IN SHORT

New hires

Thomas College in Waterville hired Ted Prawat, Kate Cook Whitt and Katie Rybakova as education faculty members at its Center for Innovation in Education. Prawat, previously a curriculum specialist at Michigan State University, is an assistant professor for education and educational design center director; Rybakova, previously program coordinator for undergraduate and graduate English education program at Florida State University, is an assistant professor of education; and Cook Whitt, previously a biology teacher at the Dayton Regional STEM School in Kettering, Ohio, is an assistant professor of education with a focus on STEAM education.

First National Bank in Damariscotta hired Timothy Keene as training and education manager. Keene was most recently with TD Bank.

Coldwell Banker Sandy River Realty in Farmington hired Dylan Toothaker as a real estate sales agent.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust hired Lorraine Ivers as vice president, senior risk and compliance analyst.

Portland Trails in Portland hired Jennifer Goldman as advancement manager. Goldman was director of development and external relations for the Restorative Justice Institute of Maine.

SaviLinx LLC, a contact center in Brunswick specializing in business process outsourcing and technical support services, hired Jody Marra as human resources manager. Marra was most recently human resources business partner with HIMSS Media in Portland.

Broadreach Public Relations in Portland hired Susan Tompkins as a senior account executive. Tompkins previously was with Rising Tide PR in South Portland.

Husson University in Bangor hired Sarah Cary Robinson as vice president of advancement. Robinson was previously a vice president and trust officer at Bar Harbor Trust Services.

The MEMIC Group, a workers' compensation specialist in Portland, hired John Yao as senior vice president and chief information officer. Yao was director of applications development at Aetna.

Gould Academy in Bethel hired Rogan Connell as alpine director and head FIS [International Ski Federation] coach for its Gould Academy Competition Program. Connell was head alpine coach at Bates College in Lewiston.

GrowSmart Maine in Portland hired Kirsten Stolte as membership coordinator.

Blais Civil Engineers in Scarborough hired Paulette Witherall as administrative assistant. Witherall was previously with Cole Haan.

Unity College hired Christopher Bond as manager at its McKay Farm & Research Station, a greenhouse operation in Thorndike. Bond was a horticulturist and farm food program coordinator at Case Western Reserve University.

University Credit Union in Orono hired Stephanie Beck as marketing manager based out of the credit union's Scarborough office.

Promotions

Down East Enterprise Inc., a publishing company in Rockport, named Kathleen Fleury editor in chief, Mirek Jurek creative director, Mark Fleming director of photography and Lauren Chartier to customer service representative. Fleury is also editor in chief of Down East magazine and oversees the content and creation of Shooting Sportsman and Fly Rod & Reel magazines, along with providing editorial oversight for Dispatch magazine; Jurek also served as Down East magazine's art director; Fleming, was previously visuals editor and Chartier was circulation assistant. In addition, Dispatch magazine in Portland named Tom Giovanniello publisher and Down East magazine named Brian Kevin managing editor. Giovanniello is also associate publisher of Down East while Kevin was a staff member and spokesperson.

Maine State Credit Union in Augusta promoted Erika Bryant to loan officer. Bryant most recently worked in card services.

Manomet's Grocery Stewardship Certification program in Brunswick promoted Catrina Damrell to field manager. Damrell has led and co-taught more than program trainings for grocery clients, assessed over 100 grocery stores and analyzed the sustainability data for 400 grocery stores.

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, selected Peter Van Hemel as practice group leader of the firm's Real Estate Practice Group. Van Hemel, a shareholder, has focused his real estate practice on commercial lease negotiations, wind energy and telecommunications development projects, transactional work, boundary disputes and easement negotiations.

Maine State Credit Union in Augusta promoted Paige Plummer to loan servicing clerk/member service representative of its Waterville branch. Plummer was previously a teller in Augusta.

PeoplesChoice Credit Union in Saco promoted Meagan Gray to assistant branch manager in Wells. Gray was previously a teller III at the branch.

University Credit Union in Orono promoted Shauna Baker to operations manager and Stacey Young to retail services manager. Baker was most recently training manager while Young was branch manager in Bangor.

Appointments

The Education Foundation of the Kennebunks and Arundel announced that James Read joined its board of directors. Read is the owner of Benchmark Multimedia in Biddeford.

Achievements

The Maine Department of Transportation was presented a regional award by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, AAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its 2016 America's Transportation Awards competition. The expansion of Portland's International Marine Terminal received the award in the category of “Quality of Life/Community Development, Small.”

Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, received No. 1 rankings by Chamber USA 2016 in all six practice areas evaluated in the state including corporate and mergers-and-acquisitions, energy and natural resources, environment, labor and employment, litigation and real estate. The firm was also included in “Band 1” for environmental law and had a total 25 Maine attorneys recognized.

The Institute for Family-Owned Business in Portland announced its 2016 award winners: Maine Beer Co., Freeport, IRC Industrial Roofing Companies Environmental Leadership Award; Bowman Constructors, Newport, People's United Bank Innovation and Technology Award; Fish Bones American Grill, Lewiston, Norton Insurance and Financial Services First Generation Award; Blue Elephant Events and Catering, Saco, Chalmers Insurance Group Customer Service Award; King Eider's Pub, Damariscotta, Shep Lee Award for Community Service; Rising Tide Brewing Co., Portland, Maddy Corson Small Business Award; and Planet Dog, Westbrook, Renys Large Business Award.

Rudman Winchell, a law firm in Bangor, announced that the firm and several of the firm's attorneys received high rankings from Chambers USA 2016. David King, Frank McGuire, William Hanson and Curtis Kimball were recognized in their respective practice areas while the firm received recognition in corporate and mergers-and-acquisitions; labor and employment; litigation (including general commercial, medical malpractice and insurance and plaintiff); and real estate, including timberland and conservation.

Maine Medical Center Cancer Institute in Portland earned re-accreditation from the American College of Surgeons for the Breast Care Center in recognition of high standards in cancer care.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution announced that 19 of its employees earned certificates and high honor awards this year. Deb Argetes, Jen Corthell, Anne Hensley, Amy King, Andrea Moore and Travis Vacchiano earned Certified Teller Certificates; Alison Pelletier, Hensley, Janice Lane, Kathleen Grenier and Lenore Rossignol received High Honors in Education; Deb Houle, Karyn Labrie, Debbie Ouellette and Dan Rousselle earned Bank Security Awareness Certificates; Michelle Prejean and Tim Villemaire received Introduction to Lending Diplomas; and Alie DiCarlo, Christine Nicholas and Tammie Perkins earned Professional Development Certificates.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention in Augusta earned public health accreditation from the Public Health Accreditation Board.

Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington announced that Bruce Williamson completed the six-week anticoagulation therapy management certificate program offered by the University of Southern Indiana College of Nursing and Health Professions and Maria-Ausilia Evans completed the antithrombotic traineeship from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, a five-month post graduate program. Williamson and Evans are pharmacists with the hospital. The hospital also named Taffy Davis, a clinical instructor, “Caregiver of the Year.” Davis has a master's degree in nursing, is board-certified in nursing professional development and has completed classes in online learning and instructional design.

Androscoggin Home Care & Hospice in Lewiston presented its Robert D. Turcotte Award for volunteerism to Leo Savard, Stephanie Upton and David Blocher at the organization's spring volunteer recognition event.

The Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine announced that Delta Dewatering in South Portland and F.E. Wood Natural Energy in Baldwin were accepted to the Cleantech Open Northeast's Class of 2016 and Surge Hydro in Belfast was accepted into both the Cleantech Open Northeast's Class of 2016 and MassChallenge business competition.

DMM Inc., a direct marketing and digital document provider in Scarborough, was a winner in the digital printing campaign category for The Real Yellow Pages, produced for Hunt Direct and Havas Edge, at the Printing Industries of New England regional Awards of Excellence Competition.

F.L.Putnam Investment Management Co. in Portland said that it was named to the Financial Times' list of “The 300 Top Registered Investment Advisers.” The list recognizes the top independent registered investment advisers in the United States.

Valerie Robinson, a business insurance account manager at Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden, recently achieved the designation of Accredited Customer Service Representative in commercial lines from the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America. The firm also said Brandy Schofield,an account manager in the insured benefits division, completed the National Association of Health Insurance Underwriter's Consumer Directed Health Care Certification course.

Matthew Weaver, vice president and senior portfolio manager at First Advisors in Damariscotta, was recently awarded the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers, a subsidiary of the American Bankers Association.

Berman & Simmons, a law firm in Lewiston, was ranked by Chambers USA as the best law firm in Maine for the representation of plaintiffs, earning the highest ranking in the “litigation/mainly plaintiff” practice area. The firm also had four of its attorneys recognized as outstanding lawyers for plaintiffs and attorney Jack Simmons was selected as a “senior statesman” whose work has been pivotal to the firm's success.

Denis St. Peter was inducted into the University of Maine's Francis Crowe Society as a distinguished engineer. St. Peter is the president and CEO of CES Inc., an engineering, environmental science and surveying consulting firm in Brewer.

The MEMIC Group, a workers' compensation insurer in Portland, recently presented awards for workplace safety to 10 of its more than 20,000 policyholders. Five of the 10 honorees were from Maine including First National Bank in Damariscotta, Good Shepherd Food Bank in Auburn, InterMed P.A. in Portland, Lumbra Hardwoods Inc. in Milo and Ridgewood Estates LLC in Madawaska.

Joshua Ellis, an account executive in the business insurance department of Clark Insurance in Portland, earned the industry designation Certified Insurance Counselor.

Kelly Hughes Wheeler, nurse manager in the birthing center at Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan, was selected as the 2016 Maine Hospital Association Caregiver of the Year.

The Maine Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society recognized Rachel Banister as the recipient of the 2016 Lee G. Allen President's award of excellence. Bannister is marketing supervisor at Patrons Oxford Insurance Co. in Auburn.

Anna Ryan was named the 2016 Elizabeth Fritz Thorndike Award winner for her contributions to the field of social work on Mount Desert Island. Ryan has served in a volunteer capacity for many organizations in Bar Harbor, including Birch Bay Village, Jesup Memorial Library, Bar Harbor Food Pantry and the Holy Redeemer Catholic Church.

Diversified Communications, an international media company in Portland, named Vicki Bollinger as “The Chairperson's 7 Cs Award” winner and Amelie Veegaert and Lisa McCann as “The Governor's Award” winners. Bollinger is corporate controller with the firm, Veegaert is operations manager and McCann is senior human resources manager.

Coutts Bros., an electrical construction/maintenance services firm in Randolph, was named “Small Employer of the Year” by the Disabled American Veterans of Maine.