Camden National Bank awards $22K in Leaders & Luminaries grants to nonprofits

Courtesy / Camden National Bank From left, Camden National Bank executives are shown here with the 2018 Leaders & Luminaries Awards winners. Pictured (from right) are Renee Smyth, Camden National Bank chief experience and marketing officer; Samaa Abdurraqib, Maine Inside Out board co-chair; Ben Martens, Maine Coast Fishermen's Association executive director; Brad Babson, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust board president; Ryan Ciriello, Milestone Recovery development committee chair; Steven Bishop, The Game Loft treasurer; Chelsea Ellis, Hardy Girls Healthy Women board director; and Greg Dufour, Camden National Bank president and CEO.

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By Staff

Camden National Bank on Thursday announced $22,000 in grants to its six outstanding nonprofit board leaders as winners of the 2018 Leaders & Luminaries Awards.

Out of 65 individuals nominated by the community, Camden National Bank’s selection committee recognized two Emerging Leaders receiving $1,000 each, and four Grand Prize winners receiving $5,000 each for their respective organizations.

This year’s honorees represent Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust, Milestone Recovery, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Inside Out, Hardy Girls Healthy Women and The Game Loft.

Since Camden National launched the program in 2011, it has given $130,000 to 37 Maine nonprofits through its private charitable foundation, the Bank of Maine Foundation.

“Our Leaders & Luminaries Awards are an important way we recognize the impact of the nonprofit sector on our economy and community here in Maine,” said Greg Dufour, Camden National Bank’s president and CEO, in a news release.

He added: “We’re grateful for everything volunteer board directors do to give back using dedication, ingenuity and strategic leadership.”

The awards luncheon was held during the Maine Association of Nonprofits’ sold-out Executive Leadership Forum entitled, “The Secret Sauce to Boardroom Success: Culture and Dynamics."

Winners list

The 2018 Leaders & Luminaries Award winners are: Brad Babson, board president, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust; Samaa Abdurraqib, board co-chair, Maine Inside Out; Gerry Cushman, board chair, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association; and Ryan Ciriello, development committee chair, Milestone Recovery.

Chelsea Ellis, board director, Hardy Girls Healthy Women, and Steven Bishop, treasurer, the Game Loft, were honored as 2018 Emerging Leaders.

About Camden National Corp.

Camden National Corp. (NASDAQ:CAC) is the largest publicly traded bank holding company in northern New England with $4.2 billion in assets and nearly 650 employees. Camden National Bank, its subsidiary, is a full-service community bank founded in 1875. It provides personalized service through a network of 60 banking centers, 71 ATMs and lending offices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, complemented by 24/7 live phone support.