In short from August 24, 2009 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Employee Benefit Management Inc., a full-service insurance broker, administrator and enrollment firm based in Freeport, recently hired Eric Lake as vice president of business development. Previously, Lake was a sales and marketing consultant at Lake and Co. in Freeport.

Spectrum Generations, an Augusta-based agency on aging, recently hired Allison Post van der Burg as its catering manager and assistant nutrition chef and Elizabeth McKenney as an adult daybreak coordinator at its William S. Cohen Community Center in Hallowell. 

Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockland recently hired Megan Ragozzine as a marketing and communications specialist. Previously, Ragozzine was a marketing and sales coordinator for MVP Promotions, a New England-based promotional products sales team.

MaineHealth, a nonprofit integrated health care system based in Portland, recently hired Robert Frank as deputy general counsel. Previously, Frank was co-owner of Portland-based law firm Harvey and Frank.

KeyBank in Bangor recently hired Milton Kirk as vice president and senior relationship manager. Previously, Kirk was vice president of sales at Textron Financial Corp. in Providence, R.I.

Salem Advisory Group, a registered investment advisory in Kennebunk, recently hired Kevin Colley to its team of financial service professionals.

Thomas College in Waterville recently hired Jeff Fowler as head coach of its men’s and women’s tennis teams.

Hour Exchange Portland, a service exchange organization in Portland, recently hired Monique Bidwell as its new member care facilitator. 

Androscoggin Bank in Lewiston recently hired Erin Ehrlenbach Collins and Rodney Cote as vice presidents and trust officers. Previously, Collins was an assistant vice president and wealth management officer at Maine Bank and Trust in Portland and Cote was an assistant vice president and trust officer at TD Banknorth in Lewiston.

Jen Gilbert of Cumberland has become an independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct-sales company featuring easy-to-prepare food products based in Alexandria, Minn.

Sierra Communications, a Bangor-based telecommunications and computer service company, recently hired Michael King as an IT consultant. Previously, King worked as technical manager at Excel Computer in Bangor.

Runyon Kersteen Ouellette, an accounting firm in South Portland, recently hired Michelle McNeil-Brown as an assistant accountant. Previously, McNeil-Brown owned and operated a QuickBooks consulting and bookkeeping service in southern Maine.

Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty recently hired Ginny Whitney as a senior vice president at its Kennebunk office. 

Deering High School in Portland recently hired James Moses as an assistant principal. Previously, Moses was director of the Hollis Learning Center in School Administrative District 6.

Promotions

Camden National Bank recently promoted Pam Kenniston to vice president, senior retail lending officer for the midcoast region. Previously, Kenninston was vice president, market manager.

York County Community College in Wells recently promoted Nancy Drouin to director of finance and administration and Debra Lavoie to director of marketing and public relations.

Maine Bank and Trust in Scarborough recently promoted Erika Dupuis to assistant branch manager and loan officer in its community banking group. Previously, Dupuis was a customer service representative.

Appointments

The Sebasco Harbor Resort in Sebasco Estates recently announced that Michael Lynch, general manager for the resort, has been named president of the New England Chapter of Meeting Professionals International, the educational and networking association for New England meeting and event planners and suppliers.

Port Resources Inc., a provider of specialized social services for adults and children with developmental disabilities in South Portland, recently elected Ann Lee Hussey and Becky Stockbridge to its board of directors.

The United States Small Business Administration recently appointed Falmouth banker Jeanne Hulit as the regional administrator in Region I to oversee the SBA’s programs and services in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.

Arthur Turley, a member of the Lewiston Public Library board of trustees, was recently appointed by Gov. John Baldacci to the Maine Library Commission. 

Havens Candies in Portland recently announced the following members of its new 2009-2010 candy advisory board: Kathy Eliscu, Peggy Buckley, Jane O’Conor and Norman Sprague.

Portland’s Downtown District recently announced the following officers for 2009-2010: Brian Petrovek, president and CEO of the Portland Pirates, as president; Michael Quinlan, an attorney at Jensen, Baird, Gardner and Henry in Portland, as vice president; and Tamara Gilliam, general manager of the Eastland Park Hotel in Portland, as treasurer. Portland’s Downtown District also elected Brad McCurtain, owner of Others! café in Portland, to its board of directors.

Richard Bennett, president and CEO of The Corporate Library, an independent resource for corporate governance research and risk analysis in Portland, was recently elected to the board of governors of the International Corporate Governance Network, a nonprofit organization that aims to raise standards of corporate governance worldwide.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine recently elected the following to its board of directors: Nancy Grant, an educational technology consultant at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, as president; Nancy Stowell White, a planner for Oxford County Emergency Management in South Paris, as vice president; and Julie Osgood, senior director of operations in the clinical integration division at MaineHealth in Portland, as an officer.

Gov. John Baldacci recently nominated the following to the Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services: Marvin Glazier, Kimberly Moody, Ronald Schneider, Kenneth Spirer and Sally Sutton. The governor also nominated A. Mavourneen Thompson to the Maine Human Rights Commission; Andre Duchette to the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices; Peter Danton and Cushing Samp to the Gambling Control Board; Devin Beliveau, Doris Belisle-Bonneau and Merle Nelson to the Maine Community College System Board of Trustees; and Rodney Rodrigue, Victoria Larson and Robert Peacock to the board of trustees of Maine Maritime Academy. Baldacci also recently appointed Dimitri Balatsos, Benedetto Viola and Kenneth Williams to the Maine Public Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees, and David Elliott, Carol Bankart Gilmore and Wayne Whitney to the Maine Labor Relations Board.

Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care in Lewiston recently elected the following directors to its 2009-2010 board: Elaine Makas, an adjunct associate professor of psychology at University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College, as chairperson; Elwood Trask, a retired Auburn resident, as vice-chairperson; Todd Abbotoni, a commercial loan officer with TD Banknorth, as treasurer; and Mary Martin, principal of the Elm Street School in Mechanic Falls, as secretary.

Portland Ovations, a nonprofit performing arts organization in Portland formerly known as PCA Great Performances/Portland Concert Association, recently named Janet Bowne as president and J. Spencer Jones as vice president of its board of directors. Portland Ovations also elected Mary Noyes and Felicia Knight to its board of directors.

Spotlight

Chicago, Ill.-based LobsterGram, an Internet business that ships live lobster, lobster tails and other gourmet products all over the United States from its distribution center in Biddeford, recently joined forces with the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine in Orono to offer a “lobster stimulus package” to support the Maine lobster industry during August, according to a press release from the Lobster Institute. The offer includes free large shrimp with the purchase of Maine lobster tails packages, and LobsterGram will donate $1 from each sale to help support the Lobster Institute’s sustainability efforts, according to LobsterGram’s website.

The Lobster Institute is a nonprofit lobster research and industry service organization that works to maintain a thriving fishery.

Company News

Sebago Brewing Co. in Gorham recently announced that its beers are now available in New Hampshire, distributed by Bayside Distributors of Epping, N.H., and Amoskeag Beverages of Bow, N.H.

Lewiston-based Northeast Bancorp, the parent company of Northeast Bank, released its fiscal year-end results. Overall revenues were $28,318,726 for the fiscal year ended June 30, an increase of 13% over revenues for the same period in 2008.

Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Portland recently announced the Sotheby’s International Realty network has a marketing agreement with Frontgate, a fine home furnishings distributor in West Chester, Ohio.

The state Department of Economic and Community Development recently awarded a total of $840,000 to the following seven Maine communities through the Community Development Block Grant program: Biovation in Boothbay received $100,000; Maine Tool and Machine in Brunswick received $50,000; Northeast Coating Technologies in Kennebunk received $150,000; Old Town Canoe in Old Town received $200,000; Rockland Marine in Rockland received $180,000; Lakeview Restaurant in St. Agatha received $60,000; and Maine Manufacturing in Sanford received $100,000.

Tilson Technology Management, an information technology project management company in Portland, recently launched a newly enhanced website, www.louiskeelyshow.com, for the Louis and Keely Show, a musical playing in Los Angeles, Calif. Tilson also launched a new website, www.statestreetchurch.org, for the State Street Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ in Portland.

Annalee Dolls Inc., a doll maker in Meredith, N.H., recently signed a contract with Taction, a call center in Waldoboro, to expand its service to 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Camden National Corp., parent company of Camden National Bank, recently reported net income for the second quarter of 2009 was $5 million, a decrease of $2.1 million from the $7.1 million earned during the second quarter of 2008. Net income for the six months ending June 30 was $11.2 million, a decrease of $2.1 million from the $13.3 million earned during the same period in 2008.

Winxnet Inc., an IT consulting firm in Portland, recently announced the launch of its new online store, www.mscertified.com, which sells Microsoft-certified telephones, headsets and accessories.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine in Augusta recently announced it will offer valet bicycle parking and park-and-pedal options at the American Folk Festival in Bangor on August 28-30.

Tex Tech Industries, a textiles manufacturer headquartered in Portland, recently announced it has secured a $3.5 million grant in the Senate fiscal year 2010 Defense Appropriations Bill for development of the company’s core ballistic material.

Sustain, a software company in Scarborough, recently partnered with William Stockwell, a Maine fundraising consultant, to become an authorized dealer for Sustain.

New England Outdoor Center, a four-season resort in Millinocket, recently announced it has opened six new luxury guest houses built to meet gold-level certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Shipyard Brewing Co. in Portland recently announced that Smashed Pumpkin, a new beer in its Pugsley’s Signature Series line, will be available in late August exclusively in 22 oz. bottles and on draft. 

U.S. Cellular recently launched 3G mobile broadband across Maine, which allows customers to access data on their cell phones 10 times faster and at no additional cost. U.S. Cellular also recently put new towers in Tenants Harbor and Shapleigh.

Lewiston-based Northeast Bank recently announced the launch of mobile banking for personal banking customers, including a new application for iPhone users. Customers can safely access their accounts, transfer funds and search for branches or ATMs using their web-enabled cell phones.

The new Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine’s Portland campus recently received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Knickerbocker Group in Boothbay recently announced that its cabinetry and millwork shop has earned acceptance into the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands and agreed to assume the accountability standards of the Forest Stewardship Council for projects involving council-certified products. 

Give Us A Deal, a division of web and graphic design company TechniPixel Solutions in Sabattus, recently launched a new coupon service to help merchants provide coupon offers to consumers statewide or in specific counties.

Jason Dalessandro, an employee of Ameriprise Financial Services in South Portland, recently earned Ameriprise Financial’s Business Financial Advisor designation.

Greater Portland Landmarks, a historic preservation organization in Portland, recently announced it has acquired the historic Safford House at 93 High St. The building will become its new home and will be known as the Center for Architecture and Preservation.

Melinda Caterine, a partner with Portland-based law firm Fisher and Phillips, recently moderated a panel discussion at the American Bar Association’s annual meeting on Aug. 1 in Chicago, Ill.

Blue Marble Geographics, a developer and provider of geographic software products in Gardiner, recently announced that C1 Group in Australia, Axis Commerce in Selangor, Malaysia, and Leica Geosystems in Hong Kong have joined the Blue Marble international network of partners and resellers.

Merrill Bank in Bangor recently pledged a $50,000 gift to Bangor-based CancerCare of Maine’s Champion the Cure capital campaign for advancing cancer care and cancer research.

Maine Course Hospitality Group and a group of investors recently began construction on a 94-unit Hampton Inn, located on Front Street in Bath. 

Maine State Credit Union in Augusta recently opened its new Waterville branch at 81 Grove St.

Lincolnville-based Cellardoor Winery recently announced the release of their third and fourth new wines of the 2009 season: Viognier and Vino DiVine.

Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Portland recently announced its affiliation with the Highland Green Adult Resort and Golf Club in Topsham, where it now manages all lawn care, snow removal, plowing and more.

Marc Bourgoin, Ponch Membreno and Ron Bourgoin recently announced they are the new owners of Lincoln Canoe and Kayak in Freeport and took control of Lincoln’s manufacturing facility and retail showroom in Freeport, effective July 20.

Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor recently received the second of its two new radiation treatment machines. The new system, a Clinac IX with Rapid Arc, may significantly decrease treatment time for patients with select cancers.

Yachting Solutions of Rockport recently announced it has acquired Cannell, Payne and Page in Camden, whose offices will move from the American Boathouse building in Camden to a new space overlooking Camden Harbor.

The Maine Center for Enterprise Development in Portland has recently formed a cooperative partnership with Work it UP, a group of professionals who will offer pro-bono counsel in marketing, finance, project management and other business functions to Maine Center for Enterprise Development clients.

Devil Sledders Inc. of Milo will receive $50,000 and Otisfield Trailblazers of Otisfield will receive $27,793 in funding from the Rural Business Enterprise Grant program, which is administered by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development Office. The grants will be used to assist in the purchase of snowmobile trailgroomers for each club.

Accolades

Wood Dale, Ill.-based lia sophia, which sells fashion jewelry through in-home demonstrations, recently announced that Stacy D’Alessandro of South Portland received the Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers award for outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism. 

Megan Hills, a premium accounts manager for Portland-based Planet Dog, recently received the Barn-helper of the Year award at the Annual Volunteer Family Fun Day held at Riding to the Top Therapeutic Riding Center in Windham on July 19.

David Howes, president and CEO of Martin’s Point Health Care in Portland, was recently selected as the 2009 Humanitarian of the Year by Spurwink Services.

Terry Garmey, a partner at Saco-based law firm Smith Elliott Smith and Garmey, became a member of the Inner Circle of Advocates, an invitation-only group of 100 plaintiff lawyers in the country. To qualify, members must have tried at least 50 personal injury jury trials and either had at least three verdicts in excess of $1 million or one in excess of $10 million.

Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co., a Portland-based brewery, has been named the official beer of The Dempsey Challenge, a fundraising event to benefit The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope and Healing in Lewiston.

Aline Cadorette, an Avon representative in Biddeford, was recently recognized among Avon’s top representatives in the United States.

Natalie’s restaurant at the Camden Harbor Inn in Camden was recently awarded Wine Spectator magazine’s Restaurant Wine List award of excellence. The magazine also awarded Portland-based Back Bay Grill restaurant the Cellar Excellence award for the 10th year running.

Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport recently received the American Stroke Association’s Get with the Guidelines Stroke Silver Performance Achievement award.

Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport was recently recognized by Fodor’s Travel as a 2009 Fodor’s Choice selection as a leader in the bed and breakfast industry for service, quality and value.

Law firm Fisher and Phillips recently announced the following attorneys in its Portland office have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2010 for their work in labor and employment law: regional managing partner Jonathan Shapiro; partners Melinda Caterine and Eric Uhl; and Philip Moss, of counsel.

Thirty-four of Portland-based law firm Preti Flaherty’s attorneys have been selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2010. Best Lawyers also ranked Preti Flaherty as the number one law firm in Maine in the following categories: administrative law, antitrust law, communications law, first amendment law, franchise law, maritime law, mass tort litigation and sports law.

College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor was recently honored in the Princeton Review’s annual “The Best 371 Colleges” list and was noted as offering an outstanding undergraduate education with great financial aid.

Forty-eight lawyers from Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2010.

The Maine Osteopathic Association recently awarded its Maine Osteopathic Association Young Physician of the Year award to Andrew Tenenbaum, a pediatrician at University Health Care for Kids in Portland.

Michael Opuda, a special education consultant at Portland-based law firm Drummond Woodsum, recently received the President’s award from the Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities.