IN SHORT

New hires

Connectivity Point Design and Installation, a structured cabling contractor in Auburn, recently hired Roy Chamberlain as business development manager. Chamberlain was most recently the division manager for MTS Services of Londonderry, N.H., where he oversaw field operations and project management.

Vitalius Real Estate Group in Portland recently hired Elise Loschiavo as part of its sales team. Loschiavo previously worked as the marketing manager at Sebago Brewing Co. and as special events and public relations manager for Portland's Downtown District.

Landry/French Construction in Scarborough recently hired Dan Downey Jr. as a field engineer. Downey previously worked as a construction technologist with R.W. Gillespie & Associates in Saco.

Bisson Moving and Storage in Westbrook recently hired Raylene Tetu in residential sales in southern Maine and New Hampshire. Tetu was previously with Gentle Giant Movers in Somerville, Mass.

McCabe Duval + Associates, an advertising agency in Portland, recently hired Molly Steele as social media director. Steele previously was the digital marketing manager for White Rock Distilleries.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently announced four new hires. Hannah King joined the firm's Portland office and will practice in the areas of special education and general school law. In the firm's New Hampshire office, Mark Broth and Laurel McClead joined the labor and employment group while Steve Jakubowski was hired as a non-lawyer labor relations consultant.

The Maine Women's Lobby in Augusta recently hired Danna Hayes as director of public policy. Hayes was previously with Preble Street Maine Hunger Initiative as a community organizer.

Eastern Maine Development Corp., in Bangor recently hired Richard Prindall as senior accountant. Prindall was previously with the Penobscot Community Health Center in Bangor.

Unity College recently hired Sarah Conroy as director of human resources. Conroy has more than 25 years of experience in the field including positions with Penobscot Bay Media and the Maine DAFS Corrections Service Center.

The directors of Macpage LLC, a CPA firm in South Portland, recently hired Benjamin Dailey as a manager in the tax department. Dailey has practiced public accounting since 2000.

Stillwater Dental Associates in Bangor recently hired Christine Danforth as part of its administrative team. Danforth has experience in accounts receivable, dental assisting and practice management.

Acadia Trust N.A., in Portland recently hired Lauren Epstein as a senior trust officer. Prior to joining the company, Epstein practiced estate planning and elder law in Maine for eight years.

Broadreach Public Relations in Portland recently hired Michael Geneseo as an account executive and Allyson Hessert as executive assistant.

The board of directors of the Sam L. Cohen Foundation in South Portland recently hired John Shoos as executive director. Shoos is currently vice president for public policy and advocacy at United Way of Greater Portland.

The Science Source, a manufacturer of educational materials in Waldoboro, recently hired Kate Hotchkiss Taylor as director of business development. Taylor previously ran a global consulting firm.

Garrett Pillsbury, a plumbing and heating company in Kennebunk, recently hired Marie Parker as general manager of its new propane and heating oil division. Parker was previously the general manager of Downeast Energy in Windham.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Janet Britton in its labor and employment practice group. Britton was previously in-house counsel to Delhaize America.

Bangor Savings Bank recently hired Nicole Morton as assistant vice president and branch manager of its Falmouth location. Morton has several years of experience in the financial and real estate management industries.

Bates College in Lewiston recently hired Matthew Auer as dean of the faculty and vice president of academic affairs, effective July 1. Auer is currently dean of the Hutton Honors College and professor of public and environmental affairs at Indiana University.

Promotions

Androscoggin Bank recently announced several promotions. Erica Castonguay was promoted to client technologies specialist; Britany Hustus to assistant vice president, commercial compliance and administration manager; Rhonda Hamel to vice president, project manager; Bob Stone and Dave Eldridge to senior vice president; and Christopher Logan to executive vice president.

University Credit Union in Orono recently promoted Amy Kenney, Kevin Foley and Amy Irish. Kenney, previously campus development officer, was promoted to member development officer; Foley, the Portland branch manager, was promoted to assistant vice president of branch management; and Irish, previously the firm's marketing manager, was promoted to assistant vice president of member development.

MMG, an insurance company in Presque Isle, recently announced that its board of directors promoted Corey Graham to vice president. Graham was previously an assistant vice president.

People's United Bank recently promoted Daniel Thornton to president of its southern Maine market. Thornton was previously a senior vice president and senior lender in commercial banking.

Clark Insurance in Portland recently promoted Heather Caston-Talbot to an account executive in the firm's business insurance department. Caston-Talbot has more than 13 years of experience in the insurance business.

Putney Inc., a pet pharmaceutical company in Portland, recently promoted Jennifer Johansson to senior vice president of regulatory policy and counsel. Johansson will oversee strategy for the company's abbreviated new animal drug applications with the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine and will provide senior level guidance across the company on compliance as a pharmaceutical company.

Appointments

Friends of Casco Bay, a conservation organization in South Portland, recently elected Derek Pelletier to its board of directors. Pelletier is an aquatic ecologist with ENVIRON International Corp., in Portland.

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project, a provider of free and low-cost immigration legal assistance for low-income residents, recently appointed Susan Roche as interim executive director. Roche was the firm's legal director.

Frank Blair, Peter Davidson, Thomas Keller, Charles Moore, Matthew Rubel and David Townsend were recently appointed to the board of directors of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, a nonprofit in Portland focused on the stewardship and the economic potential of the Gulf of Maine. Blair is the captain of the schooner Farfarer; Davidson is senior adviser for energy and economic development at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Keller is co-director of the Reach Center at the Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance in Augusta; Moore is president and founder of Little Diamond Island Enterprises; Rubel is senior adviser to TPG Capital in Kansas City; and Townsend is senior manager of research and new product development at Idexx Laboratories Inc.

Bernstein Shur, a Portland law firm, recently announced that attorney Emily Gray Rice, a shareholder and member of the firm's labor and employment practice group and litigation group, was selected by New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan to co-chair the Judicial Selection Commission. As co-chair of the commission, Rice will serve a term of three years, with the option of additional terms at the invitation of the governor.

Woodfords Family Services, a nonprofit in Westbrook that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, recently announced that Rebekah Bickford and Susan Scanlon were appointed as trustees. Bickford is a faculty member in the University of Southern Maine School Psychology doctoral program and certified school psychologist. Scanlon is the manager of the Portsmouth RE/MAX By The Bay Office.

Ken White was recently elected the president of the Maine Insurance Agents Association. White is the sales manager and vice president of sales of F.A. Peabody, an insurance agency in Hampden.

Betsy Hopkins, director of the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation of the Bureau of Employment Services of the Maine Department of Labor, was recently elected president elect of the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation. Hopkins will serve as president elect for approximately 14 months, before stepping into the role of president on July 1, 2014, for a one-year term.

Achievements

BerryDunn, a CPA and management consulting firm in Portland, recently announced that Lisa Trundy, a senior manager in the health care group, received coding certification from the American Academy of Professional Coders. As a certified coder, Trundy has completed coursework and testing related to the International Classification of Diseases code set.

Internet software provider AskOnline recently awarded its first Innovator Award to the University of Southern Maine's "Learning Commons." The award is presented to institutions that utilize the software platform to enhance student engagement and academic success.

Tom Myers of the University of Maine was the winner of the second annual UMaine Business Challenge held recently. Myers' ABC Firewood company, a combined firewood provider and equipment manufacturer, was awarded a $5,000 cash prize, technical support, and a $4,000 grant to enter into USM Campus Ventures program. Spencer Wood from UMaine received $1,000 and consulting services to apply for patent protection for Body Guard, his proprietary, lightweight and portable full body workout equipment.

Richard LaRue, professor and NAS Fellow in the Department of Business, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New England, was recently recognized by the Council on Facilities and Equipment with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes the scholarly achievements of a professional who has contributed to facility design and management over his/her lifetime.

Broadreach Public Relations in Portland was recently named a 2012 Constant Contact All Star for its management of clients' email marketing, event marketing and online surveying efforts.

Kalevi Kotkas, vice president of life and employee benefits at Turner Barker Insurance in Portland, was recently presented with the University of Southern Maine College of Science, Technology and Health Dean's Award.

Nick Bennett, a staff scientist for the Natural Resources Council of Maine, was recently awarded The Bates-Morse Mountain Award for Environmental Stewardship. For more than 16 years Bennett has worked with lawmakers, community and business leaders and others to protect Maine watersheds.

The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness, a Portland nonprofit, recently announced it has selected Sen. Susan Collins as its 2013 Person of the Year. Collins will be publicly recognized at an award presentation at the Center's 10th anniversary celebration on June 21 in South Portland.

Brian Heath, worksite benefits manager at Combined Benefits United in Hallowell, was recently presented with the Agent of the Year Award by Washington National Insurance Co. Heath received the award for being one of the top-three voluntary benefits insurance agents in the country.

Dream Local Digital, an interactive media, marketing, SEO and social media marketing firm in Rockland, recently announced that Shannon Kinney, founder and client success officer, recently presented at the America East Technology & Operations Conference held in Hershey, Pa. Kinney discussed solutions for media companies adapting to the digital era in a presentation titled, "Lessons Around the World: Best Practices in Revenue Generation."

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Maine recently designated the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Maine at Central Maine Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center for Knee and Hip Replacement Surgery. The center was acknowledged for demonstrating an expertise and reliability in quality special care on a consistent basis, resulting in better overall outcomes for patients.

Eastern Maine Development Corp., Penobscot County, the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportation System and an advisory group of private and public leaders in the corporation's four-county region, recently received national recognition during the National Association of Development Organization's 2013 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference. "Linking the Rural Regions of Four Counties in Maine to Enhance Transportation Opportunities and Improve Quality of Life" is also known as the TIGER II project that is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation through the 2010 Planning Grant program.

Ron Jaques, material services assistant, and Richard May, continuously manufactured sheet operator and production team leader, at Evonik's Performance Polymer Business Unit in Sanford were recently honored with the Matt Taylor Award of Excellence.

Stanley Marshall Jr., was recently presented the 2013 Maine Philanthropy Award by the Maine Association of Nonprofits and Colby College. Marshall has been active with full-time volunteer work for a number of organizations including acting as chair of the board of directors for Legal Services for the Elderly.

Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockland recently announced that its marketing and communications team earned a bronze Healthcare Advertising Award in the special events marketing category for the 2012 Pen Bay Challenge ad campaign. A national panel of judges reviewed all 2013 Healthcare Marketing Award entries based on creativity, quality, message effectiveness, consumer appeal, graphic design and impact.

The American Hospital Association, in partnership with the Maine Hospital Association, recently awarded Rebecca Ryder, president and CEO of Franklin Memorial Hospital, with the AHA Grassroots Champion Award. The award recognizes Ryder for her leadership in generating grassroots and community activity in support of her hospital's mission.

The Maine Tobacco-Free Hospital Network recently recognized 31 Maine hospitals in its Gold Star Standards of Excellence program. The program awards hospitals for meeting best practice standards around creating a tobacco-free environment and supporting tobacco-free lifestyles. Hospitals that met all 10 standards to reach the gold level include: Acadia Hospital, Calais Regional Hospital, Cary Medical Center, CA Dean Memorial Hospital, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Franklin Memorial Hospital, Goodall Hospital, Maine General Medical Center, Maine Medical Center, Mayo Regional Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Parkview Adventist Medical Center, Pen Bay Medical Center, Sebasticook Valley Health, Southern Maine Medical Center, Stephens Memorial Hospital, The Aroostook Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital.