| 02 June 2010
“I’m blessed to be working for this cool town.” said Carolyn “Carol” M. Tukey, Harpswell Town Planner, in a recent interview. “It’s a breath of fresh air.”
Carol was born in Boston and grew up in Portland. She likes baseball, and has the honor of being the first female in the Portland baseball farm league, at the age of nine.
“I wasn’t trying to make a statement.” she said. “I just wanted to play.”
Carol’s education and professional accomplishments are impressive. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal and Veterinary Science from the University of Maine, and a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy and Management from the Edmund S. Muskie Institute for Public Affairs, University of Southern Maine.
Carol has twelve years experience in management, fifteen in community land use policy and planning, research experience, Maine State Planning Office Municipal Code Enforcement Officers training, legal issues and enforcement techniques, and has taken courses covering diverse subjects, including, GIS, marine law, subdivision and land development review, general zoning decisions, planning codes for municipalities, and shoreland zoning.
Carol has many interests, and a zest for life, and has traveled an adventurous career path to Harpswell.
“I always wanted to work in oceanography or marine biology.” Carol said. “I thought it would be a nice thing to do. I saw an ad for a chemical oceanographic technician for Bigelow Labs in Boothbay Harbor and applied for it.”
She got the job, and in addition to other duties, spent seven weeks in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Tahiti, participating in a global study of oceans. The grant funding for her position ended two years later.
“I was more interested with how the ocean was contaminated than the measurements of the nutrients.” Carol said. “So, I began to search through college catalogues, found a University of Maryland marine policy and planning course, and knew that was the face of my career.”
She began working in antibody production at Ventrex in Portland, and entered graduate school at the Muskie Institute at USM. While there, Carol enjoyed the planning classes and knew they were the most direct route to the career she wanted.
Carol later became the Planning Assistant for the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment in Augusta. She created and co-wrote the Gulf of Maine Debris Committee Grants Program to fund facilities and public awareness projects in the Gulf of Maine region.
In 1994, Carol was the Planning Assistant at the Maine State Planning Office, Maine Coastal Program. She created and conducted an extensive survey of Portland waterfront businesses, and developed, co-wrote and produced a brochure on plastics and cardboard recycling for the city.
From 1996 to 2008, Carol worked as Assistant to the Planner and Building Inspector for the Town of Cumberland, Zoning Officer/Planner for the Township of Middletown, PA., Director of Planning and Economic Development Department for the Township of Montgomery, PA., and Assistant Planner, Town of Topsham.
There were several jobs open at the same time, but Carol applied for the planner position in Harpswell because it was the closest one to her goals for “the right fit”, interesting projects, and proximity to the water.
She will never forget the way her job began on December 31, 2008. She left Freeport at 6a.m. in a serious blizzard and travelled 20 mph over roads that were unplowed, until she got to Brunswick.
“This is nuts, I said to myself, but it’s my first day, so I’m going.” Carol said. “It was hilarious! When I got to the town office, no one was there.”
Kristi Eiane, Harpswell Town Administrator, arrived a short while later, and after Carol signed paperwork, they left around 9:30a.m.
As town planner, Carol’s job description is extensive. She is responsible for reviewing Planning Board applications and gives technical assistance and advice to the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, and other town boards and committees, town staff, property owners, developers, engineers, and consultants. She holds training workshops for town boards, attends monthly Planning Board meetings and numerous other committee, board, professional, and regional meetings, in addition to continuing education classes.
Carol researches, designs, and implements short-term and long-term planning projects, makes recommendations for revisions to the town ordinances, writes and submits grant applications, works with federal, state, county, and local agencies, and reviews and prepares revisions to the Comprehensive Plan.
Carol’s main goal regarding her role in Harpswell government is to continue assisting town officials, staff, and board and committee members in reviewing and refining land use and marine projects and ordinances, addressing environmental impact concerns, and planning for a great future for the town.
In her free time, Carol likes to spend time with her niece and nephews, as well as reading, downhill skiing, and fishing. She enjoys the natural beauty of Harpswell and getting to know folks here.
“Harpswell has the best volunteers of any place I’ve worked in.” said Carol. “The town would never be able to accomplish all it has if it wasn’t for them. It’s a town wide effort.”
Carol can be reached at the town office at #207- 833-5771, ext. 127 and via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
"I'm blessed to be working for this cool town." said Carolyn "Carol" M. Tukey, Harpswell Town Planner, in a recent interview. "It's a breath of fresh air."
Carol was born in Boston and grew up in Portland. She likes baseball, and has the honor of being the first female in the Portland baseball farm league, at the age of nine.
"I wasn't trying to make a statement." she said. "I just wanted to play."
Carol's education and professional accomplishments are impressive. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Animal and Veterinary Science from the University of Maine, and a Master of Arts Degree in Public Policy and Management from the Edmund S. Muskie Institute for Public Affairs, University of Southern Maine.
Carol has twelve years experience in management, fifteen in community land use policy and planning, research experience, Maine State Planning Office Municipal Code Enforcement Officers training, legal issues and enforcement techniques, and has taken courses covering diverse subjects, including, GIS, marine law, subdivision and land development review, general zoning decisions, planning codes for municipalities, and shoreland zoning.
Carol has many interests, and a zest for life, and has traveled an adventurous career path to Harpswell.
"I always wanted to work in oceanography or marine biology." Carol said. "I thought it would be a nice thing to do. I saw an ad for a chemical oceanographic technician for Bigelow Labs in Boothbay Harbor and applied for it."
She got the job, and in addition to other duties, spent seven weeks in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Tahiti, participating in a global study of oceans. The grant funding for her position ended two years later.
"I was more interested with how the ocean was contaminated than the measurements of the nutrients." Carol said. "So, I began to search through college catalogues, found a University of Maryland marine policy and planning course, and knew that was the face of my career."
She began working in antibody production at Ventrex in Portland, and entered graduate school at the Muskie Institute at USM. While there, Carol enjoyed the planning classes and knew they were the most direct route to the career she wanted.
Carol later became the Planning Assistant for the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment in Augusta. She created and co-wrote the Gulf of Maine Debris Committee Grants Program to fund facilities and public awareness projects in the Gulf of Maine region.
In 1994, Carol was the Planning Assistant at the Maine State Planning Office, Maine Coastal Program. She created and conducted an extensive survey of Portland waterfront businesses, and developed, co-wrote and produced a brochure on plastics and cardboard recycling for the city.
From 1996 to 2008, Carol worked as Assistant to the Planner and Building Inspector for the Town of Cumberland, Zoning Officer/Planner for the Township of Middletown, PA., Director of Planning and Economic Development Department for the Township of Montgomery, PA., and Assistant Planner, Town of Topsham.
There were several jobs open at the same time, but Carol applied for the planner position in Harpswell because it was the closest one to her goals for "the right fit", interesting projects, and proximity to the water.
She will never forget the way her job began on December 31, 2008. She left Freeport at 6a.m. in a serious blizzard and travelled 20 mph over roads that were unplowed, until she got to Brunswick.
"This is nuts, I said to myself, but it's my first day, so I'm going." Carol said. "It was hilarious! When I got to the town office, no one was there."
Kristi Eiane, Harpswell Town Administrator, arrived a short while later, and after Carol signed paperwork, they left around 9:30a.m.
As town planner, Carol's job description is extensive. She is responsible for reviewing Planning Board applications and gives technical assistance and advice to the Board of Selectmen, Planning Board, and other town boards and committees, town staff, property owners, developers, engineers, and consultants. She holds training workshops for town boards, attends monthly Planning Board meetings and numerous other committee, board, professional, and regional meetings, in addition to continuing education classes.
Carol researches, designs, and implements short-term and long-term planning projects, makes recommendations for revisions to the town ordinances, writes and submits grant applications, works with federal, state, county, and local agencies, and reviews and prepares revisions to the Comprehensive Plan.
Carol's main goal regarding her role in Harpswell government is to continue assisting town officials, staff, and board and committee members in reviewing and refining land use and marine projects and ordinances, addressing environmental impact concerns, and planning for a great future for the town.
In her free time, Carol likes to spend time with her niece and nephews, as well as reading, downhill skiing, and fishing. She enjoys the natural beauty of Harpswell and getting to know folks here.
"Harpswell has the best volunteers of any place I've worked in." said Carol. "The town would never be able to accomplish all it has if it wasn't for them. It's a town wide effort."
Carol can be reached at the town office at #207- 833-5771, ext. 127 and via e-mail at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.