IN SHORT

New hires

Cornerstone Financial Planning in Portland hired Brittany Landry as office manager. Landry was previously with Robert Half, a specialized staffing firm in Portland.

The Law firm of Rudman Winchell in Bangor hired attorney Chris Hatch. Hatch, formerly of Tate Bywater in Vienna, Va. was accepted into the Maine bar in April and joined the firm's municipal and real estate sections with a concentration in timberland and forest practices work.

Cardente Real Estate in Portland hired Courtney Brown as graphic designer and marketing director.

Diversified Communications, an international media company in Portland, hired Phil Friedman as an application developer and Jane Davis as an account executive. Friedman was previously with Group Market Share LLC while Davis was with EnsembleIQ in Chicago.

CES Inc., a firm of engineers, environmental scientists and land surveyors in Brewer, hired Christopher Buckman as senior project geologist-geophysicist in its Lewiston office. Buckman has two decades of experience in his field.

Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden hired Charles Luce as a group benefits account manager in the company's benefits division. Luce, who has his state of Maine Life, Accident & Health Producer's license, has decades of experience in the industry.

OTELCO, a wireline telecommunications company in New Gloucester, hired David Chaplin as outside plant field technician working out of its Granby, Mass. office. Chaplin most recently he worked as an engineering project manager at UC Synergetic.

Broadreach Public Relations, a strategic communications advisory firm in Portland, hired Emily Goldthwait as a public relations and social media associate. Goldthwait was previously an editorial intern with Occasions Media Group in St. Augustine, Fla.

Landry/French Construction Co. in Scarborough hired John Burrell as project estimator. Burrell was previously with PC Construction.

Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Augusta hired Debra Gibb as finance manager. Gibb previously served as director of accounting at Coastal Enterprises Inc. in Brunswick.

Promotions

Reed & Reed Inc., a heavy civil contractor in Woolwich specializing in bridge, marine, wind power and electrical infrastructure construction, promoted Arthur Cavanagh to president and COO. Cavanagh has been with the firm since in 2002 and most recently was responsible for all energy projects.

Landry/French Construction Co. in Scarborough promoted Matt Gagnon to senior project manager and Ian McCracken to senior project estimator.

U.S. Cellular promoted Kyle Burbine to retail store manager for the Bangor Mall and Bangor retail locations. Burbine most recently served as a sales manager in Bangor.

Androscoggin Bank in Lewiston promoted Scott Sarapas to vice president, mortgage market leader, Rob Westhoven to lead commercial loan officer for the Lewiston/Auburn market, Zach Ovington to commercial loan officer 1, Denise Tabet to retail service manager and Torri Jones to retail operations manager.

Broadreach Public Relations, a strategic communications advisory firm in Portland, promoted Emily Colt to senior client associate and Josiah Petrin to client manager.

Illustration Institute in Portland promoted Ellen Mahoney to development director. Mahoney was previously project manager.

Appointments

OHI, an adult mental services organization in Hermon, elected Sarah Zmistowski and Michael Deschaine its board of directors. Zmistowski is senior counsel at Eaton Peabody while Deschaine is retired past president of Cross Insurance's employee benefits division.

The Maine Community College System in Augusta added Southern Maine Community College student Nicki Fowlie as the student trustee on its board of trustees. Fowlie is a 2017 graduate of the college's fire science technology program and is currently enrolled in the college's paramedicine program.

The Maine Department of Education announced that Fern Desjardins will serve on the Maine State Board of Education. Desjardins, a former superintendent of schools in MSAD 33 who has accepted appointments to work on the Construction Committee and the Maine Charter School Commission, will serve as a representative of Congressional District 2 on the board.

The Maine Public Relations Council in Portland added Trevor Jones, Yury Nabokov, Leah Williams and Meg Handlin to its board of directors. Jones is vice president of marketing, sales and customer service at OTELCO; Nabokov is innovation and digital strategy manager at Machias Savings Bank and teaches social media marketing at Husson University; Williams is social media and marketing assistant at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution; and Handlin is senior client manager/PR strategist at Broadreach Public Relations.

Achievements

The city of Portland's Age-Friendly Portland Steering Committee said it presented its first age-friendly business designation to The Merchant Co., a handmade arts, crafts and vintage store in Portland. The Maine Mariners, a professional hockey team in Portland, were the second.

Thomas College in Waterville said Professor Frank Appunn provided a remote keynote address about project management to more than 500 project managers nationally and internationally for AT&T. The college also announced that three of its business students, Kaitlyn Rourke, Landon Wilbur and Amanda Landry, recently placed third in a national competition at the Society for the Advancement of Management International Conference held in Washington, D.C.

Atlantic Federal Credit Union in Brunswick was named as one of the “Healthiest Credit Unions” in the country by Deposit Accounts.com, a bank account comparison website. The credit union received an “A+” health rating, placing it among top 2% of all federally insured credit unions in the U.S.

Maine Compact Campus recently recognized faculty members and students at the University of Maine at Augusta with its annual awards. Sharon McMahon Sawyer, assistant professor of justice studies, was selected as its “Donald Harward Faculty Award for Service-Learning Excellence,” Aaminah Aleem received the “Heart and Soul Student Award” and the First Nations Student Circle was presented the “President's Campus Leadership Award.”

Geiger, a promotional products distributor in Lewiston, selected Anna Pittman, Michael French and Patti Gallant as its first quarter “Star Winners.” Pittman is product data team leader in the IT department, French is assistant web and marketing manager in corporate programs and Gallant is order expediting specialist in total care. The firm also presented its “President's Awards” to Brian Mann and Kevin Boilard.

Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program in Brunswick announced that Howard Bliss, a food pantry volunteer, was selected as the “Maine Governor's Service Award Volunteer of the Year” for 2018.

The University of Maine at Augusta Nursing Program said it received an endorsement from the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corp. and can now provide graduates with an opportunity to sit for the Holistic Nursing Board Certification exam. The university also announced that Sarah Hentges, associate professor of American studies, received a “Fulbright Scholar Award” as a Danish Distinguished Chair at the Center for American Studies, University of Southern Denmark where she will teach classes and participate in research during the 2018-19 academic year.

Sarah Ruef-Lindquist, a financial advisor at Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden, was the featured speaker at the May meeting of the MDI Nonprofit Alliance held recently at the Acadia National Park Headquarters offices. Ruef-Lindquist spoke about the policy foundations and recognition practices she views as necessary to have fiscally-sound and successful planned giving programs.

Old Port Straight Bourbon Whiskey, distilled by Liquid Riot in Portland, was awarded a “Gold Medal” at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

BerryDunn, an accounting and consulting firm in Portland, said Katherine Whitehead, a senior valuation analyst, completed the certification process with the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts to earn the Certified Valuation Analyst designation. The credential is granted only to qualified individuals with considerable professional experience in the field of business valuation.

Wendy Byrd, group benefits account manager at Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden, obtained her state of Maine life and health insurance license.

Maine Resource Recovery Association named Clayton Klye, founder and CEO of CLYNK, its “2018 Maine Recycling and Solid Waste Sustainable Business Leader of the Year.” Other award recipients included Rockland Waste Watchers, “Volunteer of the Year;” We Compost It!/MB Bark, “Composter of the Year;” Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments, “Outstanding Service Organization;” city of Eastport, “Most Improved Program;” town of Bowdoinham, “Program of the Year;” Eva Murray, recycling and solid waste coordinator, Matinicus Island, “Manager of the Year;” George MacDonald, retired director of sustainability division, ME DEP, “Distinguished Service Award;” and Ross Nason, president, Maine Resource Recovery Association, 25-year service award.

The Maine Center for Entrepreneurs and FocusMaine announced that Belle Cove LLC, Black Dinah Chocolatiers, Crown O'Maine Organic Cooperative, Mousam Valley Mushrooms, North Spore, Two Fat Cats Bakery and Vena's Fizz House were selected into the 2018-19 Cultivator Food, Beverage & Agriculture Accelerator program.

The University of Maine at Farmington announced that Drew Kelso, a junior from Hampden, was selected as a “2018 George Mitchell Peace Scholar.” Kelso's scholarship will take him to the city of Cork on the south coast of Ireland where he will study for a semester at the University College Cork of the National University of Ireland in spring 2019.

The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine in Brewer selected Chaplin Logging Inc. in Naples as its “PLC Logger of the Year Award” winner at its annual meeting. Other award winners included: “PLC Impact Awards,” Maine State Senator Thomas Saviello; “PLC Community Service Award,” Katahdin Fire Co. in Old Town; “Acadia Insurance Safety Award,” Treeline Inc. in Chester; “PLC Supporting Member Award,” Farm Credit East; “PLC President's Award,” Robert Linkletter and Brian Souers; and “Master Logger Supporters Award,” E.J. Prescott.

J.S. McCarthy Printers in Augusta won 22 awards at the Printing Industries of New England regional awards of excellence competition including “Best of Show,” “Judges Choice,” “Best Offset Piece,” “Best Use of Color,” and “Most Creative Use of Paper,” 12 “Pinnacle Awards” (best of category), six “Awards of Recognition” and one “Award of Merit.”

The Maine Real Estate & Development Association recently named its Top 10 real estate developments in Maine in 2017. The list included: Anew Development's 65 Munjoy Street in Portland; Tedlum Associates' Aura in Portland; Portland Housing Authority and Avesta Housing's Bayside Anchor in Portland; RBDD Cliff House Acquisitions' Cliff House Maine in Cape Neddick; Augusta Housing Authority and Developers Collaborative's Hodgkins School Apartments in Augusta; The Szanton Co.'s Huse School Apartments in Bath; Avesta Housing's Huston Commons in Portland; NewHeight Group's Luminato in Portland; Chinburg Properties' Saco Mill #4 in Saco; and Zachau Construction for the Tyler Technologies expansion in Yarmouth.