Arthur Padilla has been named the new executive director for the ACLU of Maine. His first day in the office will be Nov 7.
“Arthur brings passion, commitment and decades of experience in advocacy to the ACLU of Maine,” said Jodi Nofsinger, ACLU of Maine board president. “He has a proven track record of non-profit leadership, policy development and leading strategic initiatives. Arthur’s advocacy and hard work have made countless lives better. We’re excited to have him on board and believe that he is the best person to lead our organization in our work on criminal legal reform, racial justice, voting rights and protecting the rights of marginalized people.”
Padilla (he/him/they) was born in Santa Fe, NM, and his career has taken him to Arizona, Washington State, Alaska and Washington, DC, where he has led organizations working to improve conditions for incarcerated people, managed emergency preparedness for COVD-19 and advised the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and the Alaska Humanities Forum. He has also been the interim executive director for ROOTS Young Adult Shelter, president and CEO of Rosehedge/Multifaith Works and executive director of the Sexual Minority Youth Assistance League.
“The ACLU of Maine is a leader on many of the issues that I care deeply about, including protecting LGBTQ youth, reimagining our broken criminal legal system, abortion rights, and racial and social justice. I’m excited for the opportunity to build upon the incredible work of this organization and its excellent staff, members and supporters,” Padilla said. “Maine and our country face serious challenges, not the least of which is the ongoing threat to democracy. I’m proud to be a part of this important work.”
