In short from May 2, 2011 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New hires

Clark Insurance in Portland recently hired Tony Payne as business development director. Previously, Payne was executive director of the Alliance for Maine’s Future, advocates for Maine’s economy.

Winxnet, an IT provider in Portland, recently hired Jim Bentley as a technical support specialist. Previously, Bentley was a sales production support specialist at Hannaford Bros. Co.

Perry & Banks Integrated Sales and Marketing, a marketing and public relations firm in Portland, recently hired Suzanne Hodgson as an account coordinator.

Kelly Services, a staffing provider in Portland, recently hired Betteanne Esposito as district manager.

Wright-Pierce, a wastewater and infrastructure engineering firm in Portland, recently hired Laurie Perkins as senior project manager in its wastewater practice group.

Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor recently hired Lawrence Barrett as its new president. Previously, Barrett was the vice chancellor of enrollment management and student services at Purdue University North Central in Westville, Ind., a regional campus of the Purdue University System.

The University of New England in Biddeford recently hired Thomas White as vice president for communications.

Mercy Health System of Maine recently hired Elizabeth Wall and Carolyn Millhouse as the primary medical staff at its Mercy Yarmouth location.

Tilson Technology Management, an information technology project management company in Portland, recently hired Steve Greve and Ana Freitas as consultants in its wireless and telecommunications group.

Bangor Savings Bank recently hired Charles Osgood as senior vice president and commercial market manager.

Oxford Networks in Lewiston recently hired Jon Bilodeau as IP engineer, Donna Hinkley as business service coordinator and Cassey Dudley as a customer service representative/receptionist.

Insurance Trust in Westbrook recently hired Kristy Pendexter to its employee benefits team.

KeyBank recently hired Matthew Stringer as senior business banking relationship manager in York County. Previously, Stringer was vice president, commercial loan officer at Peoples United in Portland.

Hull Law Office in Biddeford recently hired attorney Reid Hayton-Hull.

Thayer Corp., an engineering and design firm in Auburn, recently hired Steven Garrard as an energy/maintenance consultant in its maintenance division. Previously, Garrard was an account manager at FairPoint Communications.

Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington recently hired Robin Locke, a medical oncologist/hematologist.

Camden Financial Consultants recently hired Amanda Bost as a financial consultant.

Promotions

Wright Express Corp., a payment processing and information management services provider in South Portland, recently promoted Melissa Smith to president of Wright Express North America and Steve Elder to senior vice president and chief financial officer.

Medical Network in Scarborough recently promoted Thomas Drottar to CEO. Previously, Drottar was director of networks and business development.

The University of Southern Maine recently promoted Margaret Schick to director of annual giving and alumni development. Previously, Schick was interim director of annual giving.

KeyBank in Bangor recently promoted Michael Chamberlain to vice president, senior business banking relationship manager. Previously, Chamberlain was a business banking relationship manager.

GWI in Biddeford recently promoted Tricia Conley to controller and Trevor Jones to director of marketing and product development.

Tilson Fiber Technology in Portland recently promoted Amy Hayes to project manager of Maine Fiber Co. Inc.’s Three Ring Binder broadband expansion project.

People’s United Bank recently promoted Ira Camp to mortgage account officer at the bank’s Kennebunk branch.

Appointments

Day One, an adolescent substance abuse treatment and prevention agency in Portland, recently appointed Kathryn Schumacher, human resource information system manager at Maine Medical Center in Portland, to its board of directors for a three-year term.

Camden National Corp. and Camden National Bank recently announced the establishment of an executive management team and appointed the following employees to the position of executive vice president: Joanne Campbell, executive vice president of risk management; Peter Greene, executive vice president of operations and technology; Deborah Jordan, executive vice president and chief financial officer; Timothy Nightingale, executive vice president and senior lending officer; and June Parent, executive vice president of retail banking.

The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation and the Maine Pulp and Paper Association recently elected the following new officers: Barbara Hamilton of Emerson Process Control, chair; John Wolanski, vice president of Savage Safe Handling, president; John Donahue, vice president of Sappi Fine Paper North America, secretary; Dennis Castonguay, manufacturing support manager of Verso Paper, executive committee. The following were appointed to the board of directors: Lee Cyr, manager of production planning at Twin Rivers Paper; Luke Czarnecki, national sales manager of Bercen; John Desjardins, New England sales manager of Buckman USA; Michael Reider, general manager of Katahdin Paper; and Tom Ramundo, president of New England Controls.

Bates College recently announced that Associate Dean of the Faculty Pamela Baker, the college’s Helen A. Papaioanou professor of biological sciences, has accepted a two-year appointment as the institution’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty, effective July 1.

Portland law firm Drummond Woodsum recently appointed Aaron Pratt, a member of the firm’s business services group, to its board of directors for a three-year term.

Mechanics Savings Bank in Auburn recently named Edward Snook to its board of directors.

Senate President Kevin Raye recently appointed Michael Cote, owner of Look’s Gourmet Food in Whiting, to the Maine Regulatory Fairness Board.

Company news

Canal 5 Studio, an architectural, planning and interior design firm, recently announced it is open for business at One Canal Plaza in Portland.

Seth Cheikin, an employee at Edward Jones, a financial services firm in Falmouth, recently achieved the professional designation of accredited asset management specialist.

Goodwill Industries of Northern New England recently earned Energy Star status from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its administrative headquarters at 353 Cumberland Ave. in Portland.

Fireside Inn & Suites in Waterville, SeaCat’s Rest Oceanside Suite in Lamoine, Flagstaff Lake Hut and the Grand Falls Hut of Maine Huts & Trails in the Carrabassett Valley area were recently certified by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection as environmental leaders in hospitality.

The Olympia Cos. of Portland Maine was recently selected by JHR Development to manage the Inn at Brunswick Station, scheduled to open in June.

Hall Internet Marketing, an Internet marketing firm in Portland, recently announced it redesigned the Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine’s website, www.sarsonline.org. In addition to hosting the site, Hall provided pro bono website design and development services.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that the city of Portland will receive technical assistance to help address a development-related challenge designed to advance the city’s efforts to become a more sustainable and livable community. Through the Sustainable Communities Building Blocks program, Portland requested assistance for development of its “complete streets policy,” which will help ensure that city streets are accessible to all ages and abilities as well as all modes of transportation, from motorists to pedestrians to bicyclists and users of public transportation.

Dogs at Work, a promotional marketing agency in Brunswick, recently announced the launch of its new website, www.dogsatwork.com, designed by iBec Creative in Portland.

Baxter Brewing Co., a microbrewery in Lewiston, recently announced plans to double its current production capacity after only 90 days of operations by adding two more fermenting tanks and one conditioning tank.

Edward Simmons and Gibson Wilkes recently announced the launch of Simmons Wilkes Investment Advisors at 415 Congress St. in Portland.

Wright Express, a provider of business payment processing and information management solutions in South Portland, recently announced new features and reports to its WEXSMART product. The new features combine information from fuel card transactions with GPS vehicle tracking information.

The Acadia Hospital in Bangor was recently notified by The Joint Commission that it has earned a Gold Seal of Approval for both its hospital-based and behavioral health services.

Mark Girr and Becky McKinnell recently announced the launch of iKNO Intranet, an Intranet development firm in Portland.

Katahdin Cedar Fence in Oakfield recently announced a 75% increase in sales over the previous year in the first quarter of 2011.

Gifford’s Ice Cream in Skowhegan recently announced a new brand and packaging look for its products throughout New England, New York and New Jersey.

Bates College in Lewiston recently voted to tenure the following faculty: Helen Boucher, Department of Psychology; Gina Fatone, Department of Music; B. Christine McDowell, Department of Theater and Rhetoric; Karen Melvin, Department of History; and Hiroya Miura, Department of Music.

Scott Simons Architects in Portland recently announced that Austin Smith and Chris Berry have become partners in the firm.

Winxnet, an IT provider in Portland, recently developed an application to process simulated results that replaces a lab system for the Hannaford Center for Safety, Innovation and Simulation at Maine Medical Center in Portland.

KICTeam, a designer and manufacturer of custom cleaning solutions for maintaining equipment in Auburn, and Ingenico, a provider of payment solutions headquartered in France, recently announced the signing of an agreement for cleaning cards specifically designed for Ingenico point-of-sale terminals.

Northern Maine Community College recently officially opened its Northern Maine Center for Excellence in Alternative Energy Training and Education in Presque Isle.

The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor recently received a $500,000 gift from life trustee Henry Sharpe and his wife, Peggy Sharpe.

Spotlight

Dead River Co., a distributor of petroleum products headquartered in Portland, and United Way of Greater Portland recently announced the results of the Share the Warmth fundraising campaign aimed at helping families and individuals in need of heating assistance in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

With help from more than 100 individuals and several businesses, the campaign raised $127,600, including Dead River’s $100,000 commitment, according to a press release from the company. Share the Warmth helped 350 households across the three states. Although Dead River Co. originally planned to match every dollar collected up to $100,000, the company decided to make the full $100,000 donation. All funds raised by the campaign have been distributed.

Accolades

The Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists recently presented Don Watson, manager of pharmacy at Maine Medical Center in Portland, with the Pharmacist of the Year Award, and Gil Fraser, clinical pharmacy specialist at Maine Medical Center in Portland, with its Maine Society of Health System Pharmacists Practice Award.

Pulp+Wire, a design and marketing firm in Portland, recently earned 17 national design awards from the Service Industry Advertising Awards, Graphic Design USA and the National BBQ Association.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, was recently recognized as one of Maine’s leading law firms by Chambers USA in each of the following categories: labor and employment; corporate/mergers and acquisitions; general commercial litigation; and environment and real estate.

AcademicMerit in Portland, a developer of online tools focused on English language arts in grades 7-12, recently announced that its Literary Companion and Assessments21 online tools were named finalists for the Software & Information Industry Association’s 26th annual CODiE Awards.

Benjamin Clark, senior vice president and wealth advisor of Bayside Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services Inc. in Portland, was recently named to Barron’s Top 1,000 Financial Advisors List.

Lamey-Wellehan, a shoe retailer headquartered in Auburn, was recently named New England’s Shoe Retailer of the Year by Boston Shoe Travelers, a New England wholesale trade organization.

The Downtown Bangor Partnership was recently awarded the 2010 All-Star Award from Constant Contact Inc., a marketing adviser.

The Maine Bar Foundation, a nonprofit grant-giving agency, recently honored Jennifer Archer, an attorney with the Portland law firm Kelly, Remmel & Zimmerman, with the Arnie MacDonald Maine Bar Fellows New Lawyer Award for her contributions to justice in Maine.

Verso Paper Corp. recently announced that Jef Howell, purchasing manager at its Androscoggin Mill in Jay, received the 2011 Ray H. Cross Community Service Award from the Paper Industry Management Association.

The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers in Waterville recently received the Community Service Project of the Year Award from the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that 34 lawyers have been added to Chambers & Partners listing of leaders in their field.

Peter Rubin, president and shareholder of Portland law firm Bernstein Shur, was recently recognized as one of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America.

The Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Bureau recently presented the following awards: Pat Eltman, former Maine Office of Tourism director, Rose Award for outstanding service; National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, Phoenix Award for hosting an event with a large economic impact; Maine Lobster Council, Lighthouse Award for promoting Maine as a tourism destination; Chuck O’Reilly, Ambassador of the Year; and Jason Briggs of V.I.P. Tour & Charter Bus Co., Member of the Year.

Industrial Roofing Co. in Lewiston recently received the 2011 Firestone Master Contractor Award from the Firestone Building Products Co.

Dunkin’ Brands Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, recently honored Edward Wolak of Scarborough with the 2010 Dunkin’ Donuts Developer of the Year award, which is presented to a franchisee who has demonstrated success in multi-store growth, commitment to quality brand standards and execution excellence.

Play It Again Sports, a new and used sporting goods retailer headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., recently presented Scott Rousseau of Play It Again Sports in Portland with the Sales Excellence Award.

Poland Spring’s Kingfield plant recently received the Best Factory in North America Award from Nestle Waters North America.

Sandy Legendre and Wanda Chelate, residential loan closers at Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution, recently received the bank’s 2010 A. William Kany Community Service Award.

The Maine Trail Finder website, www.mainetrailfinder.com, developed by the Center for Community GIS, recently received the 2010 Best Trail Finding and Database Site Award from American Trails.

ecomaine recently presented Goodwill Industries of Northern New England in Portland with the Best Business Award. ecomaine also presented the following businesses with its eco-Excellence Award: Conversion Products, Biddeford; Bridgton Hospital; The Village Gift Barn, Casco; Gritty McDuff’s, Freeport; Nappi Distributors, Gorham; The Bottle Barn, Gray; Donald Gean, Old Orchard Beach; Maine Manufacturing, Sanford; WormMainea, Scarborough; and Bruce’s Burritos, Yarmouth.

Planet Dog, a manufacturer of dog products in Portland, recently announced that its Orbee-Tuff Counter-Top Display won the Best in Show Award at the Global Pet Show.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union was recently honored with a Diamond Award by the Credit Union National Association Marketing and Business Development Council, a national network.

Linda Beaulieu, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Millett Realty in Auburn, was recently recognized for ranking as the No. 2 agent statewide for sales in 2010 during the Maine Coldwell Banker awards banquet.

Bates College in Lewiston recently presented Sonja Pieck, assistant professor of environmental studies, and Nancy Koven, assistant professor of psychology, with its Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce recently presented its Norbert X. Dowd Award to Gary Smith, owner and operator of the Brookings-Smith Funeral Home in Bangor.