Two candidates are running for the three-year Boothbay Harbor selectman’s seat currently held by Wendy Wolf. The term will run from May 2015 until May of 2018.

The candidates are Wolf, who is running again after winning the seat as a one-year term in 2014, and challenger Rendle Jones.

Wolf, 63, has lived in Boothbay Harbor since 2001 and works in Augusta as the founding president and CEO of the Maine Health Access Foundation, the state's largest private organization working for the benefit of uninsured and under-insured Maine residents.

“I have enjoying getting involved in town issues and I respect my fellow selectmen,” Wolf said. “They, and others, work extremely hard to help the town and I enjoy hearing from townspeople who are willing to speak their mind about important issues.”

Wolf is eager to continue the collaboration with Boothbay on the Joint Economic Development Committee and said she is committed to the project.

“We've hit a little snag with Jim (Chaousis) leaving, but we will continue to work together to build the economic strength of both towns.”

Wolf says that economic development is still her “primary focus” for her next term, which also ties in with several other projects and the adoption of the newest comprehensive plan, which will be voted on at the upcoming town meeting.

“There are a lot of things in the plan that are worth having discussions about, such as making the town more energy-efficient and adding more walkable areas,” Wolf said. “These projects play into economic development, making the town a more desirable place to live and work.”

Wolf states that technology is an important part of economic development.

“With current technology, place (where we are located) is less important than the capacity to be connected for businesses,” Wolf said.

Wolf also hopes that Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor can work together to advance both their comprehensive plans, as she states they are “very similar.”

Wolf encourages all members of the community to get involved with the town.

“The only way anything will happen is if people roll up their sleeves and become engaged,” Wolf said. I'm delighted younger people are stepping up to the plate and joining the different town boards. What I want to do is make this town an even better place for those people 10 and 20 years younger than I.”

Wolf is a board member of the Maine Community Foundation and is a national board member of the Grantmakers In Health, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping foundations and corporate giving programs improve the health of all people. She received a master’s degree in public health from Harvard in 1998 and worked as a pediatric cardiologist for 20 years.

In July of 2014, Maine Magazine listed Wolf as one of the “50 Mainers Shaping our State” for her work at the foundation, especially her leadership and educational initiatives for Mainers navigating the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace.

Wolf's challenger, Rendle Jones, is 44 years old and a native of Boothbay Harbor.

“It's my turn to give back to the community,” Jones said. “I'm very interested in local politics and I read the paper religiously and listen to different opinions. I think I could bring useful opinions to the process.”

Jones is looking to bring the four communities of the peninsula together to make the region more attractive to families.

“This needs to be a good place to live and raise kids,” Jones said. “Current projections show our population decreasing by 40 percent over the next 20 years. If all of us — Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Southport and Edgecomb — don't come together in collaboration, that won't change. It's essential for the survival of the region.”

Jones also hopes to give voice to business owners who live out of the region due to the high costs of living, but still pay taxes in town because that is where their businesses are located.

“I'm a smart guy; I do my homework and if the people choose me I will use my resources to represent them,” Jones said.

Jones understands the struggles of the people who live in Boothbay Harbor year-round.

“I work three jobs to make ends meet, and that's not unusual around here,” Jones said. “I share a one-bedroom apartment with a roommate. This is also typical. Everybody around here, even those in the upper-middle class, struggles. We need to bring real jobs to the area.”

“My generation needs to step up and make this happen,” Jones said. “The more people we can help with progress, the better. The future starts today.”

Jones graduated from Boothbay Region High School in 1990 and served as treasurer of his class for all four years of high school. He is on the board of trustees for the Methodist Church, served on the Comprehensive Planning board committee for one year during its beginning phases. He has been in a variety of jobs, including working at Irving, being a cab driver, at working with electronics. Currently he is working on upgrading the camera systems at both Boothbay Region schools.

Voting will take place on Friday, May 1. Polls open at 8 a.m. Town Meeting will be held the next morning at 9 a.m. at the Boothbay Region Elementary School.