In short

New Hires

Woodard & Curran, an engineering firm in Portland, recently hired David Remick as chief financial officer. Previously, Remick was director of international finance operations at Millipore Corp. in Billerica, Mass.

Homewood Suites by Hilton – Portland in Scarborough recently hired Kellie Greenleaf as director of sales.

Landry/French Construction in Scarborough recently hired Mason Rowell as an assistant project manager. Previously, Rowell worked for PC Construction.

Hurley Travel Experts in Portland recently hired Charles Wolfe as senior travel adviser.

Mercy Health System of Maine at Mercy Cardiology in Portland recently hired cardiologist Craig Brett.

Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty in Yarmouth recently hired Carrie Martin and Lisa Wentzell as associate real estate brokers and Rebecca Meier as real estate broker.

Patriot Insurance Co. in Yarmouth recently hired Erika Savona as a senior underwriter in its commercial lines team.

MEMIC, a workers' compensation insurer headquartered in Portland, recently hired Bryan Wallace as director of its MEMIC Center for Workplace Safety based at Central Maine Community College in Auburn.

Hyde School in Bath recently hired Erin Brown as director of development.

The University of Maine in Orono recently hired attorney Jeffrey Thaler as visiting professor of energy law, policy and ethics for a two-year period beginning Aug. 29.

Maine Winter Sports Center in Caribou recently hired Lauren Jacobs as a coach in the healthy hometown programs and Sarah Kamilewicz as a development coach in the competitive programs.

Gorham Savings Bank recently hired Richard Bois as a mortgage loan officer. Previously, Bois was a mortgage manager for KeyBank Mortgage in Yarmouth.

KICTeam Inc., a manufacturer in Auburn, recently hired Lisa Fields as online marketing specialist.

EXIT Key Real Estate in Shapleigh recently hired Richard Coyne as a broker.

Spectrum Generations, an agency on aging in Augusta, recently hired Gerard Queally as president and CEO.

Maine Citizens for Clean Elections recently hired Andrew Bossie as executive director.

Community Credit Union recently hired Laurie Pelletier as branch operations supervisor of its Auburn location.

Whitney Corp., owner of Whitney Wreaths in Whitneyville, recently hired Durand Cercone as chief operating officer, Andrew Seeley as chief financial officer, Kerry Geel as farm manager for Whitney Blueberries and Lorraine Whitney as manager of Whitney Wreath's phone center.

Gifford's Ice Cream in Skowhegan recently hired Darcy Dow as controller/accounting manager.

National Sleep Therapy, a provider of equipment and services to patients with sleep apnea in Scarborough, recently hired Stephen Fitzmeyer as chief medical informatics officer and Patricia McKenzie vice president of operations.

Auburn Savings Bank recently hired Zachary Ovington as a credit analyst at its Lewiston branch.

Rinck Advertising in Auburn recently hired Jessica Cote as web marketing manager/account coordinator and Lauren Mavian as junior art director/graphic artist.

The First Bank in Damariscotta recently hired James Folsom as a compliance officer.

Opus Consulting Group, a financial management consulting firm in Portland, recently hired Ian Brandon as summer associate.

The Maine Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure recently hired Regina Rooney as community outreach manager to expand breast cancer education, screening and treatment programs throughout Maine.

Androscoggin Bank in Lewiston recently hired Chris DeMerchant as a member of its commercial lending team. Previously, DeMerchant was a vice president and commercial lender with Camden National Bank.

Promotions

Agren Appliance & Television in Auburn recently promoted Josh Bartlett to the sales team. Previously, Bartlett was parts manager.

Reliv International, a maker of health supplements headquartered in Chesterfield, Mo., recently promoted Loretta Powers, an independent distributor in Portland, to director.

KeyBank recently promoted Steven Gagnon, senior vice president, to Aroostook County market leader.

TD Wealth Management, a subsidiary of TD Bank, recently promoted Stephen Bostic to northern New England team leader.

The First Bank in Damariscotta recently promoted Patti Gwara to vice president of operations.

The Progress Center in Norway recently promoted the following: Nancy Kitchin to director of community services; Ashleigh Barker to supervisor of case management; Cherie Wilson, Sue Bone and Kathy Brown to house managers; Gary McPherson to manager of community and employment supports; and Laurie Phillips to quality manager and training coordinator.

Kennebec Savings Bank recently promoted Craig Garofalo to vice president and senior operations officer.

Down East Insurance Agency in Topsham, owned by Down East Credit Union, recently promoted Melanie Munsey to president.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently announced the following promotions in its marketing department: Cheryl Mullen to senior vice president, sales and marketing; Cathy Planchart to assistant vice president, corporate communications and community relations; and Margie Gray to assistant vice president, product development and research.

BerryDunn, an accounting firm in Portland, recently promoted Lisa Trundy to senior manager in the firm's health care/not-for-profit industry group.

Appointments

Gov. Paul LePage recently appointed Peter Rogers as director of communications.

The Cancer Community Center located in South Portland recently elected the following members to the board of trustees: Corrine Bongiovanni, licensed clinical social worker in private psychotherapy practice in Portland; Sarah Coburn, trust and estates attorney at Verrill Dana in Portland; Kim Donnelly, vice president in commercial lending at Gorham Savings Bank; Cheryl Greaney, vice president, medical operations and compliance benefits at Unum in Portland; Karen Morgan, attorney and president of Southern Laughing Co. in Cumberland; and Kierston Van Soest, assistant controller at L.L.Bean in Freeport.

The Forest Society of Maine, a statewide land trust working to sustain the ecological, economic, cultural and recreational values of the Maine woods, recently elected the following new members to its board of directors: Ed Dysart, Ed Kfoury and Craig Watt.

MAPPS, a national association of private sector firms specializing in aerial surveys, remote sensing, spatial data and geographic information systems, recently elected Claire Kiedrowski, president of Kappa Mapping in Bangor, to its board of directors for a two-year term.

Maine Health Access Foundation, a health care philanthropy, recently appointed Nancy Fritz and Shirley Weaver as board members.

The Portland Symphony Orchestra recently elected the following members to its board of trustees for a three-year term: Sally Bancroft, Jan Gerry, Matthew O'Reilly, Alicia Sampson and Margaret Wilkis.

Michael Friedman, an attorney at Rudman Winchell in Bangor, was recently elected to chair the commission to reapportion Maine's congressional districts.

Portland's Downtown District recently elected the following officers for 2011-2012: Doug Fuss, owner of Bull Feeney's, president; Nicholas Morrill of Jensen, Baird & Gardner, vice president; and Catherine Lamson, vice president of MEMIC, treasurer. Portland's Downtown District also elected the following to its board for a three-year term: Josh Benthien of Northlands; Alan Labos of Akari; and June Usher of Bangor Savings Bank.

Spotlight

The board of directors of the Finance Authority of Maine recently approved a $750,000 direct loan to Lobster Web to aid with the refurbishment of the former Stinson Cannery in Prospect Harbor as the company begins to process bait and lobster. The board also approved a $300,000 direct loan, as well as commercial loan insurance, to B&B Precise Products Inc., a Benton-based global precision machining company to provide it with working capital and debt-service relief as it continues to grow.

According to the press release from FAME, its actions will help to immediately create and retain approximately 85 jobs in Hancock and Kennebec counties, with more hires expected in the coming years.

Company News

Easy Breathing Clinic in Augusta recently announced achieving recertification for advanced care of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease by The Joint Commission.

The Portland Museum of Art was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Sam L. Cohen Foundation to support the first two years of educational programming for the Winslow Homer Studio at Prouts Neck.

Peapod Jewelry gallery, studio and office recently announced it is open for business at 40 U.S. Route 1 in Edgecomb.

Mercy Hospital in Portland recently announced the launch of its e-ICU program with MaineHealth VitalNetwork that will provide added care for its ICU patients by enabling 24-hour patient observation via secure phone line monitors and in-room cameras. The system tracks changes in vital signs and other health information.

Lifestyles Massage Therapy Center in Auburn recently announced it has changed its name to Revelation Massage.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection recently purchased the FlowCAM particle imaging and analysis system from water-quality instrumentation manufacturer Fluid Imaging Technologies in Yarmouth.

Hollywood Slots Hotel & Raceway in Bangor recently announced that its director of marketing Jason Birney has been promoted to vice president of marketing at its soon-to-be-opened Hollywood Casino in Toledo, Ohio.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute will receive $400,000 in grant funding from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service through the Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region. The grant will equip lobster vessels with acoustics to monitor the inshore herring biomass along the coast of Maine.

The Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor was selected to receive a $500,000 loan and a $105,000 grant to assist rural micro-entrepreneurs and micro-enterprises in Hancock, Knox, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Waldo and Washington counties from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. The Maine Development Foundation was selected to receive a grant in the amount of $175,105 to invest in the Maine Downtown Center program, building the capacity of nonprofit organizations and low-income communities in rural Maine. Western Maine Community Action Inc. of East Wilton was selected to receive $175,105 to provide financial and technical assistance to increase the capacity of Maine's Community Action Agencies and the Keeping Seniors at Home partnership network.

BHA, an accounting firm with offices in Ellsworth and Blue Hill, recently announced that Collene Torres, senior accountant, has achieved licensure as a certified public accountant.

Waldo County General Hospital recently launched a direct mail and advertising campaign, Quality Care, Close to Home, to increase community awareness of health center services and the availability of primary care providers in Waldo County.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently approved a $400,000 grant through its Emergency Conservation Program to help approximately 50 Aroostook County potato farmers who suffered crop damage during recent storms.

The U.S. Secretary of Education recently announced Maine will receive $2 million to turn around its persistently lowest-achieving schools through the School Improvement Grants program. The funds are part of $546 million available to states for the School Improvement Grant program in fiscal year 2010.

Pioneer Broadband in Houlton recently announced an agreement to acquire Aroostook Internet in Presque Isle.

Husson University in Bangor has recently broke ground on a new multi-purpose facility. When complete, the five-story building will house classroom space and faculty on the first floor and up to 240 resident students on floors two through five. The project's design/build team is led by AlliedCook Construction of Scarborough and Winton Scott Architects of Portland. The new building is designed to LEED silver standards and expected to be completed in the summer of 2012 and open to students for the 2012 fall semester.

Guiding Stars, a storewide nutrition guidance program based in Scarborough, recently announced it has received U.S. patent No. 7974881 for the Guiding Stars nutrition rating algorithm.

Kevin Noonan, an attorney and partner at McTeague Higbee, a law firm in Topsham, recently added asbestos litigation to his areas of practice.

Blue Marble Geographics, a software developer in Gardiner, recently exhibited at the Esri Survey Summit in San Diego.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine recently designated Central Maine Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for knee and hip replacement.

Winxnet, an IT provider in Portland, recently announced it is building an electronic billing application for the septage receiving system for the city of Lowell, Mass..

Thomas Gregory Associates Insurance Agency, an insurance brokerage firm, recently announced the sale of the company to Bangor-based Cross Insurance, a subsidiary of Cross Financial Corp., to expand the recently formed Cross Insurance Wakefield.

Unity College was recently awarded a two-year grant worth $134,000 to strengthen its curriculum development from the Davis Educational Foundation.

Accolades

The Technology Association of Maine recently awarded Portland-based Verrill Dana's redesigned website as Best of the Web, and PenBay Solutions chief technology officer Stuart Rich with the CxO of the Year award. The association also gave the New Technology Product of the Year Award to the biopolymer product line made by Biovation, a manufacturer of antimicrobial formulations and non-woven fiber products for food packaging and wound care in Boothbay.

The University of Maine in Orono recently received the Second Nature Climate Leadership Award in the doctorate degree-granting university category from the American College & University Presidents' Climate Commitment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development recently presented Northeast Bank with a 2011 Homeownership Partner of the Year Award, citing its commitment to promoting homeownership throughout the state.

Spirit Journal recently included Cold River Vodka of Freeport in its 2011 list of Top Five-Star Spirits in the World, a list assembled by F. Paul Pacult, a leading spirits expert.

The Maine Potato Board recently awarded the Farm Family of the Year 2011 to Fred Flewelling and his family farm in Crouseville.

The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor was recently voted among the top 15 Best Places to Work in Academia in the United States for 2011 by The Scientist magazine.

The Institute for Civic Leadership recently honored alumna Lisa Letourneau, executive director of Maine Quality Counts, at its annual recognition celebration.

Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, was recently named to the National Law Journal's Midsize Hot List.

The National Electrical Contractors Association recently awarded E. S. Boulos Co. Inc., an electrical contractor in Westbrook, with its Zero-Lost Time Injury Award for District 1, which includes seven states. The company's zero-lost time safety record dates back to December 2008.

The Portland Farmers' Market was recently named one of the best five farmers' markets in New England by Yankee Magazine in the July/August issue.

The Ware Street Inn in Lewiston recently received a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence, which honors top-rated lodging businesses, restaurants and attractions as reviewed by travelers.

Poland Spring Water in Poland recently announced its inclusion in Fortune Magazine's 2011 list of 100 Great Things About America.

Rebecca Greaves, administrator at Dexter Health Care in Bangor, a partnership facility of Rosscare and First Atlantic, was recently honored by the American College of Health Care Administrators with the Facility Leadership Award for superior health care standards.

Hall Internet Marketing, an Internet marketing firm in Portland, recently announced employee Amanda O'Brien was named to MaineToday Media's Forty under 40 list.

Maine Medical Center in Portland and Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington were named among the nation's most wired hospitals according to the results of the 2011 Most Wired Survey Benchmarking Study released in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association.

Central Maine Power Co. in Augusta was recently ranked No. 1 in residential customer satisfaction among large electric utilities in the east by J.D. Power and Associates, a global marketing information services company.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Virginia Manuel recently presented the Northern Aroostook Wells and Septics Program in Caribou with a Homeownership Partner of the Year Award.

Consigli Construction Co. Inc., headquartered in Milford, Mass. with an office in Portland, was recently awarded the 2011 Safety Award by the Department of the Navy for the firm's outstanding safety awareness during construction of the Consolidated Emergency Control Center at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The Maine Medical Center Joint Replacement Center in Portland recently announced Brian McGrory was named one of 70 Outstanding Hip Surgeons and Specialists by Becker's Orthopedic, Spine & Pain Management Review, which serves to recognize the research and academic accomplishments of medical experts nationwide.

U.S. News & World Report's 2011-12 Best Hospitals rankings recently placed the following seven Maine Medical Center specialties in the high-performing category: cancer; diabetes and endocrinology; geriatrics; gynecology; nephrology; orthopedics; and urology. According to the magazine, a high-performing ranking means Maine Medical Center's care in these areas scored in the top 25% among the nation's hospitals.

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