Governor Mills appointed Samantha Horn as Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs in October 2024. Horn has three decades of experience in policy, planning and science, including consulting on public stakeholder engagement, policy work, and planning and siting for development projects. Prior to starting her consulting business, she was the director of science for The Nature Conservancy in Maine and worked in state natural resource agencies for nearly 20 years, including more than a decade in leadership roles at the Maine Land Use Planning Commission.
Horn has a Master’s Degree in the Human Dimensions of Fish and Wildlife Conservation from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Bachelor’s degree in biology and English literature from Washington University in St. Louis. Her interests include rural community capacity, renewable energy siting practice, and integrated policy development. Horn was formerly on the boards of directors of the Maine Association of Planners, GrowSmart Maine, and the Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund.
