In short from Jan. 10, 2011 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Opus Consulting Group, a management consulting firm in Portland, recently hired Brian Eng as a strategic adviser.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently hired attorney Peter Klein as a member of its business services group.

Tilson Technology Management, an information technology project management company in Portland, recently hired Nancy Martin as an executive assistant and Kraig Buthy as controller. Previously, Martin was an executive assistant at Nautic Partners in Providence, R.I., and Buthy was president of Accountcept, a financial and analytical consulting firm based in Boothbay Harbor.

Legacy Publishing Co., a producer and publisher of personal development products for families in Westbrook, recently hired Jim DeWolfe as vice president of sales.

Maine College of Art in Portland recently hired Mary Ann Benson as assistant director of student affairs, career and entrepreneurial services. Previously, Benson was assistant director, career services at the University of Southern Maine.

Garrand, a communications firm in Portland, recently hired Edward O’Meara as managing principal, public affairs. Previously, O’Meara was the campaign manager for gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler.

People’s United Bank in Portland recently hired Karen Michaud as senior vice president, cash management.

Winxnet, an IT provider in Portland, recently hired Mike Walsh as a senior SQL server systems consultant and Shannon Nickerson in inside sales.

DeLorme, a mapping, GIS and GPS technology provider based in Yarmouth, recently hired Mike Heffron as president and CEO.

Bangor Savings Bank recently hired Kevin Fitzgerald as senior vice president and director of operations.

Alternative Merchant Capital, a financial services company in Portland that specializes in small businesses capital, recently hired Matt Thompson as an independent sales representative.

Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden recently hired Theresa Kavanagh as a group benefits associate.

Friends of Merrymeeting Bay in Richmond, a regional environmental education, conservation and advocacy group, recently hired Jim Mason as executive coordinator.

Willis of Northern New England Inc., an insurance broker in Auburn, recently hired Nathan Davis as an insurance sales executive.

Hall Web Services, a web design and Internet marketing firm in Portland, recently hired David Lydon as an Internet marketing analyst.

Custom Sales Team Inc., a staffing company in South Portland, recently hired Ramone Jones as account manager.

Troubh Heisler, a Portland-based law firm, recently hired Jonathan Goodman as an associate.

EqualityMaine, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization in Portland, recently hired Kyle Bailey as development director, Amy Mello as field director and Timothy Rose as communications director.

The Bicycle Coalition of Maine in Augusta recently hired Nancy Grant as executive director.

Michelle Raber State Farm Insurance Agency in Scarborough recently hired Julie Nadeau as an account representative.

Androscoggin Bank in Lewiston recently hired Dave Eldridge as vice president, commercial loan manager and Jean Claveau as vice president, commercial loan officer.

Fluid Imaging Technologies Inc., a manufacturer of the FlowCAM imaging particle analysis instrument in Yarmouth, recently hired Tom Costa as western region sales manager to oversee the firm’s West Coast laboratory and industrial sales markets.

Piper Shores, a nonprofit retirement community in Scarborough, recently hired Peggy Pineo as administrator.

Stantec, an engineering and architecture consulting firm in Topsham, recently hired Jake Riley as a project scientist and Andrea Underwood as a project coordinator.

Promotions

WCSH 6 in Portland recently promoted Joanne Small to business manager. Previously, Small was an accounting manager.

Norway Savings Bank recently promoted Dana Tait to vice president and branch manager of its South Portland branch.

Legacy Publishing Co., a producer and publisher of personal development products for families in Westbrook, recently promoted Ryan Wing from operations manager to director of operations.

Willis of Northern New England Inc., an insurance broker in Auburn, recently promoted Deron Treadwell to bond operations manager in the surety department.

Down East Credit Union in Baileyville recently promoted Missy Alexander to vice president, collections.

Appointments

The Maine Center for Enterprise Development recently appointed Don Gooding, manager of the University of Southern Maine’s Student Business Plan Competition, as executive director.

The Portland Water District recently elected Wayne Ross as vice president of the board of trustees.

United Way of York County appointed the following to its board of directors: Don Boutin, senior vice president, national client group at Unum; Jacque Carter, provost and vice president of academic affairs at University of New England; and David Eagleson, president of The Baker Co.. United Way of York County also elected the following officers: David Hines, managing partner at HM Payson & Co., as chair; Sue Hadiaris, vice president of community relations and development at Southern Maine Medical Center, as vice chair; Kathy Verrill, vice president of business services at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, as secretary; Paul Wainman, president of William Arthur, as treasurer; and Linda Bishop, plant manager of Jagger Bros., as ethics officer.

Preti Flaherty, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that attorney I. Richard Ploss was chosen by the Financial Planning Standards Board Ltd. to its standards committee for a two-year term starting Jan. 1, 2011.

The Maine Innkeepers Association recently appointed Woody Woodward of Highland Lake Resort in Bridgton as president of the board and Cornelius Russell of Samoset Resort in Rockport as chairman.

Gary Kessler, director of training and curriculum development at BitSec Global Forensics, a computer forensics and information security training firm in Augusta, was recently appointed to the Council of Digital Forensic Specialists.

Company News

Lighthouse Imaging Corp. in Portland, a provider of optical engineering and design services for the medical device industry, recently launched a new website, www.lighthouseoptics.com.

The University of Maine System Board of Trustees has given the University of Southern Maine approval to launch a doctor of nursing practice degree program. The university is accepting students for the fall 2011 semester.

Sherree Craig, insured benefits manager at Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden, was recently awarded fellowship standing in the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists for a two-year period.

Office Environments of New England recently completed the acquisition of Business Interiors with locations in Westbrook and Williston, Vt.

The Maine Winter Sports Center in Caribou recently announced it has split its curriculum into two divisions, Competitive Programs and the Healthy Hometowns Program. Will Sweetser, the director of cross country development, will head the new competition division. Mike Smith is responsible for the center’s community development efforts, which includes the Healthy Hometowns Program.

College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor recently received a $2 million commitment to the college’s endowment from an anonymous donor.

The Captain Daniel Stone Inn in Brunswick recently announced the launch of Cooking with Chef Mains, a new, ongoing series of participatory cooking classes taught by Troy Mains, executive chef at the inn’s No. 10 Water restaurant.

Perry Transport recently opened a new truck stop with Irving-branded diesel fuel at 4 Spring Water Road in Poland.

Kristina Slocum recently announced the launch of The Purple Orchid in Gardiner, a personal assistance company designed to help clients in planning and executing gatherings, parties and special events.

Kent Peterson, CEO of Fluid Imaging Technologies Inc. of Yarmouth, recently attended the International Conference on Ballast Water Management in Singapore, where he gave a presentation on new data experiments using a portable imaging instrument for indicative monitoring of ballast water treatment systems.

KICTeam, a manufacturer of cleaning cards in Auburn, recently manufactured a new cleaning card for JCM Global Taiko Bill Validators, a manufacturer of currency systems solutions.

FISC Solutions, a back-office service provider in Lewiston, has recently executed contracts with the Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Mary to provide donation processing and data entry services.

Camden National Bank recently announced it will operate its Union Trust division under one name, Camden National Bank, beginning on Feb. 22. The name change will affect nine Union Trust locations in the Down East region.

Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty in Portland recently acquired Briggs Freeman Real Estate in Dallas and will now operate as Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty, serving the Dallas market.

Wallace Pooler, chief of facilities management at Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, recently earned the designation of certified health care facility manager from the American Hospital Association Certification Center.

Maine Health Access Foundation recently awarded the following two-year grants totaling $975,965 to contain costs and support payment reform in Maine’s health care system: The Maine Health Management Coalition Foundation; MaineGeneral Health and Affiliates Group; Medical Care Development, Division of Health Improvement; Prescription Policy Choices; and Quality Counts.

Gov. John Baldacci recently announced the award of a $400,000 cooperative agreement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to the Maine Space Grant Consortium for a pilot project designed to increase high school students’ interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers.

Jin Yuan Chinese Restaurant recently announced it is now open for business at 41 Temple St. in Waterville.

VillageSoup, a software company that provides publishing tools, recently announced the addition of the Delaware-based Cape Gazette to its network of news enterprises.

Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden recently purchased L.S. Robinson, a seven-person insurance agency in Southwest Harbor.

Kathryn Dobrowolski and Andre Landry, owners of Falmouth Ace Hardware, recently signed a lease with Gendron Realty to open an Ace Hardware store in the new Bangor Savings Plaza in Falmouth.

Nappi Distributors Inc. in Gorham, a beer and wine distributor, recently announced the retirement of Dave Perry, vice president of sales.

Accolades

Topsham-based law firm McTeague Higbee recently announced that attorneys G. William Higbee and Jeffrey Neil Young were included in the 2010 edition of New England Super Lawyers magazine.

Acadia Insurance in Westbrook was recognized in Deep Customer Connections Inc.’s eighth survey of 7,800 independent agents and brokers who assessed the performance of over 200 property and casualty carriers.

The University of Maine in Orono recently awarded its Stillwater Society Presidential Service Award to Jon Sorenson, partner and owner of Competitive Energy Services in Boxford, Mass., and Portland.

Wendy Bush, vice president, development at F.L. Putnam Investment Management Co. in Portland was recently awarded the Cyrus Hagge Building Strong Communities Award from the Cumberland County YMCA.

Seeds of Peace recently received the Maine Community Foundation’s 2010 Noyce Award for Nonprofit Excellence.

The Maine chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council recently awarded Saint Joseph’s College in Standish a special recognition award for its commitment to sustainability in developing an organic farm on campus.

Spotlight

The Maine Arts Commission recently announced that consortiums of arts organizations in Biddeford and Eastport will receive grants of $50,000 for community revitalization in their regions. The grants, designed to support dialog and partnership among municipalities, business and the cultural sector regarding economic development, are the first to be awarded through the Maine Arts Commission’s new Creative Communities = Economic Development Grant.

In Biddeford, The City Theater, Engine, Heart of Biddeford and University of New England will use the funding to promote economic development centered on the arts in downtown Biddeford.

In Eastport, Tides Institute & Museum of Art will use the funds to implement economic revitalization in the region.