FARMINGTON — Rachel McClellan believes in giving back to the community and has done so ever since she moved to Farmington in August 2021.

After retiring early from her career in finance and strategy in  her native Colorado, she and her husband, Glenn Miller, spent a year traveling the country in an RV to find the place they wanted to call home.

“We had visited northern New England several years earlier and been struck by Farmington’s charm,” McClellan said.

When they learned that Beechwood, a historic 1888 Farmington home, was listed for sale by the Etzel family, they knew their search was over.

McClellan believes deeply in the power and necessity of civic engagement. Community doesn’t happen by chance. The depth, strength and richness of a place are built and measured by the steady presence and quiet service of those who care, she said.

“Farmington wouldn’t be the special place we all love without the many, many people who give their time and skills to the things they care about. So, as soon as we settled into our new hometown, I wasted no time in getting involved in giving back in my own ways,” McClellan said.

The list of organizations she is involved in is long. It includes being past president of the Mt. Blue Area Garden Club and president-elect of the Farmington Rotary Club. In addition, she and Glenn, a lifelong chess enthusiast and ambassador, helped establish the Farmington Chess Club. They are both U.S. Chess Federation-certified tournament directors and have hosted annual open tournaments on National Chess Day.

What drew you to the Farmington area? Glenn and I first visited Farmington in 2019 during an exploratory trip to northern New England. We were considering retiring to the region and wanted to get a feel for different towns and communities. Farmington immediately struck a chord with us. In fact, we blogged about it at the time and titled the post “We Have a Crush,” which says it all. After that trip, we set off on our planned full-time RV journey to explore the country more broadly. But as we visited other places, we found ourselves constantly comparing them to Farmington. Without us realizing it, the town had become the standard by which we measured everywhere else. The story of how we ended up here is a bit more involved, but the short version is this: while camping literally on the coast of the Pacific in Siuslaw National Forest in Oregon, we were alerted to the listing for Beechwood. As soon as I saw it, I turned to Glenn and said, “We’re in trouble,” because it was everything we’d been hoping for. Less than an hour later, we had driven into town where we could get cell signal and made the call to put in an offer. And we never looked back.

How did you get involved in volunteering? We can all imagine how much better the world would be if everyone helped others in whatever ways they could. But of course, our lives can be hard and hectic and complicated, so it’s not always easy to do as much as we might want. While I was working full time in Denver, Colorado, I volunteered when I could, teaching business and economics in public school classrooms through Junior Achievement, and helping to build homes with Habitat for Humanity. But with my career and family demanding so much of my time, there just wasn’t much left to do more. It wasn’t until we moved to Farmington that I was truly able to dive into community service. Reflecting on what lit that fire, beyond simply having more time, I think there were a few deeper reasons.

What do you like about gardening that had you volunteering for Mt. Blue Area Garden Club?  I believe everyone can find their own special ways to cultivate awesomeness in the world. In the case of gardening, I mean it literally. Like many, I was introduced to gardening by my family (my mother and grandmother). When children see how they can make something so miraculous happen as a flower bloom or vegetables grow, it’s incredibly empowering.

To learn more about growing plants here, I also became a Maine Master Gardener Volunteer through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Office, and I serve as a member of its Executive Committee.

As the president-elect of the Farmington Rotary Club, what are the projects you feel will help the community? The Farmington Rotary Club has a strong foundation of long-standing projects that continue to make a difference. These include awarding scholarships, supporting local food pantries and essentials closets, hosting community events, and volunteering for hands-on service projects. In addition, we’re always open to discovering new needs in our area and exploring how we can respond.

I heard that you and your husband helped establish the Farmington Chess Club. What are the age groups involved? The Farmington Chess Club is open to ages 10 and up. Current players range from scholastic to senior, resulting in a lively mix of ages. It’s free, and players of all levels are invited to drop in to play a game or two. The club meets from 4-6 p.m. on Sundays. While the Farmington Community Center roof is being repaired, the group will meet at Walton’s Mill Park off Temple Road in Farmington. More information can be found at www.farmingtonchess.org.

What do you get out of volunteering?  So many things. First and foremost, I get the joy of knowing I’m helping others and contributing to the well-being of a community I love. Volunteering gives me the chance to feel connected and to play an active role in both preserving and shaping the kind of place I want to live. It also allows me to put my skills to good use, like organizing projects, strengthening clubs, mentoring others or simply finding small ways to help wherever I can.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to fix the spelling of Rachel McClellan’s last name.