Aileen was one of the first women that I photographed for my Female leaders and entrepreneurs event in the summer of 2021. It is my pleasure to share her story — written by Lisa Leslie of Magnolia Content.
Aileen moved to Portsmouth to open her own business in 1990, as a State Farm insurance agent in Portsmouth. Licensed in NH and ME, Aileen and her team serve customers throughout both states with a focus on serving the Seacoast areas of NH and Maine.
A NH native, born in Manchester, Aileen attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick Maine. One of the most interesting places she lived was on Bailey Island in Maine, when she was a senior at Bowdoin College, back when the island was still very much a small lobster and fishing island with breath-taking scenery in every season. Raised by her parents with the “Live Free or Die” mentality, Aileen loves NH and can’t imagine living anywhere else. She loves the creative people who reside here and is inspired by people she meets in Portsmouth every day, even 31 years after moving here.
Having volunteered and supported dozens of important Seacoast organizations that care about this community and the people in it, Aileen has become increasingly invested in keeping Portsmouth the special place that it is.
She currently serves as Vice-Chair of Portsmouth Music and Arts, and previously served on the Board of the Prescott Park Arts Festival for seven years. She believes that our thriving Arts and Culture scene is what makes us unique. She is also very involved in Portsmouth Rotary Club, one of the largest Rotary Clubs in the Northeast.
“I believe that seeing other women who are successful is not just inspiring, it’s affirming to your own beliefs and goals, and when I have the opportunity to help other women succeed, it gives me a lot of satisfaction that I have skills I can offer and share.”
Aileen’s mother, Anita Aubin, was the first female State Farm agent in the State of New Hampshire in the early 1980’s. This was a big breakthrough for women at a time when women were not well-respected or even well-treated in the workplace. She is very proud to have an enterprising and hard-working woman as her mentor and role model, and attributes being where she is today to the encouragement and support of both her parents.
In 2020, Aileen completed her 48 4000 footers in New Hampshire, which was a life goal of hers. She and her husband of 16 years enjoy gardening and have a large vegetable and flower garden. In the winter, they love to ski with friends and family. People are often shocked to hear that Aileen has 5 children, 3 of hers and 2 of her husband’s. She says they are truly the “Brady Bunch” and feels that the Seacoast has been a great place to raise their family. They also have a golden retriever, named Brodie, who comes to the office every day, and is the official greeter.