IN SHORT

New hires

Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor hired Russell Begin as CFO. He had been CFO at Maine Primary Care Association in Augusta.

Norway Savings Bank hired Holly Pepin as vice president, commercial lending in Kennebunk. Pepin has 20 years of community banking experience, the last 12 years focusing on commercial lending.

Equinox Insurance in Westbrook hired Sharon Little as insurance agent and director of personal lines. Little brings 35 years of insurance account management to the position.

Beacon Environmental Consultants LLC, an environmental consulting and compliance company in Windham, hired Nicole Cressey as COO. She has 20 years of experience in insurance, risk management and client relations.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough hired Jon Paradise as vice president of public relations and communications. Paradise was previously with the Maine Credit Union League where he spent 18 years leading the organization's communications, public relations and government affairs programs.

Portland Museum of Art hired Christian Adame as Peggy L. Osher director of learning and interpretation. Adame was most recently assistant education director at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit Committee, doing business as Shuttlebus-Zoom, hired Craig Pendleton as fleet manager. Pendleton was formerly executive director of the Biddeford+Saco Chamber of Commerce+Industry.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust hired Beth Wood as vice president, compliance manager in Topsham. Wood was previously compliance officer at Dirigo Federal Credit Union.

Midcoast Federal Credit Union in Freeport hired Christina Carter as senior vice president, retail services and Andrew Mockler as marketing manager.

Consumer Title in Bangor hired Blake Dyer as sales and marketing manager. Dyer was previously a relationship banker at Camden National Bank.

Promotions

Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor promoted Joshua McIntyre to director of lending and investments. McIntyre, who previously worked with municipal leaders and business executives to facilitate large-scale business development projects, will continue his work as liaison with Acadia Capital Management, an affiliate Community Development Entity of the organization.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough promoted Linda Halleran to community outreach manager. Halleran was previously public relations and communications manager.

Katahdin Trust in Houlton promoted Melissa Dahlgren to branch manager and retail services officer in Fort Fairfield. Dahlgren was previously a customer service representative in Caribou.

OTELCO, a wireline telecommunications company in New Gloucester, promoted Ian Brasslett to sales engineer in the company's Bangor office. Brasslett was a member of the tech support team and over the course of his career has moved upward through various positions in the Network Operations Center.

Geiger, a promotional products distributor in Lewiston, promoted Brandi Vachon to assistant program manager in corporate programs. Vachon was previously inventory specialist lead in corporate programs.

Appointments

Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center in Windham elected new members to its board of directors including: Gary Plummer, former legislator and retired educator; Hilda Sastre, commercial marketing manager, IDEXX Laboratories; and James Small, regional market manager, Whirlpool USA.

Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice in Lewiston said Ken Albert, president and CEO, was elected by the membership of the National Association for Home Care and Hospice to serve a three-year term on its board of directors.

Thompson-Hamel LLC, a financial services firm in Presque Isle, announced that Pam Scheppele was appointed treasurer of the Women in Insurance and Financial Services. Scheppele is a retirement planning professional with 30 years of experience.

Achievements

AARP Maine in Portland announced Edwin Wright of Bridgton as the winner of the “2018 Andrus Award,” named in honor of AARP's founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. The award honors individuals who make a difference in the lives of others.

Franklin County Chamber of Commerce announced its annual awards with Rustic Roots Farm winning its “2018 Community Service Award,” Franklin Savings Bank won the “2018 Business of the Year” award and the “President's Award” went to County Seat Realty.

Jack Quirk, president and CEO of Quirk Auto Group, Laurie Lachance, president of Thomas College, and Gregory Dufour, president and CEO of Camden National Bank, were named to the Junior Achievement of Maine's Business Hall of Fame.

Camden National Bank announced a total of $22,000 in grants were awarded to six nonprofit board leaders as winners of its “2018 Leaders & Luminaries Awards.” Winners were: Brad Babson, board president, Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust; Samaa Abdurraqib, board co-chair, Maine Inside Out; Gerry Cushman, board chair, Maine Coast Fishermen's Association; and Ryan Ciriello, development committee chair, Milestone Recovery. Chelsea Ellis, board director, Hardy Girls Healthy Women, and Steven Bishop, treasurer, the Game Loft, were honored as “2018 Emerging Leaders.” The bank also said it was one of five U.S. banks named a “2018 Greenwich CX Leader,” a customer experience designation recently given by Greenwich Associates, a global provider of market intelligence and advisory services to the financial services industry. The only Maine-based bank among those named this year, the bank was one of two banks recognized specifically in the U.S. Retail Banking category.

Cushman Creative, a design agency specializing in biomedical and life science marketing in Port Clyde, said it earned a “Platinum Award” from MarCom Awards for its “Trapelo Knows” video, created for client Intervention Insights.

Treworgy Family Orchards in Levant won “Best Corn Maze in America” in this year's USA Today's “10 Best” Readers' Choice Awards.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, said that 21 of its Portland-based attorneys were named “Super Lawyers” in the 2018 “New England Super Lawyers” list including attorney Karen Frink Wolf, who was included in the top 100 lawyers overall and in the top 50 women. In addition, another nine of the firm's Maine-based attorneys were selected as “Rising Stars.”

Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland said it achieved top marks in the latest patient safety report issued by the Leapfrog Group. For the fifth time in a row, the hospital received an “A” grade for protecting patients from harm and meeting the highest safety standards in the country.

Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou received a “2018 Aliceann Wohlbruck Innovation Award” from the National Association of Development Organizations for Aroostook County Tourism's effort to market the region to potential tourists.

CES Inc., a firm of engineers, environmental scientists and land surveyors in Brewer, announced its was recognized by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine with an “Engineering Excellence Award” for its work for Brookfield's Penstock Number One Replacement Project.

RE/MAX Shoreline in Portland said Peter Hawkes was named a September 2018 RE/MAX “Top Producer.” Hawkes ranks No. 5 among individual RE/MAX agents in Maine, year to date, and No. 25 individual agent in New England.

Berman & Simmons, a law firm in Lewiston, said New England Super Lawyers selected attorney Jodi Nofsinger in its top 100 2018 “New England Super Lawyers” list and its “2018 Women New England Super Lawyers” list.

The Environmental Health Strategy Center in Portland named its named its “2018 Leadership Award” winners including Ginger Jordan-Hillier, “Frank Hatch Environmental Health Leadership Award;” Leonardo Trasande, “Bettie Kettell Award” for medical-professional leadership; Mano en Mano in Milbridge, “Grassroots Leadership Award;” and Kai Smith, “Business Leadership Award.”

Frances Bowen and John Morse IV were named “Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. Preservation Campions” by Maine Preservation during its “2018 Honor Awards,” celebrating outstanding examples of historic preservation and revitalization statewide and recognizing the owners, professionals, preservationists and partners who make them possible. Other winners included: Osgood Building, Lewiston; Amos O. Reed House, Brunswick; Whittier Field at Bowdoin College, Brunswick; Reading Room at Lithgow Library, Augusta; Lincoln Theater, Damariscotta; Clark Memorial Methodist Church, Portland; 96 Federal Street, Portland; Prince-Drowne House, Cumberland; Thomas B. Reed School, Portland; Administration Building at Stevens Commons, Hallowell; L.L.Bean Home, Freeport; Dow Farm, Standish; and The Motherhouse, Portland.

The National Shoe Retailers Association named Lamey Wellehan, a Maine-based shoe retailer, as its “2018 Retailer of the Year.”

The Boy Scouts of America - Katahdin Area Council presented Robert Clark and Husson University in Bangor with its “Distinguished Citizen Award.” Clark is president of the university.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, received the Endocrine Society's “Diabetes Champion Award” for her work to promote research and prevention efforts for people with diabetes. She also received the International Student House “2018 Global Leadership Award” for promoting international understanding and education.

The Maine Chapter of the American Council of Engineering Cos. presented Sevee & Maher Engineers Inc. in Cumberland with its “2019 Engineering Excellence Award” for the firm's performance as consultant on the city of Bath Landfill Phase 3 Project. The project increased the landfill's lifespan, reduced capital and landfill operational costs and enhanced environmental protection.

Brandon Davies was named a “2018 Maine Section - IEEE PES Outstanding Engineer Award” winner. Davies is supervisor of system protection engineering for TRC, an engineering, consulting and construction management firm in Augusta.

Kampgrounds of America announced that the Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA Holiday Campground earned its “2019 KOA President's Award” and “KOA Founder's Award.”

Trisha DuBois, a wound resource nurse at Androscoggin Home Healthcare and Hospice in Lewiston, presented at Wild on Wounds, a National Wound Care Conference held in Las Vegas. Dubois led the topic of “Collaborative Partnerships to Drive Cost-Effective Outcomes for Wound Management in Home Healthcare.”

Central Maine Growth Council presented its annual “Developer of the Year” award to Bill Mitchell, owner of GHM Insurance Agency and co-owner of The Proper Pig restaurant in Waterville. The council, along with KVConnect, also presented its annual “Emerging Leader” award to RJ Anzelc, owner and founder of Bricks Coworking & Innovation Space in Waterville.

MaineHousing named Jim Baillargeon as the winner of its “Stephen B. Mooers Award” recognizing the contributions of individuals in the housing field who exemplify a commitment to assist Maine people in obtaining and maintaining quality affordable housing and services. Baillargeon recently retired after serving 37 years as director of energy and housing for the Aroostook County Action Program Inc.

Dirigo Food Safety, a food safety consulting group in Yarmouth, received first place and an award of $5,000 as the winner of the New England Food Systems Innovation Challenge for The Locker, a fully customizable modular food production unit.