housing more affordable for young families,” she said.
Glew said she is also concerned about preserving Harpswell’s unique character, including its fishing industry. She supports local shellfish harvesters and suggested a voluntary program encouraging landowners to provide shoreline access.
Glew said the word that best describes her leadership philosophy is “inclusion.” To her, that means considering residents’ opinions and feelings — especially those directly affected — in addition to looking at research and facts.
One major issue on the horizon is whether to potentially spend millions renovating the town’s aging elementary school, or close the school and send Harpswell students to Topsham or another nearby town.
Glew, who describes herself as an advocate for careful and responsible use of taxpayer dollars, said she favors keeping the school if it makes financial sense.
“If we can do that economically, I am for preserving and renovating that building and keeping the kids in town,” she said.
Editor’s note: Ellen Glew volunteers with the Anchor as part of a team that assists with mailings and distribution, among other tasks. This team does not direct or review news coverage. The Anchor does not endorse candidates for office.
