Amy Root Joins the LifeFlight Foundation Team as Chief of Philanthropy
Amy Root joins the LifeFlight Foundation team in October 2026 as Chief of Philanthropy. In this leadership role, she is responsible for developing the Foundation’s major gifts program, helping secure the funds necessary to meet the growing demands of LifeFlight of Maine’s mission.
Amy is from Maine. She grew up in Kennebunkport, moved to Massachusetts for college, and then spent a few years away, before returning to Maine. She now lives in Hope — both literally and figuratively, Amy jokes. She is outgoing, energetic, and enthusiastic, with a deep commitment to service and developing the resources for communities to thrive.
With a master’s degree in public health, Amy began working for what is now the Maine CDC when she returned to her home state in the early 2000’s. She was introduced to fundraising there as part of a team writing grant applications to bring federal dollars to Maine to improve public health.
In 2012, Amy left state government and took a job with the LifeFlight Foundation as its Director of Development. At the time, Tom Judge served as the executive director of both LifeFlight of Maine and the LifeFlight Foundation. Amy worked closely with Tom for six years to raise support for LifeFlight. Her first major accomplishment in fundraising, she says, was securing the funds needed for LifeFlight to acquire a third helicopter. With generous support from Linda Bean and others, LifeFlight purchased Whiskey Mike, the “lobster chopper,” in 2017 — in large part, thanks to Amy’s hard work.
Amy left the LifeFlight Foundation in 2018 to pursue other opportunities. Since then, she has worked for a number of other local and regional nonprofits. Most recently she served as the Capital Campaign Director for the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. In her five years there, she and her team raised more $50 million to support the organization.
When the opportunity arrived to return to LifeFlight and help with fundraising, Amy jumped at it. The organization has had a profound impact in her community, and in her family — her daughter, Phoebe, was transported as a baby following a medical emergency. She says she is excited and eager to continue doing the work she loves for an organization she cares deeply about.
“I am so fortunate that I get to sit with some of the most generous people in the world,” said Amy, “and help them make meaningful contributions to worthy causes, and LifeFlight is top of the list for me.”
