In short from Nov. 16, 2009 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Martin’s Point Health Care in Portland recently hired Duke Dufresne as vice president of health plan medical management. Previously, Dufresne was national medical director for OptumHealth, headquartered in Golden Valley, Minn.

Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution recently hired Julie Bresette as assistant branch manager at the bank’s Scarborough location. Previously, Bresette was a client services manager at KeyBank in Saco.

Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Michelle Bush as an associate in the firm’s employment practice group and Avery Day as an associate in the firm’s governmental relations and litigation practice groups.

The Maine Winter Sports Center in Caribou recently hired Mike Smith as a community development coach. Previously, Smith worked at MOJO in Presque Isle.

The Frannie Peabody Center in Portland recently hired Kristin Klein as director of development. Previously, Klein was development director for Woodfords Family Services in Portland.

Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport recently hired Cristan Anderson as a general surgeon and John Bragg as a physician recruiter.

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Máire Corcoran and Halliday Moncure as part of the firm’s business restructuring and insolvency group and James Garrett as a member of the business law and real estate law practice groups.

Preti Flaherty, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Matthew Lane and J. Andrew Cashman as associates.

Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana recently hired Benjamin Ford, Nathaniel Hull, Kyle MacDonald and Misti Munster as associates.

Frank Martin and Sons Inc., a construction and forestry equipment dealer in Fort Kent and Madison, recently hired Brent Angevine as field service technician. 

Macdonald Page and Co., a certified public accounting firm with offices in South Portland and Augusta, recently hired Michele Giggey as an audit and accounting manager and Kelly Bocchino as a staff accountant.

Fisher and Phillips, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Sally Morris as counsel. Previously, Morris headed her own Yarmouth-based firm.

Paquin and Carroll Insurance in Westbrook recently hired Thomas McGintee as an agent specializing in individual and business insurance. Previously, McGintee worked at MEMIC in Portland. Landing Insurance Agency in Kennebunk recently hired John Farnsworth as an agent.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Toby Dilworth as a member of the trial services group and David Kallin as a member of the firm’s trial services, business services and public sector groups.

Promotions

Baker Newman Noyes, an accounting firm in Portland, recently promoted Vinal Doody, a principal of the firm, to director of healthcare consulting division.

Counseling Services Inc., a mental health and substance abuse service provider in Saco, recently promoted Jeannine Lepitre to chief executive officer. Previously, Lepitre was acting chief executive officer.

Biddeford Savings recently promoted Gail Nason to assistant vice president and Ann Coffin to vice president of deposit services.

Appointments

Cathy Ramsdell, executive director of Friends of Casco Bay, a conservation organization in South Portland, has been appointed to a three-year term on the Maine Sea Grant Policy Advisory Committee. Friends of Casco Bay also recently appointed Jeff Clements and Sean Bergen to its board of directors.

Spotlight

The Ocean Classroom Foundation in Boothbay Harbor and the University of Maine in Orono recently collaborated to offer a spring 2010 semester at sea experience for students aboard a 19th century-style schooner. Known as SEAmester, the program is managed by the Ocean Classroom Foundation. UMaine approved the curriculum through its Division of Lifelong Learning and will grant credits to students who successfully complete the courses.

SEAmester will feature a four-course, 12-credit science and humanities curriculum integrated with the journey and ports of call throughout the Eastern seaboard, Caribbean Islands and Central America. Students will also stand watches and assume increasing responsibilities in sailing the traditionally rigged schooner, according to a press release from the foundation.

UMaine’s School of Marine Sciences is involved in developing the program. 

Company News

InterSpec Inc., a construction specification management software and services company in Portland, recently announced that its professional spec writing team has been selected by VOA Associates Inc., an international architectural firm, to write specifications for its military projects using the United Facilities Guide Specifications and SpecsIntact software.

Old Town Fuel and Fiber recently celebrated its one-year anniversary. Gov. John Baldacci joined Patriarch Partners founder and CEO Lynn Tilton along with city officials and company employees in the anniversary ceremony.

The Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals in Princeton, N.J., recently awarded Tasha Gardner, a partner with Beatham, Bernier, Seekins and Colpritt, an accounting firm in Brewer, the certified construction industry financial professional designation certification number 633.

Husson University in Bangor recently celebrated the opening of its Beardsley Meeting House, a $15 million complex that includes academic, alumni, administrative and performing arts wings.

Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana and the Volunteer Lawyers Project recently launched the Appellate Pro Bono Project, a one-year pilot program matching pro bono counsel with litigants in appeals before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Mahoney Internet Marketing in Portland recently announced its partnership with Stacie Chalmers Inbound Marketing Solutions in Yarmouth to provide comprehensive marketing expertise to Internet marketing clients.

DennyMike’s ’Cue Stuff in York, a manufacturer of barbecue sauces and rubs, recently announced its products will be offered in Cabela’s stores throughout the nation.

Panini, a payment processing company headquartered in Turin, Italy, and KICTeam Inc., a manufacturer of cleaning cards in Auburn, recently announced the approval of the Panini Waffletechnology check scanner cleaning card for the Panini I:DealCheck Scanner.

The Cosmetic Enhancement Center of New England in Portland recently added the Lumenis UltraPulse CO2 fractional laser to its clinic.

Debbie Gogan recently opened Reconcile in Style Bookkeeping at 2 Jerome St. in Lewiston.

Steven Hudson, an attorney with Portland-based law firm Preti Flaherty, recently spoke on climate change issues at the annual meeting of the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry held in Memphis, Tenn.

The First Bancorp in Damariscotta recently announced unaudited results for the first nine months of 2009, with net income of $10.4 million, down $646,000 or 5.9% from the $11.0 million posted for the same period in 2008. Earnings per common share on a fully diluted basis were $0.98 for the nine months ended Sept. 30, down $0.15 or 13.3% from the $1.13 posted for the same period in 2008.

App Publishing in Portland recently created the Mobile Store Maker and the Mobile Invoicer, which allow businesses to show and sell their products on a smart phone using a secure credit-card processing program.

Itaconix, a producer and marketer of super absorbents and dispersants based in Durham, N.H., recently received a $1.8 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Joint Biomass Research and Development Initiative. The award, announced at the University of New Hampshire, will fund efforts by Itaconix, in partnership with Microbia Inc. and the University of Maine, to produce Itaconix’s green polymers from itaconic acid fermented with sugars extracted from hardwood biomass.

Summit Spring, a bottled water company based in Harrison, recently announced that its RAW WATER, a spring water bottled directly from the source without any filtration or treatment whatsoever, is launching at Blue Moon Market in Exeter, N.H., and Katrina’s Organic Market and Café in North Conway, N.H.

The Catholic Charities of Maine Jessie Albert Memorial Dental Center in Bath recently received a $5,200 grant from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation Inc., for the purchase of orthodontic welding equipment and high-speed curing lights.

The Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce recently unveiled a new website, www.boothbayharbor.com, designed to attract a new generation of vacationers to the region and to keep local residents and visitors connected with area businesses and community events.

Jacques Santucci recently founded Opus Consulting Group, located at 2 Market St. in Portland, to provide corporate renewal and turnaround management services for business owners.

Camden National Corp. recently reported net income for the third quarter 2009 of $6.3 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, resulting in year-to-date earnings of $17.5 million or $2.29 per diluted share. For the three- and nine-month periods ended Sept. 30, 2009, return on assets was 1.10% and 1.02%, respectively, and return on equity was 13.93% and 13.48%, respectively.

GEI Consultants Inc., an environmental, geotechnical, water resources and ecological science and engineering firm headquartered in Woburn, Mass., was recently selected by the Washington County Council of Governments in Calais to provide brownfields consulting services through a $400,000 brownfields assessment grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. GEI will work with the council’s brownfields committee to identify sites and conduct environmental assessments for the duration of its three-year contract with the EPA.

The Planet Dog Foundation, Portland-based Planet Dog’s nonprofit arm, recently announced the completion of a new recreation area for Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The Planet Dog Foundation awarded a $38,000 grant to Guiding Eyes, an accredited, nonprofit guide dog school, to build the Planet Dog Canine Recreation Area at its campus in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. 

Bowdoin Medical Group, a multi-site primary care practice with offices in Biddeford, Brunswick, South Portland, Gorham and West Falmouth, is now a subsidiary of Portland-based Martin’s Point Health Care. 

The city of Lewiston recently received an upgrade on its bond rating to a AA- from Standard and Poor’s Rating Services. The city had previously received an A1 rating from Moody’s Investors Service in 2007.

The Maine State Prison and the Bolduc Correctional Facility in Warren successfully completed an independent review for national accreditation by the American Correctional Association. 

Spectrum Generations, the Central Maine Area Agency on Aging, recently announced the development of its newest center at 12 Main St. in Topsham, serving Brunswick, Harpswell and Sagadahoc County. 

The Penobscot Bay Medical Center Creative Learning and Childcare Center in Rockport recently announced that two of its teachers, Katie Dumican and Valerie Firth, earned a child development associate credential, awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition.

The North Yarmouth Academy recently announced it will expand the school to include fifth grade. The academy anticipates enrolling at least 10 to 14 students in the inaugural year, beginning in the fall of 2010.

Shipyard Brewing Co. in Portland recently announced the release of its Pugsley’s Signature Series collection in a four-bottle sampler box. 

Randy Wintle, a unified communications specialist at Portland-based IT consulting firm Winxnet, recently provided guidance to Microsoft on its new certification exam for Unified Communications.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency recently announced that Old Town Fuel and Fiber qualified under the Biomass Crop Assistance Program.

The following organizations recently joined the Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Midcoast Maine in Rockland; Coastal Medical Care in Glen Cove; Cordjia Capital Projects Group in Camden; Elegant Green Homes in South Bristol; Frontier Collectibles in Thomaston; GC Minery Plumbing and Heating Inc. in Tenants Harbor; Goodwill Industries of Northern New England in Rockland; Pilates at SOMA in Rockland; Steve Dumas Catering and Events in Whitefield; and Waterworks Restaurant in Rockland. Sigmund Schultz, an attorney at Portland-based law firm Preti Flaherty, was recently named a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers.

Jeffrey Young, an attorney at Topsham-based law firm McTeague Higbee, recently participated in an online panel of national disability discrimination law experts sponsored by the American Bar Association to discuss new regulations to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008.

Lewiston-based Oxford Networks recently announced the continuation of its free telephone and Internet service for 2-1-1 Maine, a statewide Internet and telephone service offering resource referrals for a full range of health and human services.

Blue Marble Geographics, a developer and provider of geographic software products in Gardiner, recently announced the release of a beta version of GeoTranslate 5.1 with Spatial Connect along with GeoTransform 6.1. The products are incorporated into the company’s GeoCore SDK, a geospatial data translation developer toolkit that supports coordinate, geometry, vector, CAD, raster and LiDAR data.

U.S. Cellular recently completed construction of an additional cell site in Harpswell to improve coverage and network capacity in the towns of Harpswell and Brunswick and along routes 24 and 123.

Danielle Ripich, president of the University of New England in Biddeford, was recently named a fellow by the Association of Schools of Allied Health Professions.

Accolades

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently presented a certificate to Deborah Carey Johnson, CEO of Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, in recognition of the center’s exemplary participation and “outstanding contributions in promoting patient safety with medical devices.” Eastern Maine Medical Center was one of only 350 hospitals in the United States participating in the government pilot program to identify problems with medical  devices used in hospitals.

Wright-Pierce, an engineering firm in Topsham, was recently selected for the 2009 Circle of Excellence by PSMJ Resources Inc., a management consulting firm for the architectural, engineering and construction industries.

Shoshana Hoose, communications coordinator for the Bicycle Coalition of Maine in Augusta, recently received a Golden Arrow award from the Maine Public Relations Council for publicity for the coalition’s 2009 Great Maine Bike Swap.

The International Academy of Visual Arts recently presented Rinck Advertising in Auburn with a 2009 W3 Award for design and execution of the Rinck Advertising website. Rinck was honored with a W3 Silver Award in the category of self-promotion.

KG Partners, an advertising, public relations and interactive agency in Portland, recently received two 2009 Golden Arrow Awards from the Maine Public Relations Council.

The Scarborough Economic Development Corp. recently recognized the following Scarborough-based businesses at its 24th annual meeting: Hannaford Bros. Co. as the Scarborough corporate business of the year; The Cheese Iron as the Scarborough entrepreneurial business of the year; Fiddlehead Center for the Arts as the Scarborough nonprofit/educational business of the year; and Flaherty’s Family Farm as the Scarborough heritage/small business of the year.

Islandport Press, an independent publisher based in Yarmouth, recently received the 2009 Focus on New England Award for Outstanding Regional Literature from Barnes and Noble Inc.

Don Garrison, chief of facilities management at Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington, recently received the American Society of Healthcare Engineers Fellow Award.

The Maine Grocers Association recently announced that Scott Carlin, co-owner of the Hillside IGA in Fort Fairfield, Mars Hill IGA in Mars Hill and Star City IGA in Presque Isle, is the 2009 Grocer of the Year. Portland-based Maine Beverage Co., a wholesale liquor supplier, was named 2009 Vendor of the Year from the Maine Grocers Association for creating civically responsible promotions, focusing on Maine-based businesses and developing a well-run corporation. The Maine Grocers Association also named Waite Maclin, founder of specialty food company Pastor Chuck Orchards in Portland, Food Producer of the Year.

Fisher and Phillips, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that the following three attorneys were named to the 2009 list of New England Super Lawyers by Super Lawyers magazine: Jonathan Shapiro, managing partner, Eric Uhl, partner and Philip Moss, of counsel. Preti Flaherty, a law firm in Portland, announced that 19 of its attorneys have been selected for inclusion as 2009 New England Super Lawyers. Thirty-two lawyers from Portland-based law firm Verrill Dana have also been selected by their peers for inclusion in the 2009 edition of New England Super Lawyers.

The College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor recently received the Robert J. McKenna Award for program excellence from the New England Board of Higher Education.

Portland-based OA Centers for Orthopaedics recently announced that it has been awarded the 2009 Ganley Award for outstanding service to the athletic programs of Portland and South Portland.

Topsham-based law firm McTeague Higbee recently announced that G. William Higbee and Jeffrey Young, attorneys at the firm, were selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

Orono-based Maine Rural Partners’ board of directors recently recognized the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency’s Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program as 2009 Partner of the Year.

First Wind, a wind power company based in Newton, Mass., recently received a Maine Investor Award from the Maine State Chamber of Commerce. 

Stella DerBoghosian, a CNA at Charles A. Dean Memorial Nursing Home in Greenville, and Joan England, a CNA at Stillwater Health Care in Bangor, were recently honored by the Maine Health Care Association for outstanding service and dedication to Maine’s long-term care residents.

Kno-Wal-Lin Home Care and Hospice in Rockland recently announced that it has been named to the HomeCare Elite, a compilation of the most successful Medicare-certified home health care providers in the United States.

Joseph Payne, the Casco Baykeeper with the Friends of Casco Bay in South Portland, was recently awarded the Maine Public Relations Council’s Lightship Award, presented to an individual outside of the public relations industry for outstanding community engagement.