Gov. Mills nominates 1st woman to lead Maine National Guard

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Retired Army Brig. Gen. Dianne Dunn was nominated Friday to become the first woman to serve as the state’s adjutant general, leader of the Maine National Guard, following the retirement of Maj. Gen Douglas Farnham.

Democratic Gov. Janet Mills said Dunn’s previous service at the highest levels of the Maine National Guard make her uniquely qualified to return to lead it. In her role, she would also lead the Maine Bureau of Veterans Services and the Maine Emergency Management Agency. Her nomination must be confirmed by the Maine Senate.

Farnum, meanwhile, will retire after nearly 40 years of dedicated military service, a career that included a stint as commander of the 101st Air Refueling Wing of the Maine Air National Guard in Bangor.

Dunn has served as a senior advisor and chief of staff to the president of the University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias since retiring from the National Guard in 2021.

Dunn previously served as assistant adjutant general and chief of staff for the Maine National Guard. She was the first woman to command a brigade in the Maine guard.