The Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) was named the Maine Association of Planners’ (MAP) 2026 Project of the Year. The award was announced at MAP's 2026 Spring Conference, held Thursday at the UMaine at Augusta Randall Student Center.
MAP’s Project of the Year award recognizes a project that is of unusually high merit that makes a difference in the lives of the people affected and has made a special contribution to the field of planning. MOCA was selected for its innovative initiatives to assist municipalities, Tribal governments and regional planning organizations in building a more resilient future. MAP also cited tools such as MOCA’s Maine Community Funding Finder and upcoming technical assistance hub, as well as MOCA initiatives like the Development Ready Advisory Committee and the Working Waterfront Advisory Council.
“The formation of the Maine Office of Community Affairs (MOCA) represents a transformative step forward in how Maine supports its communities. In the absence of a State Planning Office, the establishment of MOCA restores a critical technical resource for communities, providing a centralized ‘one-stop shop’ for information and assistance. Programs that were once scattered across multiple state agencies have now been effectively integrated, significantly improving coordination and expediting the flow of information to Maine communities—an outcome that has long been needed. The process undertaken to establish MOCA has also created a replicable model for collaboration and agency formation that can inform future state initiatives. Given the breadth, innovation, and impact of MOCA’s work, one might ask: what isn’t MOCA doing? In light of these achievements, it is fitting to recognize the MOCA team—and particularly Samantha Horn—for their exceptional work,” said Jennie Francheschi, MAP Board President.
“MOCA was created, quite simply, because Governor Mills, Legislators, communities, and our partners in the nonprofit, business, government, and academic sectors care deeply about the future of Maine. This is a place where, regardless of the issue of the day, we serve communities as they work to shape their future and the future of our great state,” said Samantha Horn, Director of the Maine Office of Community Affairs.
See past recipients of the Project of Year.
The Maine Association of Planners (MAP) is a nonprofit organization of over 100 members, including professional public, private, and nonprofit planners, citizen volunteers serving on local boards, and Mainers from other professions like attorneys, landscape architects, professors, and developers. More information about MAP is available on their website.