After seven years on the Cape Elizabeth Town Council as her primary occupation, Mary Ann Lynch resigned from her position as chairwoman of the council in October to take on a new job as director of information for the state judiciary. Because of the judiciary’s code of ethics, Lynch cannot hold elected office in her new position.

A Cape Elizabeth resident since 1984, Lynch, 53, is married to Gregg Ginn and has three children. Lynch is a native of New Jersey and moved to Maine in 1975. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Southern Maine and a law degree from the University of Maine School of Law. She practiced law from 1984 to 2001, when she joined the council. In her first week, Lynch was constantly traveling and meeting new people. Now, after a couple months on the job, she said, she’s starting to feel settled.

Q: What duties does your new position entail?

A: I am the director of information for the courts. It entails being the liason to the Legislature, the executive branch, the public and the press. It was advertised, and I thought it would be fascinating. I could use a little of my legal training and my public policy experience.

Q: How has your first week been?

A: It’s been fascinating. I’m really learning a lot about the judicial branch of government. I’ve been traveling a lot, getting to other parts of the state to see the court houses and meet the people who work at the court houses.

Q: What kind of expectations do you have for your new job?

A: I expect that it will be very challenging. It will be a very difficult year for budget choices in the Legislature, and I’ll just be trying to share with the legislators what our branch’s budgetary needs are.

Q: When you stopped practicing law in 2001, did you ever think you’d go back to work?

A: I did expect at some point I would go back to work, and this job is right up my alley. I’ll get to use a lot of things I learned as a councilor, how legislators make decisions.

Q: What goals do you have for the position?

A: I don’t know the department all that well. I’m still learning, but my goals would be to see that people understand the important work of the judicial branch and the delivery of justice.

Q: Had you planned to stay on the council if it weren’t for the code of ethics?

A: I would have stayed on the council. I would have finished this term, but I was two years away from a decision about running again.

Q: What did you like about serving?

A: The council work was very rewarding. I really liked the opportunity to meet a lot of the citizens of Cape Elizabeth who are involved in volunteer and civic activities. I enjoyed all my interactions with other councilors. I think the Cape Town Council is so civil in its approach to issues and people of different views. It’s just such a pleasure to work with the council, even when we disagree.

Q: What was the hardest part about being on the council?

A: What happens every year with the budget. There are always more demands on the tax dollars than we can meet.

Q: Do you think you’ll ever run again?

A: I am really interested in this job, and I’m not looking beyond learning how to do this job the best I can.

Q: What do you think are the biggest issues facing the town of Cape Elizabeth right now?

A: I don’t want to comment on local government. There are other councilors there to do that.

Q: What advice would you give someone thinking about running for your seat?

A: I don’t have any advice to give. Everybody has to find their own way. I hope I was able to do that. I hope I served the people of Cape Elizabeth as well as I possibly could have.

Mary Ann Lynch resigned from the Cape Elizabeth Town Council earlier this month to take a job as the director of information with the state judiciary, which prohibits her from holding elected office. She was serving as the chairwoman, as position that will be taken over by Councilor Jim Rowe.