In short from Feb. 8, 2010 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport recently hired physician Neil Yetman as an internist. Previously, Yetman worked as a clinical fellow of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Northeast Bank recently hired Greg Dauphinee as the sales manager and mortgage loan officer at its Portland branch and Mike Bechard as a mortgage loan officer at its branch in Augusta.

Catholic Charities Maine, an organization of the Diocese of Portland, recently hired Kristen Wells as director of development. Previously, Wells worked at Frannie Peabody Center, a community-based HIV/AIDS services organization in Portland.

The Conservation Law Foundation, an advocacy center in Portland, recently hired Jane West as staff attorney.

Cooper Mills Medical Practice recently hired Alison Welsh as a physician assistant at its Sheepscot Valley Health Center in Cooper Mills. It also recently hired Paul Audette as the practice manager. Previously, Audette worked as director of the retinal disease clinic with Maine Medical Center in Portland.

HealthReach Community Health Centers recently hired Debbie Guilmette at its Bingham office as a nurse.

Hall Web Services, a web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, recently added Jenika Scott to its marketing team and Alayna White to its web development team.

Quarry Hill Retirement Community recently hired Vicki Harriman as manager of The Terraces, Quarry Hill’s traditional assisted living program in Camden. Previously, Harriman was a charge nurse at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport.

Volk Packaging Corp., manufacturers of corrugated boxes and foam packages in Biddeford, recently hired Michael Forbes as sales representative for its Massachusetts market.

Austin Associates, an accounting firm in Auburn, recently hired Crystal Malia and Mark Overhaug as accountants.

The Swan Agency Sotheby’s International Realty in Blue Hill recently hired Pat Dunham and Christina Deetjen as real estate brokers.

KeyBank in Rockland recently hired Michael Chamberlain as relationship manager. Previously, Chamberlain worked as assistant vice president of commercial banking for Northeast Bank in Augusta.

Mid-Coast Mental Health Center in South Portland, recently hired Todd Goodwin as chief executive officer in Rockland and Belfast. Previously, Goodwin worked as vice president of administration and project management for Community Counseling Center in Portland.

Coastal Counties Workforce Inc., a nonprofit group in Brunswick that administers and oversees the Workforce Investment Act, recently hired Jade Arn as a WorkReady coordinator. Previously, Arn worked as a WorkReady coordinator for Workforce Solutions Division of Goodwill Industries of Northern New England.

Disability RMS, a reinsurance provider in Westbrook, recently hired Douglas Edwards as supervisor of policy services and Ann-Marie Blenkhorn as senior premium analyst.

Michael Reed was recently named the Maine state president of FairPoint Communications in Portland.

The Varney Agency, an insurance company in Bangor, recently hired Pat LaVoie as chief operating officer of its statewide operations.

Bath Hampton Inn recently hired Jenn Libby as general manager. Previously, Libby worked as general manager for Comfort Suites in Freeport.

Promotions

Downeast Energy and Building Supply in Brunswick recently promoted Mark Lodge to vice president of regional operations.

Bar Harbor Bank and Trust recently promoted Tim Tunney to vice president/business banking, Elizabeth McMillan to assistant vice president/human resources, Debra Mitchell-Dow to assistant vice president/branch relationship manager in Bar Harbor, Leita Zeugner to vice president/deposit services specialist and Lisa Veazie to assistant vice president/customer service manager in Deer Isle.

Appointments

Gov. John Baldacci recently announced the nominations of Rita Armstrong, Sally DelGreco, Sande Updegraph and Steven Weems to the Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority Board of Directors and . recently swore in Elizabeth Townsend as the new acting commissioner of the Department of Conservation. Previously, Townsend served as deputy commissioner.

Kids First Center, a Portland-based nonprofit organization, recently elected Al Barthelman as president of the board of directors.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau, a nonprofit organization of the hospitality industry, recently appointed the following board members: Andrew Smaha of Southern Maine Community College in South Portland; Caroline Paras of Greater Portland Council of Governments in Portland; Charlie Katz-Leavy of Verrill Dana in Portland; Craig Gorris of The Maine Mall in South Portland; David Tamulivich of Portland Regency & Spa in Portland: Jason Briggs of VIP Tour and Charter Bus Co. in Portland; Judy Judkins of Residence Inn Portland Marriot in Portland; Michelle Lester of MaineToday Media Inc. in Portland; Pat Eltman of Maine Office of Tourism in Augusta; and Patricia Quinn of Amtrak Downeaster in Portland.

Avesta Housing, a nonprofit developer and manager of affordable housing in Portland, recently appointed Catherine Reilly, Gren Blackall and Justin Alfond to its board of directors.

The Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court recently appointed David Backer, head of Portland-based law firm Drummond Woodsum’s estate planning practice in Portland, as a member of the Probate and Trust Law Advisory Commission.

Sonya Mitchell, a financial consultant for Bar Harbor Financial Services, has been named to the Hartford’s 2009 Leadership Council.

MaineGeneral Health in Waterville recently appointed Robert Marden as the chairman of the board.

The Maine Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council in Portland recently appointed the following to its executive committee: Naomi Mermin as chair; Jenifer Richard as vice chair; Steve Konstantino as treasurer; and Andrew Hyland as secretary.

The Southern Maine Community College Foundation Board in South Portland recently appointed the following members: Michael Bourque, vice president for corporate marketing and communications of MEMIC in Portland, and Robert Hillman, chief executive officer of Medical Network Inc. in Portland.

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber in Topsham recently elected the following new officers and directors: Gilbert Buthlay of BEK Inc. in Brunswick as chairman; Ed Kenyon of Bath Iron Works as first vice-chairman and treasurer; and Don Spann as second vice-chairman and secretary. The chamber also elected the following to serve three-year terms on its board of directors: Cathy Barter of KeyBank in Portland; Jim Bouchard of United Way of Mid-Coast Maine in Bath; Gordon Clark of Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott in Brunswick; Angela Chute of Down East Insurance Agency in Bowdoinham; Ted Eames of Downeast Energy & Building Supply in Brunswick; Maureen Hassett of Custom Composite Technologies in Bath; Mike L’abbe of Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick; Patti Lawton of Welcome Home Realty in Brunswick; Steve Levesque of Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority in Brunswick; Jeffrey Sneddon of Midcoast Council of Governments in Bath; and Dennis Unger of University College/Bath-Brunswick. Stacey Chenevert of Down East Insurance Agency in Bowdoinham was elected to a second three-year term.

Neal Pratt, an attorney at Preti Flaherty, a law firm in Portland, was recently appointed as chair of the Cumberland County Civic Center Board of Trustees in Portland.

The University of Southern Maine in Portland recently appointed David Hughes as the director of development. Previously, Hughes worked as an executive at Unum in Portland.

Thomas College in Waterville recently appointed Todd Smith as co-chair of the board of trustees, Thomas Edwards as provost and Beth Gibbs as senior vice president.

Spotlight

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection recently approved an environmental permit application for Evergreen Wind, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Massachusetts-based First Wind, for construction of a 5-megawatt wind project in the town of Oakfield in Aroostook County, according to a press release from the department.

The proposed Oakfield Wind development consists of 34 wind turbines, with associated turbine pads, electrical collection infrastructure, an electrical interconnection substation, meteorological towers and an operations and maintenance building for a total of 50 acres of new developed area.

As a condition of the permit, the DEP requires Evergreen Wind to demonstrate compliance with the permit conditions through third-party inspectors and expert consultants.

Company News

U.S. Cellular recently donated three wireless handsets and a year of cellular service to the Seeds of Hope Food Pantry in Bangor.

Dan Emery, a marketing specialist at Maine State Credit Union in Augusta, was recently accepted into the Kennebec Leadership Institute.

The Maine Public Utility Commission’s Efficiency Maine recently awarded grants to the following organizations: Verso Paper Corp. in Bucksport, $2 million; Fraser Paper in Madawaska, $591,248; NewPage in Rumford, $300,000; Katahdin Paper Co. in Millinocket, $235,200; Fairchild Semiconductor in South Portland, $537,000; Madison Paper in Madison, $357,000; Maine Renewable Energy Consortium in South Portland, $1 million; Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, $1 million; Prime Tanning Co. in Hartland, $667,500; Bowdoin College in Brunswick, $400,000; Old Town Fuel and Fiber in Old Town, $377,000; Lincoln Paper and Tissue in Lincoln, $375,000; Johnson Outdoors Watercraft Inc. in Old Town, $113,000; Tex Tech Industries in Monmouth, $746,776; and Fraser Timber in Ashland, $227,500.

The Ware Street Inn, a bed and breakfast in Lewiston, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.

Hall Web Services, a web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, recently became a certified Pine Tree Development Zone company.

The University of Maine in Orono recently received $951,000 from the energy and water appropriations bill to research tidal energy, which is under way off the coast of Eastport.

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, recently elected Theodore Small, Daniel Murphy, Joel Shaw and Sarah Bradley Tracy as shareholders of the firm.

The Penobscot Bay Medical Center Stroke Program in Rockport recently achieved Primary Stroke Center Certification from the Joint Commission, an independent overseer of medical care quality.

Katahdin Health Care in Millinocket recently joined the Rosscare family, a member of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in Bangor.

People’s United Community Foundation, parent company of Maine Bank and Trust in Portland, recently awarded a $10,000 grant to Independent Transportation Network America in Westbrook, a provider of transportation to older adults.

Fluid Imaging Technologies Inc., headquartered in Yarmouth, recently announced that in 2009, it broke sales records for its FlowCAM digital imaging particle analysis instrument by more than 15% over 2008.

University of Maine at Farmington recently announced the launch of Farmington in Four, the school’s new four-year graduation guarantee, which is offered to all incoming first-year students and for those whom graduation in four years is a priority.

John Turner of J. C. Turner & Associates Inc., a private company that offers business services in Auburn, and Budd Large of Associates Askew in Auburn, recently collaborated to create Business Strategies, Options & Solutions, and its website www.bussos.com, to help businesses deal with a variety of issues from seeking capital for expansions or startups to avoiding bankruptcy.

Springborn Staffing, a staffing firm in Portland, recently completed the acquisition of WorkSource, a staffing firm in Bangor.

Good Shepherd Food-Bank in Auburn recently received a $30,000 grant from L.L.Bean in Freeport to support the installation of a state-of-the-art inbound processing system.

NorthStar EMS, the regional ambulance service of Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington, recently purchased a MetiMan patient simulator, which is designed to help improve clinical skills for the NorthStar and Franklin Memorial staff.

Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that Robert Baldacci, president of the Baldacci Group in Portland, and a partner with GroupArgent, a New York, N.Y., investment banking firm, will be providing business development and government relations services to the firm.

Health Community Coalition in Farmington, an affiliate of the Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, recently received a $75,000 grant that focuses on health and the local natural environment from the Environmental Funders Network.

HealthReach Community Health Centers in Waterville recently announced that it will be launching an integrated behavioral health initiative at its health center in Belgrade.

Poland Spring’s bottling plant in Kingfield recently became Maine’s highest LEED-certified manufacturing facility.

Jean Hoffman, president of Putney Inc., a generic and special pet pharmaceutical company in Portland, was recently selected to present at the Jefferies Global Healthcare Services Conference in New York, N.Y.

Pinnacle Development Group, a computer programming shop in Waterville, recently announced its relocation to 10 Common St.

LearningWorks, an English learning program in Portland, recently received a $40,000 grant from the Lydia A. Godsoe Foundation.

The National Career Development Association, headquartered in Oklahoma, recently awarded Barbara Babkirk, founder of Heart at Work Career Counseling in Portland, the designation of master career counselor.

Jodie Lapchick, former owner of Lapchick Creative, recently launched Lapchick & Co., a new marketing consulting firm in Portland.

The United Way of Greater Portland, a community-based nonprofit organization, recently announced the closing of its Summer Champs program, a scholarship program funded by the Libra Foundation, at the end of the 2010 camp season.

Donna Boutin and Martha Wentworth, account executives of GHM Insurance Agency, with offices in Waterville, Augusta and Auburn, recently completed the continuing education requirement of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors in Austin, Texas.

The Maine Cancer Foundation in Portland recently awarded the Health Community Coalition a one-year $10,000 grant for cancer prevention and early detection education.

Paula Banks, a professional geriatric care manager and owner of Paula Banks Consulting and Two Lights Homecare in Cape Elizabeth, recently earned care manager certification from the National Academy of Certified Care Managers in Colchester, Conn.

Hilltop Log & Timber Homes, general contractors in Bowdoinham, recently moved its production facility and corporate offices to 128 Lyons Road in Sidney.

The Mid-Coast Board of Realtors in Palermo recently chose Allen Insurance & Financial Agency in Camden to provide a program of discounted home and auto insurance to its members.

Bangor Savings Bank recently offered grants of $100,000 to 68 Maine nonprofit organizations through its new grant-making initiative, Community Matters More.

KeyBank in Portland recently announced it is sponsoring WCSH’s CA$H on the Table Campaign, intended to increase the state’s participation in the Federal Earned Income Tax Program.

Dierdre Cooper, a voice actress from South Berwick, recently announced that she will present her workshop, “Take that! Finding, trapping and taming exertion sounds,” at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this March.

Accolades

Penmor Lithographers in Lewiston was recently awarded Best of Show at the 2009 Printing of New England’s Awards Show.

The Princeton Review, a standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company, recently chose College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor as one of 50 “Best Value” private colleges.

The Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce recently presented the following awards at its annual appreciation breakfast and awards meeting: Chris Jacques with the Board of Director Service award; Carl Loomis with the Volunteer of the Year award; John Houy with the Distinguished Service award; Nicole Lorenzatti with the Community Service award; Jackie Center with the Appreciation Service award; and David Flood, with the A. William Kany Jr. award.

Parkview Adventist Medical Center in Brunswick recently announced Bill Mcquaid, chief information officer, as one of ComputerWorld Magazine’s 2010 Premier 100 Information Technology Leaders.

Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, a certified public accounting and management consulting firm in Portland, recently announced that Eigen Heald has been awarded the global information assurance certification in the field of digital forensics.

The Maine National Guard in Augusta recently honored Walter Mckee, a partner with the law firm Lipman, Katz & Mckee in Augusta, for his work as a Maine trial lawyer.

The Maine Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization in Ellsworth, recently presented the 2009 Elizabeth Noyce Award to the Sunrise County Economic Council in Machias for nonprofit excellence.

Avesta Housing, a nonprofit developer and manager of affordable housing in Portland, recently awarded Ben Walter, principal of CWS Architects in Portland, the Mike Yandell award.

The following attorneys from Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, were recently honored at the 2010 Maine State Bar Association’s annual meeting in South Portland: Geraldine Sanchez as president of the association; William Kayatta with the Howard H. Daynam Jr. award; and Jacquelyn Kurz for her pro bono legal efforts as an attorney.

The Maine Bar Foundation, a statewide nonprofit organization in Hallowell devoted exclusively to law-related charitable work, recently honored Drummond Woodsum, a Portland law firm, for providing access to justice for Maine’s low-income citizens.

Weichert Realtors in Portland recently recognized David Roberts as Waterglen Group’s “Rookie of the Year” for 2009.