Dan A. Gwadosky (February 16, 1954 – August 10, 2011) was an American politician from

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...

. A

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

, Gwadosky was first elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1978 at the age of 23 and served there for 18 years as well as 8 years as

Secretary of State of Maine The secretary of state of Maine is a constitutional officer in the U.S. state of Maine and serves as the head of the Maine Department of State. The Secretary of State performs duties of both a legislative branch as well as an executive branch off ...

from 1997 to 2005.Former Secretary of State Dan Gwadosky dies at 57
''

Portland Press Herald The ''Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram'' is a morning daily newspaper with a website that serves southern Maine and is focused on the greater metropolitan area around Portland, Maine, in the United States. Founded in 1862, its roots e ...

'', August 11, 2011 Beginning in 2005, Gwadosky was appointed Director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations. He was

Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives The Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives is the speaker and presiding officer of the Maine House of Representatives, the lower house of the Maine Legislature. List of speakers {{Years in Maine * Maine Speakers Speaker may refer t ...

from 1994 to 1996.Bureau Director
Maine.gov

Personal and education

Gwadosky was born in Waterville, Maine and grew up in nearby

Fairfield, Maine Fairfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,484 at the 2020 census. The town includes Fairfield Center, Fairfield village and Hinckley, and borders the city of Waterville to the south. It is home to the ...

, where he attended Lawrence High School. He earned a B.S. in Management and a M.A. in Computer Technology from

Thomas College Thomas College is a private college in Waterville, Maine. It offers undergraduate and graduate degrees and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. As of Fall 2019 Thomas College currently enrolled 1,949 students; 1,819 w ...

in Waterville. He was married to Cheryl Norton, who works for

Sappi Sappi Limited, originally incorporated as ''South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limited'' in 1936, is a South African pulp and paper company with global operations. Products and operation South African Pulp and Paper Industries Limite ...

fine paper in Skowhegan.They have two children and lived in Augusta. Gwadosky died in August 2011 of pancreatic cancer.

References

1954 births 2011 deaths People from Fairfield, Maine Thomas College alumni Secretaries of State of Maine Speakers of the Maine House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Majority leaders of the Maine House of Representatives Deaths from cancer in Maine Deaths from pancreatic cancer {{Maine-politician-stub