York County Commissioner Justin Chenette has been named Maine County Commissioner of the Month for May 2025 in honor of his public service by Spirit of America Foundation’s Maine Chapter.
 
Justin was elected commissioner in 2022 and served a term as the Commission’s Vice Chair. As the first Millennial and openly LGBTQ+ individual ever elected to the York County Commission, Chenette led the effort to pass the first ever Pride Proclamation in the county’s history.
 
On the Commission, he played a pivotal role in historic investments for substance use recovery and first responder training by committing funds and directing the start of construction for two state-of-the-art centers using ARPA money. He also supported efforts for the county to operationalize a regional dredge to protect coastal communities.
 
“The work we do at the county level is meaningful and impactful,” says Chenette. “I share this recognition with my fellow commissioners in our efforts to ensure county level government provides real leadership on big issues like coastal erosion, homelessness, substance use recovery, and public safety.”​
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Aside from the Commission, Chenette serves as a state appointee on Maine’s Right to Know Advisory Committee, is an executive committee member of the Southern Maine Planning & Development Commission, and visits youth groups to promote civics education.
 
Justin created the Chenette Scholarship Fund, which has awarded nearly 30 college scholarships to graduating high school seniors over the past decade who have demonstrated civic minded leadership in their communities.
 
He previously served as a member of the Maine House of Representatives from 2012-2016 and of the Maine Senate from 2016-2020, representing the Saco area. At age 17, he became the first student member of the Maine Board of Education. 
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Maine Spirit of America is a chapter of Spirit of America Foundation, an organization promoting community service. For more info, visit https://spiritofamerica.website.

WMTW Channel 8: Maine residents who visited Rome before Pope Francis' death find news 'hard to process'

​It was a trip of a lifetime for Justin Chenette and his husband, Eduard. The Chenettes did a two-week bus tour in Italy and found themselves in the middle of Rome's St. Peter's Square.

​"Just to be in Vatican City for Holy Week and Easter Weekend, it was just a surreal feeling," Chenette said.

Chenette and his husband have plenty of pictures from their tour of Italy. Little did they know last weekend how special this trip would be.

They spent part of Holy Week in Rome. Good Friday and the Saturday before Easter.

"We were seeing all of the setup to the pope's arrival for Easter Sunday, and as a result, there were a ton of people, you could not move in that Basilica. You could not move in Vatican City. I mean, it was wall-to-wall people. I can only imagine what it was like on Easter itself," Chenette said. "It was just a beautiful experience to be able to go up into the Vatican dome."

Mainebiz has named York County Commissioner Justin Chenette to their 40 Under 40 list, which highlights the next generation of leaders. 
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This is the third year the outlet has published a list of individuals they deem as Maine’s ‘up-and-comers who are changing Maine and the economy for the better.’ 

“My purpose-driven adventures spanning media, government, nonprofit management, and communications have all led me to this moment to make the biggest impact in my community and for our state,” says Chenette. “This helps fuel the next chapter of my story.”

Chenette accepted the award at a ceremony at Brick South on Thompson’s Point last month, where they recognized his efforts professionally at Sweetser, as their Senior Director of Public Relations & Advancement, and his years in public service.

Chenette was elected to the Maine House of Representatives at age 21, the Maine Senate at age 25, and to the York County Commission at age 31, each time becoming the youngest or the only openly LGBTQ+ individual to serve. He began his career as the first student member on the Maine State Board of Education at age 17, after being appointed by Governor Baldacci.
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One of the questions Mainebiz asked in their profile was where does Chenette see himself at age 60. His response? “I hope to be giving back in a way that’s impactful, purpose-driven, and meaningfully improves the lives of others. Service is in my blood. It’s a part of who I am.”

Profiles of award recipients are available online at Mainebiz.biz. See Chenette's profile below.​

Three area high school students have been awarded a total of $1,500 in college scholarships from the Chenette Scholarship Fund.

The foundation’s Leadership Scholarship is awarded each year to students at Thornton Academy, Old Orchard Beach High School, and Bonny Eagle who exemplify qualities of community leadership and civic engagement. This year’s recipients are Tyler MacVane, Derrick Webber, and Gregory Brunk.

​“Their passion for helping others is truly their authentic form of self-expression,” said Justin Chenette, York County Commissioner and founder of the scholarship. “No matter their chosen path in life, their futures will involve making a difference and improving the quality of life of those around them.”

Tyler MacVane of Saco is this year’s recipient at Thornton Academy. Tyler received this award recognizing his efforts volunteering in the community with various causes and working his way to become an Eagle Scout. His Eagle Scout involved building picnic tables for community members to enjoy. Tyler takes the time to appreciate the service of others through efforts like Honor Flight Maine, Wreaths Across America, and placing American flags at Laurel Hill Cemetery for Memorial Day. He will be attending Southern Maine Community College this Fall.
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Derrick Webber is the scholarship recipient this year from Old Orchard Beach High School. Impressively, Derrick completed at least 130 hours of community service over his time in school for various causes, including volunteering with the school’s Interact club. He has helped out at community events organized by the town’s recreation department, and he participated in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), which is an intensive leadership experience organized by Rotary clubs where students develop skills as a leader. All while being an all-star athlete on the field and on the court. Derrick will be attending Maine Maritime Academy for Power Engineering Technology this August. 

Gregory Brunk of Buxton is Bonny Eagle High School’s scholarship recipient. This recognizes his efforts volunteering through his church and youth group as well as his commitment to his studies with a 4.0 grade point average. He also excelled in sports, placing 3rd in the state championship for wrestling. Gregory will be attending Maine Maritime Academy later this summer for marine engineering, with hopes of applying his knowledge to working on various ships.
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Since 2015, the Chenette Scholarship Fund has provided over $12,000 worth of college scholarship awards to students at Thornton Academy, Old Orchard Beach High School, and Bonny Eagle. Learn more about the scholarship at www.ChenetteScholarships.org. 

SACO AREA – Four area high school students have been awarded a total of $2,000 in college scholarships from the Chenette Scholarship Fund.

The mission of their Leadership Scholarship is to empower the generation of community leaders through service. Since 2015, the foundation has fundraised and awarded over $10,000 worth of scholarships. This year’s recipients are Elise MacNair, Cole Cochrane, Ben Moore, and Luke Plummer.

“I am constantly in awe and so very proud of our scholars,” said Justin Chenette, the foundation’s founder & executive director. “This group isn’t waiting around to make their mark. These young leaders have demonstrated a clear commitment to giving back and will continue inspiring others as they chart new ways of taking up the mantle of leadership.”

SACO/OOB – Four area students have been awarded a total of $2,000 in leadership scholarships from the Chenette Scholarship Fund.
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The mission of scholarship is to empower the generation of community leaders.