In short from September 07, 2009 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Tilson Technology Management, an IT consulting company in Portland, recently hired Jenn Marrone as an administrative assistant and Nick Andrews as a web developer.

MaineGeneral’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta recently hired Cristobal Alvarado as a thoracic and general surgeon. Previously, Alvarado was a staff cardiothoracic surgeon at the LifeLink Transplant Institute and Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Fla.

Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution recently hired Paul Brimigion as the senior network support specialist at the bank’s operations center in Saco. Previously, Brimigion was the IT director and coordinator at InterMed in South Portland.

Portland law firm Jensen Baird Gardner and Henry recently hired Roger Asch, a certified public accountant, in the firm’s business services and estate planning and probate practice groups. Previously, Asch worked as a sole practitioner in Portland.

The University Credit Union in Orono recently hired Renee Ouellette as vice president of finance and technology and Jay Fortier as a business services officer. Previously, Ouellette was regional financial analyst at Quorum Health Resources in Bangor and Fortier was a small business loan officer at Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor.

The University of Maine School of Law in Portland recently hired Michael Nelson, a member of Portland-based law firm Jensen Baird Gardner and Henry, as adjunct professor of law for professional responsibility and legal ethics.

Portland-based law firm Pierce Atwood recently hired Kris Eimicke as an associate in the firm’s business practice group.  Previously, Eimicke was a clerk for the Honorable Judge Haines at the United States Tax Court.

Saddleback ski resort in Rangeley recently hired Jeff Hawksley as director of the wellness and alpine skiing competition center and junior programs. Previously, Hawksley was the men’s alpine head conditioning coach at Carrabassett Valley Academy.

Allen Financial Group, a financial consulting and employee benefits company in Camden, recently hired Scott Fletcher as a certified financial planner.

Youth Alternatives Ingraham, a social services organization in South Portland, recently hired Tonya DiMillo as a linkage project coordinator and Elizabeth Limerick as vice president for development and communications. Previously, DiMillo worked for the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service in Portland and Limerick was director of development at Broadreach Public Relations in Yarmouth.

Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington recently hired dermatologist Joshua Sparling to the medical staff of Franklin Memorial Hospital and the new Franklin Health Dermatology practice. Previously, Sparling was a dermatologist at the Guthrie Ambulatory Health Clinic in Fort Drum, N.Y. Franklin Community Health Network also hired physician assistant Isaac Ball to the medical staff of Franklin Health Orthopedics and Franklin Memorial Hospital. Ball recently received his master’s degree in physician assistant studies from the University of New England in Portland.

LearningWorks, a nonprofit organization in Portland that services children and low-income families, recently hired Joel Russ as its new director of development and Susannah Kerest as the director of external relations. Previously, Russ was CEO of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce and Kerest was a consultant with Demont and Associates in Portland.

Downeast Pension Services Inc., a third party administrator for company-sponsored retirement plans in New Gloucester, recently hired Leander MacVane as senior account executive. Previously, MacVane was an accountant manager at Berry, Dunn, McNeil and Parker in Portland.

Vision Care of Maine in Bangor recently hired Curt Young as a retina surgeon.

Soft Trac, a consulting firm in Falmouth specializing in nonprofit technology, recently hired Timothy Nichols as a specialist in nonprofit accounting.

Promotions

The Old Orchard Beach Town Council recently promoted V. Louise Reid from assistant town manager to acting town manager.

Appointments

Piper Shores, a nonprofit retirement community in Scarborough, recently announced Suzanne McCormick, Dennis O’Sullivan, Brenda Maloy-Fiorini, Sylvia Most and Kathy Barber have been elected to its board of directors.

The Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership recently selected Lois Hamel, director of the online nursing program at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish, to join its health leadership development program.

Lee Rand, owner of Rand Advertising in Lincoln, was recently named the area’s business representative on the Maine Highlands board of directors.

The Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth recently elected Brian Hamel, managing partner at Thompson-Hamel, a financial services firm in Presque Isle, and George Shaw, a former attorney at Hemenway and Barnes in Boston, to its board of directors.

Franklin Savings Bank in Farmington recently appointed Bradford Adley, owner of Adley Auto Sales and Service Inc. in Rumford, to its board of directors.

Pine Tree Society, a statewide organization serving Maine children and adults with disabilities, recently named the following to its board of directors: Matthew Hunter, former CEO of Central Maine Power Co. in Augusta; Richard MacKenzie, owner and designated broker of Day’s Real Estate in Belgrade Lakes; Deborah Regan, volunteer coordinator; Pat Roix, program manager at the Maine Department of Agriculture; and Bruce Albiston, CEO of Maine Oxy in Auburn. Pine Tree Society also elected the following officers: Wendy Paradis, member of the real estate practice group at Bernstein Shur in Portland, as president; Emily Fuller Hawkins as first vice president; Cheryl Timberlake, president of Capitol Insights in Augusta, as secretary; and George Lambert, founding member of Baker Newman Noyes in Portland, as treasurer.

Barbara Fraumeni, associate dean of research and an economist at the University of Southern Maine Muskie School of Public Service in Portland, was recently named to a joint task force on measuring sustainable development by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical information service.

The Maine Regulatory Fairness Board recently elected Eliot Stanley as chair to the board and Linda Snyder as vice chair. Marie Emerson, Michael Meisner, Van Perry, Ed Phillips, and Elizabeth Shissler were also elected.

Youth Alternatives Ingraham, a social services organization in South Portland, recently appointed Roger Poulin, principal tax partner at Baker Newman Noyes in Portland, and Dawn Gay, assistant manager of call center operations at L.L.Bean in Freeport, to its board of trustees.

Spotlight

J.S. McCarthy Printers in Augusta recently announced it ranks No. 12 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new Top 20 Printers list, which features the largest green power purchasers in the commercial printing business. J.S. McCarthy Printers is purchasing more than 3 million kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which is enough green power to meet 100% of the organization’s purchased electricity use. J.S. McCarthy is buying renewable energy certificates from Clean Currents, a clean energy broker and aggregator headquartered in Rockville, Md., according to a press release from the company.

The Top 20 Printers list, which debuted on July 27, is one of nine top partner lists that the EPA releases quarterly, highlighting some of America’s largest green power purchasers. 

Company News

Ecomaine, a nonprofit, municipally-owned waste management corporation in Portland, recently reached a major milestone by processing 30,705 tons of recyclable material from July 2008 to June 2009, which is more than the total tons processed during the corporation’s first five years of operation.

Portland-based law firm Curtis Thaxter Stevens Broder and Micoleau was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Energy to provide advice and representation under a recently expanded loan guarantee program intended to spur development of renewable and other energy projects. 

Freeport-based retailer L.L.Bean and Planet Dog, a pet products manufacturer in Portland, recently joined forces this holiday season to offer L.L.Bean’s holiday gift set for dogs, which will include Planet Dog products in an L.L.Bean tote.

The Mahoosuc Arts Council of Bethel was recently awarded a $9,000 Maine Arts Recovery Grant from the Maine Arts Commission through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution recently approved more than $50,000 in donations to local organizations.

Brunswick-based BEK Inc., a computer services company, recently announced it has moved from 56 Bibber Parkway to 9 Industrial Parkway.

Tim O’Brien and Vickie Sarfo-Kantanka, attorneys at Kennebunk law firm Libby O’Brien Kingsley and Champion, recently spoke at the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s recent forum on gender equality issues in collegiate athletics, held in San Diego, Calif.

Colby College in Waterville announced two of its recently renovated dormitories on Roberts Row were awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

U.S. Cellular, headquartered in Chicago, recently announced a three-year sponsorship agreement with the University of Maine Athletics in Orono, making U.S. Cellular the university’s official wireless provider.

The Camden Riverhouse Hotel in Camden recently installed a solar hot water system on the roof of its main building on Tannery Lane in an effort to achieve higher energy efficiency while reducing fossil fuel consumption.

Berry, Dunn, McNeil and Parker, an accounting and management consulting firm in Portland, recently announced that employee Antoine Blaishas was awarded the Certified Fraud Examiner credential, which denotes proven expertise in fraud prevention, detection and deterrence.

Tilson Technology Management, a web development company based in Portland, recently launched an updated website, www.lutw.org, for Light up the World, a humanitarian organization based in Calgary, Alberta.

Northeast Bank recently completed a technological conversion to cut down the number of servers used at its corporate headquarters in Lewiston, replacing them with higher capacity, energy efficient servers that save space, power, money and CO2 emissions.

Maine Medical Center in Portland recently published a clinical outcomes data and referral guide. The purpose of the guide is to provide detailed information to the local referring health care community about the depth and breadth of services available at Maine Medical Center and to help facilitate collaboration between specialties.

MaineGeneral Medical Center, which has inpatient hospitals in Waterville and Augusta, is one of 27 hospitals on the state’s preferred-provider list. MaineGeneral earned “blue-ribbon status” from the Maine Health Management Coalition in all four core measure quality categories: heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia and surgical infections. MaineGeneral also received a blue ribbon for patient safety for handling and administering medications. The Maine Health Management Coalition’s system compares all Maine hospitals to national benchmarks representing the care given by the best-performing hospitals in the country.

Portland Webworks, a software development firm in Portland, was recently selected by the Association of Alaska School Boards to develop the third generation of its school climate and connectedness survey system.

Dacri and Associates, a human resource consulting firm in Kennebunkport, recently announced it has opened an online store at www.dacri.com that sells training programs, state law guides and management books.

Empower Lewiston, a nonprofit community planning organization, recently awarded grants to the following organizations: L/A Arts received $5,000; Lewiston-Auburn Neighborhood Network received $5,000; ArtVan received $5,400; Lewiston Public Library received $7,450; St. Mary’s Community Nutrition Programming received $10,000; the city of Lewiston received $13,000; Trinity Jubilee Center received $17,500; Lewiston Adult Education received $18,100; New Beginnings received $21,190; Downtown Education Collaborative received $23,940; and Outsource Works received $25,000. The grants are funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Enterprise Community program.

Rockport-based Penobscot Bay Medical Center urologists Martyn Vickers and Elizabeth Tulip have been asked to present the findings of their study, “Indication for Prostate Biopsy following Primary Total Surgical Cryoablation of the Prostate: Sensitivity of ASTRO Criteria,” at the New England Section of the American Urological Association annual meeting this fall.

Rinck Advertising, a full-service marketing agency based in Auburn, was recently named the advertising and marketing agency of record for Agren Appliance and Television in Auburn.

Accolades

Halifax, Nova Scotia-based Emera, the parent company of Bangor Hydro Electric Co., recently received an Atlantica Champions of Excellence award from the Bangor Region Development Alliance and Bangor Metro Magazine for cross-border business initiatives.

College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor was recently named one of five “changemaker campuses” by Ashoka, a network of social entrepreneurs.

G.I. Jobs magazine recently named Saint Joseph’s College in Standish to its Military Friendly Schools list, which honors the top 15% of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students.

Augusta-based law firm Lipman Katz and McKee has been recently voted greater Augusta’s best attorneys in the “Best of the Best” survey by Market Surveys of America.

Biddeford-based University of New England’s “Learning by Living” program, which allows geriatric medicine students to live in nursing homes, was recently featured in a prominent article of the New York Times’ national news section.

Skelton Taintor and Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, recently announced that Michael Poulin was selected by his peers for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the field of health care law. Gretchen Jones, a shareholder and director at the firm, was selected for inclusion in the field of banking law.

The following five attorneys from Portland-based law firm Murray, Plumb and Murray were recently selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of The Best Lawyers in America: Drew Anderson, John Bannon, Thomas Newman, Richard O’Meara and Michael Traister.

The Damariscotta River Grill in Damariscotta recently earned the 2009 award of excellence in magazine Wine Spectator’s August issue. 

Lori Pomelow, director of nursing services at Russell Park Rehab and Living Center in Lewiston, was recently chosen as Director of Nursing Services of the Year by North Country Associates, the Lewiston-based owner and operator of the Russell Park.

The Associated General Contractors of Maine recently awarded James Langford of Langford and Low Construction in Portland the Major Achievements in Construction award.

The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management recently announced the following 31 companies have been named in the fourth annual Best Places to Work in Maine program: Affiliated Healthcare Systems in Bangor; Androscoggin Bank in Lewiston; Athenahealth Inc. in Belfast; Austin Associates in Auburn; Baker Newman Noyes in Portland; Barclaycard US in Wilton; Burgess Advertising and Marketing in Portland; Camden National Corp. in Rockland; Consigli Construction Co. Inc. in Portland; Day One in Portland; Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in Brewer; Edward Jones, which is headquartered in Louisville, Ky.; Garrand in Portland; GreenPages Technology Solutions in Kittery; Kennebunk Savings Bank in Kennebunk; Machias Savings Bank in Machias; Maine Eye Care Associates in Waterville; Maine Printing Company MPX in Portland; Maine Savings Federal Credit Union in Hampden; MMG Insurance Co. in Presque Isle; Mountain LTD in New Gloucester; Oxford Networks in Lewiston; Pierce Atwood in Portland; PowerPay in Portland; Skowhegan Savings Bank in Skowhegan; SMRT Inc. in Portland; T-Mobile USA Inc. in Oakland; Tyler Technologies Inc. in Falmouth; Unum in Portland; White Rock Distilleries Inc. in Lewiston; and Wright-Ryan Construction Inc. in Portland.

Gifford’s Ice Cream in Skowhegan was recently named the official ice cream of The Dempsey Challenge, a bike tour and walk/run event to raise money for The Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston.