WHEREAS,  it is with great sadness that We, the Members of the 127th Legislature, now assembled in the First Regular Session, take this opportunity to honor the memory of the Honorable Millicent M. MacFarland, known as Millie, who served the Maine House of Representatives as a dedicated public servant for many years; and

WHEREAS,  Ms. MacFarland was born in Augusta, Maine and was educated in Whitefield schools, graduated from Erskine Academy in South China in 1974 and attended Thomas College and the University of Maine at Augusta, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration; and

WHEREAS,  Ms. MacFarland served the Maine House of Representatives in various capacities for over 30 years, including 8 years as Assistant Clerk of the House of Representatives and service in the distinguished position of Clerk of the House of Representatives from 2000 to 2010 and from 2013 to 2014; and

WHEREAS,  as Clerk of the House of Representatives, Ms. MacFarland worked closely with the Speaker of the House on issues of parliamentary procedure and administrative matters ranging from scheduling to developing personnel policies of House employees and oversaw the daily operations and workflow of the House under the direction of the Speaker of the House; and

WHEREAS,  among her many professional contributions, on the national level Ms. MacFarland was elected by her peers to serve in every leadership post of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, including service as President in 2009, and in 1995 she became the first editor of the Journal of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries, a publication that discusses topics such as parliamentary procedures, management and technology in state legislatures; and

WHEREAS,  Ms. MacFarland was a member of the Mason's Manual Commission, which is a commission entrusted with the copyright of the premier guide on legislative procedure used by legislatures in the United States; and

WHEREAS,  Ms. MacFarland received the Legislative Staff Achievement Award from the National Conference of State Legislatures for her dedicated and excellent service to the Maine Legislature in 1996, the first year the award was given; and

WHEREAS,  from 1996 to 2002, Ms. MacFarland served as either permanent secretary or parliamentarian for the Maine Democratic Party State Convention, and she was active on the Maine Legislative Memorial Scholarship Committee and the Joseph W. Mayo ALS Scholarship Committee; and

WHEREAS,  throughout Ms. MacFarland's tenure, she served with honor and distinction and displayed unfailing professionalism, integrity and expertise, and she exemplified the dedicated public servant with her commitment to the Maine Legislature and to the State of Maine; now, therefore, be it