In short from Dec. 14, 2009 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

The Waldo Community Action Partners, a nonprofit community action agency in Belfast, recently hired Eric Buch as planning and development director.

The Sustainable Bioplastics Council of Maine, a trade association of companies and organizations that aim to boost Maine’s green economy, recently hired Vinitha Nair as executive director.

University Health Care, a multi-site health system of the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, recently hired Garrett Edwards as a clinical specialist and assistant professor in its osteopathic manipulative medicine department.

Maine Preservation, a historic preservation organization headquartered in Portland, recently hired Rochelle Bohm as a field rep serving eastern and northern Maine and Christopher Closs as a field rep serving western and southern Maine and the greater Portland area.

The Heart of Biddeford recently hired Zeke Callanan, co-founder of the Maine Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, as executive director.

Youth Alternatives Ingraham, a provider of social services and mental health care in South Portland, recently hired Jennifer Graham as medical director. Previously, Graham was chief resident in the department of psychiatry at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

O’Naturals, a restaurant in Falmouth, recently hired Jen Joy and Lex Rincon as managers.

Atlantica Group, a Portland-based international business development firm, recently hired Laurenz Schmidt as a global technology consultant. Previously, Schmidt was chief technology officer and executive vice president of global operations at Fairchild Semiconductor International in South Portland.

Fluid Imaging Technologies Inc., an instrumentation manufacturer in Yarmouth, recently hired Tom Parker as a manufacturing production assistant, Andrew Leigh as an electronics technician and Josh Geib in industrial sales.

Patient Advocates, a manager of employer-sponsored health and welfare plans in Gray, recently hired Greg Roberts as a customer service manager.

FISC Solutions, an outsourcing service provider in Lewiston, recently hired Kevin Broughton as senior vice president of information technology. Previously, Broughton was senior vice president of information technology and operations at First Atlantic Commerce in Bermuda.

Portland Water District recently hired Ellen McCann Labbe and Camilla Fecteau as environmental educators.

317 Main Street Community Music Center in Yarmouth recently hired John Williams as executive director.

Martin’s Point Health Care in Portland recently hired Jeff Bland as vice president of delivery system operations and Dennis Reese as chief financial officer. Previously, Bland was chief executive officer of Bowdoin Medical Group in Brunswick and Reese was chief financial officer at Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Ore.

TD Insurance Inc. in South Portland recently hired Linda Additon as an account manager in employee benefits. Previously, Additon was an account manager at Health Plans Inc. in Portland.

Consigli Construction Co. Inc. in Portland recently hired Kathryn Lamb as a project manager. Previously, Lamb was a project manager at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

MaineGeneral Medical Center recently hired John Garrett as an emergency medicine physician at its Thayer Campus in Waterville.

The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor recently hired Nishanta Rajakaruna as a faculty member in botany.

Spurwink, a provider of behavioral health, educational and residential services for children, adolescents, adults and families, recently hired Caren Klein, Claire Mirmelstein and Rachel Phipps as social workers in its functional family therapy program.

Digital Research Inc., a full-service marketing research firm in Kennebunk, recently hired Christopher Kelley as research director and Lisa Crews as administrative assistant.

Wright-Pierce, an engineering firm in Portland, recently hired Donald Song to its wastewater practice group.

Pen Bay Family Medicine in Rockport recently hired Julie Hurley as a primary care physician.

Empire Builders, a design-build company in Kennebunk, recently hired Jessica Georgia as an architect designer.

Camden National Bank recently hired Jane Dagley as vice president, branch manager at its Camden branch. Previously, Dagley was a relationship manager, vice president at Union Trust Co. in Rockland.

The American Dental Association and the Maine Dental Association in Augusta recently hired Jonathan Shenkin as a national spokesperson on pediatric dentistry. Shenkin will also continue to operate a pediatric dental practice in Augusta.

Promotions

Disability RMS, a reinsurance provider in Westbrook, recently promoted the following employees from managed disability analyst to senior managed disability analyst: Geoffrey Heckman; Kimberley Kennie; Jason Gravel; Adam Rush; Nicole Benwell; Kim LaFlamme; Kim Napolitano; Heidi Tranchemontagne; Kayla McCubrey; Jen Sturgis; Ashley Stone; and Shelley Lebreux.

Occupational Medical Consulting, a provider of occupational, health and wellness services in Leeds, recently promoted Phil DiRusso to wellness works manager.

Gov. John Baldacci recently promoted Thaxter Trafton as the new acting commissioner of the Department of Economic and Community Development. Previously, Trafton was deputy commissioner.

Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution recently promoted Melanie Lee to branch manager of its South Portland location. Previously, Lee was assistant branch manager in Scarborough.

Disability RMS, a reinsurance provider in Westbrook, recently promoted Sheila Bellerose as a technical claim expert. Previously, Bellerose was a short-term disability consultant.

Appointments

IndustrialParkOnline.com Inc., a virtual resource park of communications and technology specialists headquartered in Windham, recently appointed Bruce Harlow, president of Flue Gas Solutions in Raymond, to its board of directors.

Michael Celeste, 2009 board chair of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine in Portland, was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America.

The Finance Authority of Maine in August recently appointed Glenn Lamarr as chair, Susan Snowden as vice chair and Cheri Walker as treasurer to its board.

The New England Water Works Association in Portland recently appointed David Kane, director of administration and treasurer of the Portland Water District in Portland, as treasurer.

The Franklin Community Health Network and Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington recently appointed Joseph Bujold as chairman.

Grantmakers in Health, a national nonprofit educational foundation in Washington, D.C., recently appointed Wendy Wolf, president and CEO of Augusta-based Maine Health Access Foundation, to its board of directors

Spotlight

The Maine Business School at the University of Maine in Orono recently announced it will extend its pilot graduate school scholarship program to make it available to academically qualified students who graduated from any Maine college or university in May 2008 or later.  Students who graduate in May 2010 will also be eligible for the scholarship program, which equals 25% of the tuition in its Master of Business Administration program, according to a press release from the university.

To be eligible, applicants must meet admissions criteria, enroll full time and commit to 10 hours per week of service to the Maine Business School or in community outreach activities.

Based on current costs, in-state tuition for the 42-credit program totals nearly $16,000

Company News

The board of directors of Caribou-based Aroostook Partnership for Progress recently decided to select the information technology and renewable energy industries as the two sectors to receive detailed value chain asset mapping.

BitSec Global Forensics in Portland, a computer forensics and information security training company, recently trained representatives of the Colombian government through the U.S. State Department’s Office of Anti-Terrorism Assistance.

The Acadia Hospital Substance Abuse Services Department in Bangor recently announced the expansion of its abstinence-based Moving On program.

The Maine Volunteer Lawyer for the Arts in Portland, a provider of legal service referrals for local artists, recently announced it is providing its first educational program, called the Artist’s Checkbook.

Rosscare in Bangor, a member of the Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, recently announced the launch of its new website, www.rosscare.org, designed to provide information for seniors, including a senior health library, current senior health-related news, information on Rosscare services and facilities and other links.

The Maine Technology Institute board of directors recently approved 10 seed grants for companies to develop products that will advance Maine’s innovation economy in the environmental, composite materials and information technology sectors.

Canteen Service Co. in Bangor, a food management business, recently received the results of its independent food safety audit with a score of 97.2% by Silliker, a food industry quality assurance company headquartered in Homewood, Ill.

Patterson Family Chocolates recently announced it is open for business in Portland.

The New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland recently received continued disease specific certification for the care of stroke patients from the Joint Commission.

Portland-based Ocean Renewable Energy Power Co. recently announced it is receiving a $150,000 Department of Energy grant to develop tidal power in Maine.

InterSpec Inc., a provider of construction specification management software and services in Portland, recently announced that its professional services group has been selected by Rossetti Associates, an international architectural firm in Detroit, Mich., to write and maintain its office master specification documents. InterSpec also announced its new building manufacturer’s proprietary BIM and specification content its e-SPECS software solutions. 

The North Atlantic Montessori School, a provider of child care with a Montessori education for children up to six years old in South Portland, recently announced it is open for business.

Frances Miliano, executive director of the Maine Dental Association in Augusta, was recently installed as an honorary member of the International College of Dentists. 

Northeast Hearing and Speech recently moved its office to 75 West Commercial St. in Portland.

Kristi Borst of Ad•Mark•Com, an advertising and marketing communications company in Wells, was recently retained to redesign, expand and launch the website for Cole Harrison Insurance of Kennebunk. Borst was also retained by Certified Bedbug Dogs of New England Inc. of York Harbor to develop identity and marketing materials for the startup business.

The Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth recently announced that new guidelines for its community-building grant program will go into effect in 2010.

The Department of Health and Human Services recently awarded an $875,000 grant to the Aroostook County Action Program in Presque Isle and a $682,228 grant to the Waldo Community Action Partners in Belfast.

The Androscoggin County Committee of the Maine Community Foundation recently awarded a $6,000 grant to Lots to Gardens, a program of St. Mary’s Health System in Lewiston, to help it continue building social capital in the community. 

Joe de Silva, owner of Natural Fitness in Falmouth, recently became a fellow of applied functional science through the Gray Institute’s GIFT Program in Maine.

The USDA Farm Service Agency recently announced that S.D. Warren Co., doing business as Sappi Fine Paper North America, in Somerset and Westbrook recently qualified under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program.

The People’s United Community Foundation recently awarded River Coalition Inc. in Old Town a $7,500 grant to support expansion of its college and community after-school mentoring program. People’s United also awarded the Ronald McDonald House of Bangor Inc. a grant for $7,500 to improve the safety at the house by upgrading its surveillance system.

Antioch University New England in Keene and Kieve-Wavus Education Inc. in Nobleboro recently announced a collaboration to offer new graduate education classes and a master’s degree program for teachers in Maine and surrounding areas.

Julie Marchese recently announced the launch of Inspired Events, an event management company specializing in the nonprofit sector in Cumberland.

The Maine Health Access Foundation recently awarded Quality Counts in Manchester a $230,000 grant to study how the integration of primary health care and behavioral health care services meets the needs of Maine patients statewide.

Portland Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Center recently announced a partnership with Soles4souls Inc., a shoe charity based in Nashville, Tenn., to help provide footwear to the homeless.

MMG Insurance in Presque Isle and workers’ compensation company MEMIC in Portland recently announced a product affiliation that will give business owners in New Hampshire and Pennsylvania the opportunity to obtain complete business coverage from the two regional insurers.

St. Mary’s Health System recently celebrated the opening of its new Auburn campus at 15 Gracelawn Road.

The Lewiston-Auburn CA$H Coalition recently announced it will receive $6,975 as part of a national Internal Revenue Service grant to volunteer income tax assistance programs.

The Gould Academy in Bethel recently received a wood pellet boiler as a gift from Maine Energy Systems in Bethel to heat its alumni relations building this winter.

U.S. Cellular recently completed construction of two additional cell sites in Kittery and Eliot to improve coverage and network capacity around the town of Kittery and along Route 103, and around the town of Eliot and along routes 236, 103 and 101.

WOXO-FM 92.7 in Norway recently received permission from the FCC to increase its power from an effective radiated power of 3,000 watts to 25,000 watts.

Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn recently set a goal of $100,000 for its 2009 Virtual Holiday Food Drive. All donations up to $100,000 are matched by the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. 

The Mahoosuc Arts Council in Bethel recently announced that it has been awarded a grant for $2,093 from the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Efficiency Maine, a program of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, recently awarded the following 11 organizations up to $50,000 each for renewable electricity demonstration programs: Kennebec Valley Community College received $50,000; Camden Hills Regional High School received $50,000; Falmouth School Department received $45,265; Cumberland Greely High School received $38,065; Cumberland County received $47,265; The town of Freeport received $44,552, Belfast Troy Howard Middle School received $44,552; The town of Kennebunkport received $38,160; Thomas College received $50,000; UMaine 4-H Camp received $49,440; and South Berwick Marshwood High School received $20,861.

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maine in Bangor recently awarded a $34,930 grant to The Acadia Hospital in Bangor. The funds will be used to purchase an outdoor high and low ropes course, part of The Acadia Hospital’s therapeutic Adventure Program for consumers of mental health services ages 5 through 18.  

Consigli Construction Co. Inc. of Portland recently completed extensive renovations to the University of Maine at Orono’s Aubert Hall.

Gritty McDuff’s Brewing Co. in Portland recently launched Red Claws Ale, the official beer of the Maine Red Claws.

Maine Medical Center’s bariatric surgery program in Portland recently received Level 1A accreditation from the American College of Surgeons’ Bariatric Surgery Center Network.

Down East Community Hospital in Brewer was recently inspected by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services on behalf of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services and received a clean bill of health.

Tennessee-based Verso Paper Corp., which operates paper mills in Bucksport and Jay, recently announced its participation in the Department of Energy’s Save Energy Now Leader program, in which the company has pledged to reduce energy intensity by 25% over the next 10 years.

Accolades

DennyMike’s ’Cue Stuff, a manufacturer of Texas-style barbecue sauces and rubs in York, recently announced it has earned two first place medals at the 2010 Scovie Awards held in Albuquerque, N.M.

Emma Ansara, a nurse at Western Maine Family Health Center in Livermore Falls, recently received the Nurse Practitioner Excellence Award from the Maine Primary Care Association.

The Portland Water District was recently presented with the 2009 Lee Agger Award from the Joint Environmental Training Coordinating Committee for hosting 30 to 35 core-training classes per year at its Nixon Development Center. 

Amy Madden, a doctor at Belgrade Regional Health Center in Belgrade, recently received the Karen J. Hallee M.D. Memorial Award for New Medical Professionals, which is open to primary care physicians in their first five years of practice.

Horace Hildreth, a businessman, former legislator and philanthropist in Portland, recently received the Maine League of Conservation Voters’s 2009 Harrison L. Richardson Environmental Leadership Award at its seventh annual Evening for the Environment. 

The Paris-based international educational consulting organization Eduniversal recently included for a second consecutive year the Maine Business School at the University of Maine in Orono among its selection of 1,000 of the world’s best business schools for 2009.

Jessica Pollard, a psychologist and program director for Acadia Hospital Aware in Bangor, recently received the American Public Health Association Mental Health Section Award for excellence in the field of mental health.

Seaside Vacation Rentals off York and its president Maureen Regan were recently featured in the book “Uncomplicating Management,” by Rick Dacri.

Rhonda Taylor, CEO of Maine Highlands Federal Credit Union in Dover-Foxcroft, recently received the Warren “Pete” Myrick Community Service Award by the Piscataquis County Economic Development Council.

Marc Hahn, senior vice president for health affairs and dean at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine in Biddeford, recently received the 2009 Dale S. Dodson D.O. Award from the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine’s Assembly of Presidents.

The Captain Lord Mansion in Kennebunkport was recently included in travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler’s list of the top 30 small hotels in North America.

McClain Marketing Group in Portland recently received the bronze award from the Ad Club of Maine in the other digital media and direct mail/newsletters categories.

James Anastasio, principal of Cony School in Augusta, recently received the Administrator of the Year Award from the Maine Association of School Libraries.

The Finance Authority of Maine was recognized as a regional winner at The Bond Buyer’s 2009 Deal of the Year awards ceremony held Dec. 1 in New York, N.Y.

The Thomas College athletics department in Waterville recently received a Diversity in Athletics Award by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, was recently named Pro Bono Firm of the Year by the Legal Advocacy Project.