In short from June 1, 2009 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

K.L. Jack Industrial Fasteners and Supplies in Portland recently hired Kevin Violet as an outside sales representative for its Cumberland and York counties sales territories.

Tilson Technology Management, an IT consulting firm in Portland, recently hired Nicholas Andrews as an intern for its Web development team. Andrews is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Maine.

Portland-based Spurwink Services, a nonprofit organization providing behavioral health, educational and residential services, recently hired David Walter as medical director and Lisa Chase as director of nursing. Previously, Walter operated his own psychiatry practice and Chase was the school nurse for the SAD 61 school district.

Consumers for Affordable Health Care in Augusta, a consumer health organization, recently hired Darcy Shargo as a health policy advocate. Previously, Shargo was executive director of a sexual assault support center in central Maine.

True North Health Center, a nonprofit organization in Falmouth, recently hired pediatrician David Baker.

Biddeford Savings Bank in Biddeford recently hired Carri Brown as chief financial officer, Cindy Convery as a commercial loan officer and Jay St. John as vice president of residential and consumer lending.

Michelle Grondin Raber State Farm Insurance Agency in Scarborough recently hired Jennifer O’Searcoid. Previously, O’Searcoid worked with State Farm agents in Michigan.

TD Banknorth in Portland recently hired Scott Fernald as a commercial loan officer at its Rockland branch. Previously, Fernald was a senior credit analyst with Bank of America.

Community Credit Union in Lewiston recently hired Judy Hagen-Ryan as a collection officer. Previously, Hagen-Ryan worked as an asset administrator for a local financial institution.

Rippleffect, an outdoor leadership and environmental education program in Portland, recently hired Anna Marie Klein-Christie as executive director.

Spotlight

Callinectes Boatworks, a start-up company in Kennebunkport, recently received a seed grant from the Maine Technology Institute, a private nonprofit organization that supports the commercialization of technology-based products, to develop production tooling for a runabout designed and built in Maine. 

Callinectes Boatworks specializes in the small motor boats in the classic style of the 1940s and 1950s using modern technology and materials such as fiberglass hulls, handcrafted wooden decks and fuel-efficient, low-emissions engines. Four years of market research led to the design and construction of a modern, retro-styled 16-foot runabout.

The first hull from the new tooling is scheduled to hit the production floor in June.

Promotions

U.S. Cellular in South Portland recently promoted Billy Gilbert to direct sales manager for New England. Previously, Gilbert was a major account executive for U.S. Cellular’s northern New England market.

The United Way of Eastern Maine in Bangor recently promoted Edward French to vice president of community impact. Previously, French was director of community impact.

Elizabeth Bordowitz was recently sworn in as chief executive officer of the Finance Authority of Maine by Gov. John Baldacci. Previously, Bordowitz was acting chief executive officer.

Appointments

The Maine Health Access Foundation, a private health funder in Augusta, recently announced the election of the following four new members to its board of trustees: Sara Gagné-Holmes, executive director of Maine Equal Justice Partners, a nonprofit legal aid organization in Augusta; Ken Hews, retired executive vice president of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in Brewer; Frank McGinty, executive vice president and treasurer of MaineHealth in Portland; and Connie Sandstrom, executive director of Aroostook County Action Program in Presque Isle. Maine Health Access Foundation also recently appointed the following members to its Community Advisory Committee: John Edwards, co-founder and chief executive officer of Washington County Psychotherapy Associates in Machias; Carter Friend, vice president of community impact at United Way of Greater Portland in Portland; Peggy Pinkham, former president and CEO of St. Andrews Hospital and Healthcare Center in Boothbay Harbor; and Shawn Yardley, director of health and community services for the city of Bangor.

Robert Gips, an attorney with Drummond Woodsum’s corporate and Indian law practices in Portland, was recently named an independent member of the board of directors of Seminole Hard Rock Entertainment and Seminole Hard Rock International, headquartered in Orlando, Fla. 

Gov. John Baldacci recently appointed the following to the Maine State Board of Education: James Carignan, a retired professor and dean at Bates College in Lewiston; Lynda Doyle, a self-employed counselor in Durham; Andrea Levinsky, a sophomore at Deering High School in Portland; Nancy Perkins, a retired educator at SAD 6; Steven Pound, associate director for workforce development at the Cianbro Institute in Pittsfield; and Jeffrey Vermette, an employee at Cross Insurance in Windham. The governor also recently appointed Daniel Lawson, an employee at Verso Paper in Bucksport, to the Workers’ Compensation Board. 

Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana recently appointed Daniel Rosenthal, a partner at the firm, as chair of the litigation and trial department.

Company News

U.S. Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins recently announced that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded a Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program grant of $1,053,524 to the Frannie Peabody Center of Portland, allowing the center to continue its efforts to provide permanent supportive housing for previously incarcerated or homeless people who suffer from mental illness or substance abuse problems.  

Shipyard Brewing Co. in Portland recently announced the release of a new beer in its Pugsley’s Signature Series line called XXXX IPA.

College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor recently built a wind turbine at Beech Hill Farm in Mount. Desert.

Waterville-based Thomas College’s peer mentoring program was recently approved for the College Reading and Learning Association Level 1 certification. The peer mentoring program matches first-year students with returning students who have performed well in all aspects of their lives at Thomas.

University of Maine at Presque Isle recently celebrated the commission of its wind turbine, the first mid-size wind turbine to be installed on a Maine university campus.

Sea Dog Brewing Co. recently announced the opening of its new restaurant in South Portland in the former Eggspectation building.

Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana recently announced the formation of its probate litigation practice group to meet the needs of clients with complex probate matters. The probate litigation group is co-chaired by partners William Knowles and Jacqueline Rider. Verrill Dana also announced the establishment of its higher education industry group. Chaired by Verrill Dana partner Elizabeth Brody Gluck, the group will work with public and private college and university clients who require lawyers with specialized experience in disciplines relevant to the industry.

Matthew Phillips of Terrence DeWan and Associates, a landscape architecture and planning firm in Yarmouth, recently received his landscape architecture license in Maine.

Portland-based Oakhurst Dairy and Stonewall Kitchen, a manufacturer of specialty foods headquartered in York, recently teamed up to distribute the new Stonewall Kitchen Chocolate Milk made from Oakhurst Dairy’s milk and Stonewall Kitchen’s chocolate.

Elscott Manufacturing in Ellsworth, a manufacturer serving the automotive, medical, aerospace and national defense sectors, recently passed its certification audit for ISO 9001:2000. The training for ISO 9001 certification was provided by Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Rand Advertising, a Lincoln-based advertising firm, recently launched a website, www.lincolnmaineshopper.com. The site offers a venue for area businesses to showcase and promote their products and services.

Freeport-based gourmet brownie company Simply Divine Brownies and Tubby’s Ice Cream in Wayne recently launched their Sandwishes Ice Cream Sandwich line. Sandwishes are made with Simply Divine Brownies’ fudgy brownie and Tubby’s ice cream in peanut butter, vanilla, mint and raspberry flavors.

Roxanne Ashey Photography recently celebrated the grand reopening of its new, larger location in Topsham.

Blue Marble Geographics, a developer and provider of geographic software products in Gardiner, recently announced the release of GeoCore, an all-in-one geospatial data translation toolkit that supports coordinate, geometry, vector, CAD, raster and LIDAR data.

Funtown Splashtown USA in Saco recently announced the opening of its new roller coaster, the Wild Mouse.

U.S. Cellular recently completed construction of an additional cell site in North Gorham to increase coverage and network capacity along Route 35 between the towns of Sebago Lake and Windham, and along Route 237 between South Windham and the town of Sebago Lake. U.S. Cellular also completed construction of a cell site in Brooklin to increase coverage and network capacity in the town of Brooklin and along routes 172 and 175.

Duluth, Minn.-based Benedictine Health System, a long-term care system, recently partnered with Saint Joseph’s College in Windham to launch the Benedictine Health System Leadership Institute, a comprehensive educational project for its leaders across the system.

Community Credit Union in Lewiston recently announced Bria Duval was certified as a teller specialist. 

Sephone Internet Solutions, a Web development and delivery company, recently announced the relocation of its downtown Bangor office to 40 Summer St.

USDA Rural Development recently released an economic impact initiative grant of $37,050 for the LifeFlight Foundation’s development of helipads at the Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln and the Millinocket Regional Hospital in Millinocket.

Black Point Inn in Scarborough recently opened for the season.

Bangor International Airport announced the domestic terminal’s renovated second floor is now open for use by passengers and the airlines. The 6,150-square-foot expansion includes a new elevator and staircase, additional passenger seating areas and increased circulation space. 

Lewiston-based Oxford Networks, a communications provider, recently announced it will support the Root Cellar Community Center in Lewiston, a social services organization, by providing subsidized telecommunication services, including phone, Internet and video. Oxford Networks also announced that employee Andi Hoyt, an accountant, has celebrated her 30th year with the company. Kennebunk-based SmartHome Solutions, a provider of installation and service of custom home automation and theater systems, recently announced the launch of its new business, Audio Visual Systems Integration, a professional audio visual and control systems firm with high-quality installation and support capabilities.

Verizon Wireless recently added 76 3G cell sites in 12 Maine counties and upgraded equipment at existing 3G cell sites in eight of those counties.

Penobscot Bay Media, a technology company in Camden, recently launched the In-Vision Product Suite, a set of software tools to help organizations put their buildings and assets on the map, whether the map represents a single building, a campus of buildings or a portfolio of properties. 

Anchor Inn Restaurant in Round Pond recently opened for the season.

Portland-based Synernet, a support-service organization to the health care industry, recently returned $3.5 million in premium payments to the 16 member hospitals of the Synernet Workers’ Compensation Fund.

LC E-Commerce Solutions, a software developer in Lewiston, recently released a new application named E-ComBanner as part of its Tacoma RIA e-commerce suite of applications.

Employees in the nonprofit health insurer Harvard Pilgrim’s Portland office recently volunteered at Camp Sunshine in Casco to assist with camp improvements and spring clean-ups. Camp Sunshine dedicated a new flagpole to Harvard Pilgrim.

Rodney Voisine, owner of Old Ocean House Farms in Cape Elizabeth, recently renamed his business from the Apple Tree Hill Farm and partnered with two farmers, Austin and Mary Ellen Chadd, to run the farm.

The University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies in Orono recently partnered with the Augusta-based Maine Commission for Community Service in a year-long collaboration designed to facilitate the recruitment and participation of people with disabilities as community service volunteers. The endeavor, called Project Ready to Serve Maine, is made possible through a 2009 National Service Inclusion Project grant, and is expected to result in an increase in the recruitment and retention of national service members and volunteers with disabilities in Maine.

Accolades

Gorham Bike and Ski in Portland was recently named one of the 2009 Top 100 Retailers by Boulder Sports Research. The top 100 retailers are chosen based on votes by sales representatives for leading industry brands.

The U.S. Department of Labor recently accepted Reed and Reed, a construction company in Woolwich, into its Safety and Health Recognition Program. The program recognizes employers who operate an exemplary safety and health management system.

Scott Anchors, a faculty member at the University of Maine Business School in Orono, was selected as the 2009 recipient of the Gordon Lawrence Educational Achievement Award from the Association of Psychological Type International.

Jessica Shaffer, an assistant admissions director at York County Community College in Wells, was recently named Counselor of the Year by the New England Association for College Admission Counseling.

The Challenger Center of Maine in Bangor, a nonprofit organization that works to foster a long-term interest in science, math and technology in students, recently received the 2009 Foundation Award for Excellence from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Lawyers at Portland-based law firm Murray, Plumb and Murray were recently named the nation’s top lawyers in their respective fields in the 2009 National Super Lawyers, Corporate Counsel Edition. Peter Plumb was recognized as a leading business and corporate law attorney; Thomas Newman was named a top attorney in business litigation; and Drew Anderson was included among the top real estate lawyers in the country.

Greg Dugal, executive director at Maine Innkeeper’s Association in Freeport, was recently honored with the Maine Tourism Association’s 2009 Hall of Fame Award.

Pine Capital, a provider of investment management services in Portland, was recently selected by Goldline Research as one of the most dependable wealth managers of the Northeast United States in 2009.

The Acadia Hospital in Bangor recently awarded this year’s Nursing Excellence Award to Wayne Steller.

The Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau recently presented its tourism-focused awards to the following area businesses and individuals: the Eagle Award for Individual Achievement was presented to Michael Crowley, president and chief philanthropy officer from Healthcare Charities in Bangor; the Eagle Award for Organizational Achievement was presented to Maine Tourism Association in Hallowell; the Greater Bangor CVB Impact Award was given to the Penobscot Theatre in Bangor; the Tourism Employee of the Year award was presented to Albert Cassius Everett of the Fairfield Inn by Marriot in Bangor; and the Maureen Waltz Spirit of Hospitality Award was presented to Yvonne Johnston of the Holiday Inn in Bangor.

The Maine Recreation and Park Association recently presented Alan Grady of the Gorham Recreation Department with the Distinguished Young Professional Award for 2009.

The Maine Credit Union League and Maine’s credit unions recently received the Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award from the Credit Union National Association for the seventh consecutive year.

Wright-Ryan Construction in Portland recently received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence from Gov. John Baldacci and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

Portland-based Baker Newman Noyes, a CPA firm with offices in Maine and New Hampshire, was recently named the 2009 New Hampshire Business of the Year in the Financial Services and Insurance category by Business NH Magazine.