Laura A. Fortman (born 1954) is an American government employee, non-profit executive, and

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

activist. Since 2013 she has served as deputy administrator of the

Wage and Hour Division The Wage and Hour Division (WHD) of the United States Department of Labor is the federal office responsible for enforcing federal labor laws. The Division was formed with the enactment of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. The Wage and Hour m ...

at the

United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemploym ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Previously she was commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor, and executive director of the

Frances Perkins Frances Perkins (born Fannie Coralie Perkins; April 10, 1880 – May 14, 1965) was an American workers-rights advocate who served as the 4th United States secretary of labor from 1933 to 1945, the longest serving in that position. A member of th ...

Center, the Maine Women's Lobby, and the Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Center of Augusta. She was inducted into the

Maine Women's Hall of Fame The Maine Women's Hall of Fame was created in 1990 to honor the achievements of women associated with the U.S. state of Maine. The induction ceremonies are held each year during March, designated as Women's History Month. Nominees are chosen by the ...

in 2007.

Early life and education

Fortman was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1954. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, she went on to complete a certification course in Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University. She earned her master's degree in leadership at Northeastern University.

Run for State Senate

In January 2018, Laura Fortman announced that she would seek election to the Maine State Senate in District 13 (Alna, Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Bremen, Bristol, Damariscotta, Edgecomb, Hibberts Gore, Jefferson, Louds Island, Monhegan Island Plantation, Newcastle, Nobleboro, Somerville, South Bristol, Southport, Waldoboro, Washington, Westport Island, Whitefield, Windsor, and Wiscasset). In her race for Maine Senate, she's earned the endorsement of President Barack Obama, as well as organizations that represent, women, teachers, workers, and state employees.

Career

Fortman dedicated the early part of her career to improving the lives of women and girls, particularly related to policy work advancing support for victims of sexual and domestic violence. As a survivor of sexual assault, Forman's resilience and courage led her to work as a direct service provider at the Women's Resource Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. When she came to Maine in the mid-1980s, she successfully directed the Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Center and was a founding member of the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault. As Executive Director of the Maine Women's Lobby and the Maine Women's Policy Center for over a decade, she was the voice for women and girls in the Legislature, speaking to the full array of circumstances affecting women, including health care,

reproductive rights Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows: Reproductive rights rest on t ...

, economic security, discrimination, and education. In the legislative and policy arena, she helped to pass Maine's Reproductive Privacy Act, insurance coverage for contraception, a resolution requiring the Department of Labor to implement Maine's Equal Pay Act, Maine's Parents as Scholars program empowering welfare recipients to access higher education, the ground-breaking employment leave for victims of violence law, and unemployment insurance protection for part-time workers and for victims of violence, among many others. Through her leadership on the commission to Study the Unemployment Compensation System, the commission to Study the Costs and Benefits of Paid Family Medical Leave, the Maine Health Care Performance Council, and many others, she brought the voices of women to the policymaking process. She coupled her advocacy on behalf of women and girls with nurturing leadership in others, mentoring many women. Governor

John Baldacci John Elias Baldacci (born January 30, 1955) is an American politician who served as the 73rd Governor of Maine from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he also served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003. During h ...

nominated Fortman to be the next commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor in April 2003. Fortman assumed responsibility for 490 department employees and also chaired the Governor's Workforce Cabinet. During her tenure until the end of 2010, the

gender pay gap The gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are working. Women are generally found to be paid less than men. There are two distinct numbers regarding the pay gap: non-adjusted ...

was decreased and the state created more and nontraditional employment services for women. Afterward she served as an

adjunct faculty An adjunct professor is a type of academic appointment in higher education who does not work at the establishment full-time. The terms of this appointment and the job security of the tenure vary in different parts of the world, however the genera ...

member at the

University of Maine at Augusta The University of Maine at Augusta (UMaine Augusta or UMA) is a public college in Augusta, Maine. It is part of the University of Maine System. UMA provides Bachelor's degree, baccalaureate and select associate degrees for residents of Central M ...

. From October 2011 to May 2013 Fortman was the executive director of the

Center in Damariscotta. In June 2013 she was named deputy administrator of the

at the

Awards and honors

In 2001 Fortman was the recipient of the Maryann Hartman Award from the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...

. In 2010 she received the Frances Perkins award from the Lincoln County Democrats. In 2012 she received the Friend of USM Women & Gender Studies Award from the

University of Southern Maine The University of Southern Maine (USM) is a public university with campuses in Portland, Gorham and Lewiston in the U.S. state of Maine. It is the southernmost of the University of Maine System. It was founded as two separate state universitie ...

. She has also received awards from the Maine Women's Fund, the Maine Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance, and the Maine People's Alliance, and an honorary

Doctor of Humane Letters The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society. The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...

from the University of Maine at Augusta. She was inducted into the

in 2007.

Personal life

Fortman and her husband reside in Nobleboro.

References

External links

"Laura Fortman interview" (video)
Maine Women's Channel
"Responding to the Immediate Needs of Maine Workers, Businesses and Communities Adversely Impacted by Base Closings, 2005"
Action Plan for Governor John E. Baldacci presented by Laura A. Fortman, Commissioner, Maine Department of Labor
"Testimony of Laura A. Fortman Commissioner, Maine Department of Labor before the Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety April 17, 2007 Hearing "Too Much, Too Long?: Domestic Violence in the Workplace"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fortman, Laura 1954 births Living people United States Department of Labor officials Women nonprofit executives American women's rights activists Reproductive rights activists American lobbyists University of New Hampshire alumni Northeastern University alumni People from Brooklyn People from Augusta, Maine People from Washington, D.C. Harvard Kennedy School alumni Activists from New York (state) People from Nobleboro, Maine