IN SHORT

New hires

Hospice of Southern Maine in South Portland hired Laurl Matey as clinical services director. Matey has over 30 years of experience working in the nursing profession.

First National Bank and its parent company, The First Bancorp, hired Necole Dabrio Janczura as business development officer for First Advisors, operating as the investment management and trust division of the bank. Janczura was previously executive manager of operations at Owls Head Transportation Museum.

Diversified Communications, an international media company in Portland, hired Stephen Savarese as a technical support specialist and Courtney Zorena as a marketing coordinator. Savarese was with Southern Maine Community College while Zorena was with Digital Impulse.

Pika Energy, a manufacturer of home solar and storage systems in Westbrook, hired Kristen Helsel as vice president of sales and marketing, Michael Shea as R&D electrical engineer, Emily Eschner as office manager, Derek Bonpietro as technical service representative, Mike Morris as director of quality and test engineering and Joseph Gaudet as senior software engineer.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough hired Gary Rose as vice president, learning and development. Rose was previously with TD Bank.

Gorham Savings Bank hired Nicholas Weightman as a commercial loan officer. Weightman was previously vice president, commercial loan officer at TD Bank.

Consumers for Affordable Health Care in Augusta hired Ann Woloson as executive director. Woloson most recently was a policy analyst with Maine Equal Justice Partners.

Easterseals Maine in Portland hired Joe Reagan as senior director or development for the Veterans Count Maine Program. Reagan previously served as vice-chairman of Veterans Count Maine board where he aided in fundraising efforts across Maine.

Scott Simons Architects in Portland hired Paul Lewandowski as a principal.

Kennebunk Savings hired Rhonda Hebert as vice president and branch manager of its Lower Village branch in Kennebunk and Judy DesMeules as vice president and branch manager in Wells.

Fluent IMC, a marketing communications agency Westbrook, hired Emily Broadbent as a public relations and digital strategist.

P&C Insurance in Biddeford hired Glenn Mitchell as an employee benefits account executive and Paula Hayward as an administrative account executive in employee benefits. Mitchell previously worked for Aetna as a senior analyst while Hayward was with DSM Metal Fabrication Inc.

Gorrill Palmer, a land development, transportation and municipal engineering firm in South Portland, hired Chris DiMatteo as a planner and landscape architect. DiMatteo has spent more than three decades involved in land development including planning, design, preservation and rehabilitation.

United Way of Greater Portland hired Ronald Jarrett as director, public policy and advocacy. Jarrett previously held advocacy roles at Maine People's Alliance and the Service Employees International Union.

The World Affairs Council of Maine in Portland hired Kate McCarthy as executive director. McCarthy was most recently director of operations at Limitless Child International.

Skelton Taintor & Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, hired Jim Pross as an associate attorney practicing in the areas of commercial real estate, landlord/tenant, municipal and government law, Social Security disability and workers' compensation law.

MaineGeneral Surgery in Augusta hired Alfred Proto as a thoracic surgeon. Proto was with St. Mary Medical Center in Langhorne, Pa.

Aquarius Property Management in South Portland hired Carlye Youngblood as a property manager and Allison Freeman as office and property assistant.

Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden hired Regan Cahalan as a business insurance account manager. Cahalan was with Norton/HUB.

Promotions

Diversified Communications, an international media company in Portland, promoted Adrianne Madden to senior conference coordinator, technology events; Amélie Veegaert to operations team manager; Amy Jordan to operations senior coordinator; Danielle Ruby to quality assurance engineer; Harrison Hines to event manager; Joe Grace to manager of web development; Lauren McDermott to senior marketing coordinator, commercial marine events; Megan Hall to event director; Melissa Vigue to customer service coordinator; Pat Rudman to director of web; Samantha Schulte to senior event coordinator; Sarah Williams to operations manager; Sean Higgins to managing editor, technology events; Sydney Peterson to senior marketing operations coordinator; and Tammy Merrill to accounts payable accountant.

Central Maine Power Co., a subsidiary of AVANGRID Inc., a diversified energy and utility company, promoted Douglas Herling to president and CEO. Herling previously was vice president, special projects, where he oversaw construction of the Maine Power Reliability Program, a $1.4 billion transmission and substation upgrade program in Maine.

University Credit Union promoted Carla Walton to electronic branch manager in Orono and Abbey Ramsay to consumer lending manager in Orono. Walton was previously a collections specialist while Ramsay was an electronic loan specialist, electronic branch supervisor and electronic branch manager.

Infinity Federal Credit Union in Westbrook promoted Kathy Akopov Guillory to director of marketing and Ruth Leavitt to vice president of member experience. Guillory previously served as senior marketing manager while Leavitt was director of branch administration.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, elected Tawny Alvarez, Emily Chi Fogler, Benjamin Ford, Nate Hull, Misti Munster and Taylor Neff as partners.

Downeast Air at the Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head promoted Shane Burns to general manager.

Husson University in Bangor promoted William Watson to general manager of its southern Maine campus in Westbrook. Watson was previously director of corporate partnerships and internships.

R.M. Davis, a private wealth management firm in Portland, added Scot Draeger and Dean Walker as equity owners. Draeger serves the firm as director of wealth management and general counsel while Walker is vice president of trading and data management.

Miller Law & Mediation LLC, a law firm in Portland, named Jessica Govind partner. Govind was previously an associate at the firm.

Bangor Federal Credit Union promoted Basil Closson to CEO effective April 1. Closson, now CFO, will succeed Steve Clark, who will retire after 32 years in the position.

Aquarius Property Management in South Portland promoted Erin Cott to business operations and account manager.

Appointments

The Dance Hall in Kittery added Terie Norelli and Michael Chubrich to its board of directors and elected Paul Hodes as president of the board. Norelli was the first president and CEO of the New Hampshire Women's Foundation; Chubrich is a retired lawyer; and Hodes serves as counsel to the law firm of Shaheen & Gordon PA in Concord, N.H.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation added Michael Norton to its board of directors. Norton is director of external communications and community relations at Hannaford.

The Institute for Family-Owned Business said that David Ciullo, CEO of Career Management Associates and Dale Carnegie Maine, will serve as its chair; Lindsay Skilling, CEO of Gifford's Ice Cream, as vice chair; and Frank O'Shea, partner with BerryDunn, as treasurer. The organization also added Kevin Bowman, president of Bowman Constructors; Joseph Capozza II, president of Capozza Tile Co.; Steve Cote, president of Chalmers Insurance Group; Paula Mahony, president of Words@Work; and Jeff Shaw, president of Clark Insurance, to its board.

HealthInfoNet, an independent, nonprofit in Portland using information technology to improve patient care quality and safety, announced that Nona Boyink will serve as chair of its board of directors. Boyink retired from her position as senior vice president of MaineGeneral Health and president of MaineGeneral Community Care, MaineGeneral Rehabilitation and Long Term Care and MaineGeneral Retirement Community in September 2016.

Catholic Charities Maine in Portland named Rachel Grivois board chair for a two-year term. Grivois owns and operates Accounting Services of Maine LLC. In addition, Andrew Files and Deacon Bob Cleveland were added to the board. Files is spiritual care director at St. Joseph Healthcare in Bangor while Cleveland is vice president and senior network engineer at Camden National Bank.

Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick elected Katherine Greason, Peter O'Donnell, Deborah Peet, Brad Sevaldson and Elena Vandervoort to its board of trustees. Greason is a retired attorney, O'Donnell is a psychiatric nurse practitioner and family nurse practitioner, Peet is a school counselor for MSAD 22, Sevaldson is a retail professional and Vandervoort is a corporator of Bath Savings Institution and of Mid Coast-Parkview Hospital.

Achievements

Norway Savings Bank said it received an “outstanding” rating on its latest Community Reinvestment Act examination, administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Dana Totman, president and CEO of Avesta Housing, was given MaineHousing's “Stephen B. Mooers Award,” recognizing the achievements of an individual who has demonstrated a passion for helping people in need and who has dedicated their career to increasing affordable housing in Maine with both innovation and diversity. Totman has led Portland-based Avesta since 2000.

Barry Higgins of Maple Lane Farms in Charleston received the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry's “Distinguished Service Award” in recognition of contributions to Maine agriculture.

The Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce named Jim Frey, Bow Street Market, its “Volunteer of the Year Award” winner; Betsy Ruff the “Ed Bonney Community Contribution Award” recipient; and Wolfe's Neck Center for Agriculture & the Environment captured the “L.L.Bean Community Involvement Award.”

The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the recipients of its annual leadership awards. Melissa Smith, CEO of WEX Inc., was recognized “For Leadership in the Private Sector;” Sigco captured the “Economic Development Leadership Award;” Brit Vitalius of Vitalius Real Estate Group and Heather Sanborn of Rising Tide Brewing Co. were named co-winners of the “Public Sector Leadership Award” for their work on Portland Referendums 1 & 2; and Michelle Raber of State Farm Insurance was the “Visionary Volunteer Leadership Award” winner.

The Maine Real Estate & Development Association recently named its annual award winners. Peter Merrill of the Maine State Housing Authority was selected for the “Robert B. Patterson Jr. Founders' Award;” the co-chairs of association's DevelopME program, Sam LeGeyt and Cameron Woodford, shared the “President's Award;” Brit Vitalius of Vitalius Real Estate Group received the “Public Policy Award;” and Ethan Boxer-Macomber of Anew Development was named the “Volunteer of the Year Award” winner.

Catholic Charities Maine in Portland achieved national re-accreditation through the New York-based Council on Accreditation, an independent, not-for-profit accreditor of the full continuum of community-based behavioral health care and social service organizations.

Eastern Maine Medical Center for Family Medicine, EMMC Pediatric Medicine and the Way to Optimal Weight Clinic recently received “Sites of Distinction” status from MaineHealth's obesity prevention program, “Let's Go!”

The Association of Fundraising Professionals – Northern New England Chapter in Portland named Robert Demont as a recipient of a “Lifetime Achievement Award.” Demont is president of Demont Associates, a financial consulting firm in Portland.

Sebago Brewing Co.'s 2017 Barleywine was ranked No. 3 among 62 such beverages tested by Paste Magazine.

St. Mary's Food Pantry in Lewiston recently presented an award to Sam's Italian Sandwich Shoppe at Cook's Corner in Brunswick for its fundraising efforts to end hunger in Maine.