MEA State President, Wayne Cotterly is a resident of Poland Spring, Maine. He was born in Malden, Massachusetts, and raised in Melrose, Massachusetts. He moved to Maine in 1987 when he began work as a pilot for Bar Harbor Airlines. He is a member of the Lewiston Lodge of Elks #371 and has been since 1998.

He married Kathleen (Cashman) Cotterly in 1987 and together they have one son (Andrew) and one daughter (Erin).

After graduating from Melrose High School in 1979, Wayne attended Daniel Webster College in Nashua, NH, earning a degree in Aviation Management. He is qualified as an Airline Transport Pilot, and has worked as an Airline Captain for Bar Harbor Airlines, Eastern Express, and Contintental Express.

Though retired from the airline industry to take care of family, he has served his community for many years. Since 1988, he has served as a volunteer firefighter, EMT-I, Chief of Poland Rescue, Zoning Committee member, House Numbering & Street Naming Committee member, and on the Board of Selectmen. He currently serves as the town's Emergency Management Director, which he has done for the past 19 years.

In his private life, he enjoys spending time with is wife Kathleen, and supporting his son and daughter in their various activities which include the Boy Scouts, International Order of DeMolay for Boys, and the International Order of Rainbow for Girls. He has served as a Den Leader, Cub Master, and Troop Committee Chairman for Troop 125 in Poland. In addition, he has served as a Soccer & Baseball Coach for the Poland Youth League. He has served as Chapter Advisor of the Knight's of the Sun Chapter of Demolay in Auburn, and has served on the advisory board for the Lewiston Rainbow Assembly. In 2009, he served as Master of his Masonic Lodge in Mechanic Falls.

Wayne's involvement with the Elks began with his wife Kathleen and her father, who were both members of the Wakefield Elks Lodge in Wakefield, Massachusetts. At Kathleen's urging, he joined the nearby Lewiston Elks Lodge  #371 in 1998, and immediately began serving as an officer in the Loyal Knight's station. He served as Exalted Ruler of the Lodge in 2001-2002, as well as in several other positions since that time. He is currently serving as the Lodge Secretary.

In the Maine Elks Association, he was appointed as Co-Chairman of the Youthfest Committee in 2002, along with his wife Kathleen, who started the program the previous year under the name of Fantasy Day. Together, they served as chairs of the committee for seven years.

In 2003, he was appointed as the State's Public Relations Director by MEA State President James Ferland. During the year, which was highlighted by the installation of Amos McCallum as Grand Exalted Ruler, he brought the Maine Elks Association Public Relations program into the 21st Century, with the creation of an e-mail newsletter and the development of a website which has earned the State Association 5-Star recognition by the Grand Lodge. In addition, in May of 2004, he was recognized as the top State Public Relations Chairman in the country by the Grand Lodge Public Relations Committee, and also recognized as the Maine Elks Association's "Elk of the Year." Since that time, he has received the "Golden Mike Award," as top State Public Relations Chairman in Area 1 in 2008, 2009 and 2011.

In 2004, he was appointed to the position of Chairman of the Inter-Lodge Relations Committee, which later became the Lodge Activities Committee. Serving in this position until 2009.

Since 2005, he had served as the Central District Chairman for the Veterans/National Service Committee. He has also served as a volunteer at the Togus VA Medical Center since 2004, volunteering over 800 hours to help serve our nation's veterans. He and his wife Kathleen were also was recognized as Veteran Volunteers of the Year. Kathleen in 2002 and Wayne in 2005.

Wayne also has a passion for ritual, and has served on the Maine Elks Association Ritual Team for many years, competing in the Area 1 Past Exalted Ruler's Contests and Roulette Contests. Over the years, he has won various chairs eleven times, and has helped the Maine Elks Association capture the championship trophy several years in a row. He has also served as a ritual coach for the Augusta Elks Lodge for seven years, and has received the "Ritual Coach of the Year" award in 2005. He also serves as a word accuracy, computer, and floor judge.

In addition, he also serves on the State's Major Project Committee for the Maine Children's Cancer Program, and has done so since 2003. In 2004, he received the committee's "Tall Elk" Award for his work in support of children with cancer.  He also has served on the MEA State Convention Committee since 2006.

In 2006, he became District Deputy Grand Exalted Ruler for the Maine Central District, serving from 2006-2007.

Cotterly has also served as an officer of the Maine Elks Association . Serving as State Trustee in 2005 - 2006, and has served as Vice-President for the past three years.

Wayne's theme for this year is “Focused on Serving our Communities”

As a photographer must stay focused on his subject, so must the Elks stay focused on serving our communities. By staying actively involved in their communities, Maine Elks will become more visible, which will help with membership recruitment, establish a better relationship with the public, and demonstrate that Elks Care--Elks Share.

Wayne & Kathleen look forward to visiting each of the Lodges across the State, meeting the members of the association, and spreading the word that the Elks are alive and well in the Great State of Maine.

About the First Lady