In short: new hires, promotions, accolades

New Hires

Maine Medical Center recently hired Maureen Van Benthuysen and Jack Packhem. Van Benthuysen, most recently the senior vice president of the Cardiovascular Institute and Hospital Operations at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, was hired as senior vice president of clinical services. Packhem, previously Maine Med's program manager for surgical services, has been named vice president of surgical services.

Dr. Newton's Naturals, a South Portland firm offering natural health products, recently hired Doug Marks and Tom Sarna. Marks, who was hired as the senior media buyer for its internal media agency, was previously with Website Forge LLC. Sarna, previously with emg3/TidesSmart Global, was hired as a buyer for the media department.

Irwin, Tardy & Morris, a Portland-based law firm, recently announced that Robert Weaver has joined the firm. Weaver, formerly a law clerk to Leigh Saufley, chief justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, will practice in general litigation, appellate work and governmental affairs.

Southern Maine Community College recently hired Matt Wickenheiser as its director of college relations. Wickenheiser, who was previously the business editor at the Bangor Daily News based in Portland, will be responsible for both internal and external communications.

United Way of Greater Portland recently announced four new hires: Florence Young as community impact director, academic achievement; Chris Daley as database programmer; Ken Gardiner as business intelligence analyst; and Joseph Gildart as finance associate. Previously, Young was a social worker with Casey Family Services; Daley was with Idexx Laboratories; Gardiner was with the Maine Bureau of Insurance and Gildart was hired following an internship at Ameriprise Financial in Portsmouth, N.H.

The Maine Humanities Council, a Portland-based organization, recently hired Hayden Anderson, Ph.D., as its executive director. Anderson, previously the interim executive director of the Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project in Portland, is a certified fund raising executive with more than a dozen years of experience.

Putney Inc., a Portland pet pharmaceutical company focused on the development and sale of generic prescription medicines for pets, recently announced that Ben Moses has been hired as manager of non-clinical studies. Moses was previously with Novartis Animal Health. Amy Radke was also hired as the new associate of product development. Previously, Radke was with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

The Bank of Maine recently named Jahnna Armitage manager of the Falmouth banking center. Armitage, previously an assistant vice president at Bangor Savings Bank, is responsible for new business development, consumer and business lending, managing personnel and overseeing the day-to-day operations.

Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington recently announced that James Smith, DO, will rejoin the medical staff in November as a provider at Franklin Health Livermore Falls Family Practice. Smith, previously with Farmington Family Practice, has provided primary care for patients since 1994.

Nexus Management, a provider of managed IT services in Brunswick, recently hired Nick O'Neal as help desk technician. O'Neal was previously as an IT administrator for the U.S. Navy serving on the U.S.S. Bainbridge.

Camden National Bank recently hired Ryan Smith as senior vice president, commercial regional manager for the southern and central regions of Maine. Smith, previously the senior vice president of commercial banking for People's United Bank, is based in Lewiston and will oversee the bank's commercial banking activities in central and southern Maine.

Creative Digital Imaging, a provider of enhanced electronic and printed customer communications in Bangor, recently added three new employees to its creative digital imaging team. Nick Winchester was hired as general manager; Matthew Acheson as the director of customer operations; and Eric Chambers as a project manager.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently announced Chris Perry is the vice president/regional market manager for the Topsham, Augusta and South China locations; Bruce Thornton is the branch relationship manager in South China and Augusta; and Michelle Curtis is the branch relationship manager in Topsham.

Jan Jacques & Co. of Keller Williams Realty recently announced that Don White has joined the team as buyer agent. White is an associate broker with 13 years of experience in real estate.

Gorham Savings Bank recently hired Eric Andrews as chief risk officer and added Jim Goodbody to its Gorham Financial Group Team.

Penobscot Community Health Care recently announced that Jon Curtis Dailey, DDS, has rejoined the staff of its dental center. Dailey is certified by the American Board of Prosthodontics and the American Board of Forensic Odontology, and is a qualified expert witness in Forensic Odontology in three states.

KidsPeace, a nonprofit behavioral health organization in Ellsworth, recently announced that Dr. Michael Alexander has joined the leadership team at its Graham Lake Campus. In addition to providing psychiatric services to the autistic and behaviorally challenged youth in the residential and day treatment programs, Alexander will also serve as medical director for all organization programs.

Sanford Institution for Savings recently announced hiring Faith Smith as market manager in the Limerick branch. Smith has held various positions within the Maine banking community.

Carrabassett Valley Academy recently hired Kate O'Halloran as the director of development and alumni connections. O'Halloran, previously the director of gift planning and major gifts at MaineGeneral Health, will be leading a strategy for the school's development efforts which includes enhancements to the annual giving program.

Saint Joseph's College recently announced that Robert Hand was hired as executive director of marketing and communications. Hand was previously the director of marketing at Sovereign Bank in Boston.

Rudman Winchell, a law firm in Bangor, recently announced that Matthew Cobb has joined the firm as an associate. Cobb is working in the litigation department, primarily focusing on employment.

eWaste Recycling Solutions LLC in Auburn recently announced the hires of Al Ahlers as environmental compliance manager and Leo Amaral as operations manager. Ahlers is in charge of implementing and executing the company's environmental management system while Amaral oversees transportation, warehouse and recycling operations.

The Jackson Laboratory recently hired Clare Tully as senior director for human resources, health and safety. Tully, an attorney with experience in business and nonprofit sectors, was previously with the Portland law firm of Bernstein Shur.

Promotions

BerryDunn, a CPA and management consulting firm in Portland, recently announced that Eduardo Daranyi has been promoted to senior manager and William Richardson and Ryan Wrisley have been promoted to managers in the firm's government consulting group. Daranyi has experience managing and providing quality assurance oversight of large-scale technology initiatives. Richardson has experience serving state Medicaid and health and human services agencies. Wrisley's work includes large-scale systems planning, design and implementation and strategic business and IT planning.

Putney Inc., a Portland pet pharmaceutical company focused on the development and sale of generic prescription medicines for pets, recently promoted Simon McGurk to senior director of product development. McGurk is responsible for scientific review of new products and the execution of external manufacturing partnerships.

CEI Capital Management LLC, a provider of New Market Tax Credits, recently announced the promotion of Sung Ju Park to investment officer in the Portland office. Park, previously a transaction analyst, is responsible for evaluating potential investments of New Markets Tax Credits and directing their deployment.

TD Bank recently promoted Alicia Greer to treasury management officer. Greer, an assistant vice president, will be responsible for servicing and growing the bank's treasury management program in central and southern Maine.

Community Credit Union recently announced that Michelle St. Hilaire was promoted to bookkeeping assistant/collections clerk. In her new position, St. Hilaire, previously a member representative, will assist the accounting and collection departments.

Down East Insurance Agency, headquartered in Topsham, recently announced that Judy Mitchell was promoted to supervisor of branches. Mitchell will oversee all operations at the company's branches in Baileyville, Unity and Richmond.

Downeast Energy recently announced that Marie Parker was promoted to general manager in the Windham office and Rob Wilkes was promoted to general manager in the Kennebunk office. Parker was previously the office manager in the Kennebunk office. Wilkes was mostly recently the general manager in the Windham office.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution recently announced the promotion of Elaine Tito to senior staff accountant. Tito, previously a staff accountant, holds numerous certifications from the American Institute of Banking and the Center for Financial Training.

Katahdin Trust Co. recently announced the promotion of Andrew Putnam to assistant vice president and technology product manager. Putnam was previously a network administrator officer.

Community Credit Union in Lewiston recently announced that Natalie Green was promoted to operations support/ACH coordinator. Green was previously a member representative.

Appointments

The Maine Public Utilities Commission recently selected Sarah Hofmann as the new executive director of the New England Conference of Public Utilities Commissioners. Hofmann, currently the deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Public Service, will succeed William Nugent effective Jan. 1.

Saint Joseph's College recently appointed Dr. Amy Meltzer Rady to the faculty as an associate professor of education in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science and Dr. Mark Hibben as an assistant professor of political science. Rady's areas of specialization include pedagogy, curriculum and teacher education. Hibben, who is finishing his doctorate degree at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, was an instructor at the University of Maine for the past four years.

Gov. Paul LePage recently administered the oath to Justice Warren Silver of the Supreme Judicial Court, as well as two new judges to the District Court, Dan Billings and John Lucy. Silver was appointed to the Law Court by Gov. Baldacci in 2005 after a career in private practice. Lucy was a partner at Richardson, Whitman, Large, & Badger in Bangor, where he has practiced since 1990. Billings, who served as Gov. LePage's chief legal counsel since January 2011, was previously a partner at Marden, Dubord, Bernier & Stevens in Waterville where his practice focused on civil litigation and criminal defense.

Kevin Healey, vice president of human resources for St. Mary's Health System in Lewiston, was recently appointed to serve as the vice chair of the State Workforce Investment Board by Gov. Paul LePage. Healey was previously a human resources division director and executive director of the UNUM Foundation.

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants recently appointed Merrill Barter as one of 10 national members of the State and Local Taxation Technical Resource Panel for the 2012-2013 year, which began in October. Barter is a certified public accountant and a senior manager in Baker Newman Noyes' tax division.

University of Maine at Farmington recently appointed Dr. Lucas Kellett as sustainability coordinator. Kellett, a lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the college, has a background in the natural sciences and social sciences, including environmental studies, geography and anthropology.

Company News

Pulp+Wire, a branding, marketing and package-design firm in Portland, was recently selected as one of four national agencies to compete in Package Design magazine's makeover challenge. The competition pits four selected agencies against each other in a package design project for a real client. This year's client, Klara's Cookies, requested a design overhaul of the packaging for its gourmet line of traditional European sweet and savory cookies. The winner will be selected by popular vote, the magazine's editorial staff and input from the client.

Kathrine Farris, owner/virtual professional of Office Solutions ME in Topsham, was recently awarded a certification as a professional virtual speaker's assistant after completing the Professional Virtual Speaker's Assistant Training Program.

Allen Insurance and Financial and Concord Group Insurance Cos. recently celebrated a business partnership of 20 years.

The Bank of Maine recently celebrated the grand opening of its banking center at The Shops at Falmouth Village, located in Falmouth. A team of residential mortgage loan specialists, including Vice President Brendan Hickey, have relocated to the new location.

The Maine Department of Economic and Community Development recently announced a new manufacturing facility in York County. Archer Machine, a precision machine shop in Limington, will produce industrial valves for use on submarines, aircraft carriers and as components for power plants and waste water systems.

Opus Consulting Group, a management consulting firm in Portland, recently moved its headquarters to 130 Middle St. to accommodate growth and expansion.

Wright-Pierce, an employee-owned environmental engineering firm in Portland, was recently named as one of the Top 200 Environmental Firms in the country by Engineering News-Record, an architecture, engineering and construction trade publication. It's the third consecutive year the company has been recognized.

InterSpec Inc., a provider of BIM integrated construction specification software and services in Portland, recently integrated its e-SPECS BIM applications with the government's SpecsIntact application for managing the preparation of Unified Facilities Guide Specifications required on Department of Defense and NASA construction projects.

The University of Maine Department of University Relations recently reorganized and is now the Division of Marketing and Communications. As part of the reorganization, Ron Lisnet, formerly the manager of news operations/media producer, is now the manager of visual media and athletics liaison. News writer Jessica Bloch is now the manager of news services. Margaret Nagle, the senior director of public relations and operations, is now the nights and weekends contact. The Freedom of Information Act officer is now Julie Hopwood and Kelley Wiltbank is the public access officer and Maine Freedom of Access Act contact for the University of Maine System.

Fluid Imaging Technologies, a water quality instrumentation manufacturer Yarmouth, recently contracted with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the sale of the company's automated FlowCAM particle imaging and analysis system to speed the detection and identification of Cyanobacteria and other algal cells in source water in Huntington, W. Va.

Blue Marble Geographics recently announced the release of Global Mapper version 14. This release features read/write support for ArcSDE, Personal and File Geodatabases, Oracle Spatial, Post GIS, MySQL Spatial and more, along with WFS and WMTS for consuming online datasources and read/write of CADRG data.

Allen Insurance and Financial recently announced that Mallory Follett has obtained her license to sell property and casualty insurance in Maine.

The Maine State Chamber of Commerce recently announced the launch of Maine's first Business Leadership Network. The network is an affiliate of the U.S. Business Leadership Network, a national organization that serves as the collective voice of over 60 Business Leadership Network affiliates across North America, representing over 5,000 employers.

lia sophia, a fashion jewelry company, recently announced Kyle Whittington earned top honors for its Excellent Beginnings Program Achievers for outstanding sales accomplishments and professionalism.

Port Resources, a provider of services to Mainers with developmental, behavioral and mental health challenges, recently opened its new headquarters, training center and mental health clinic at 280B Gannett Drive, South Portland. The new space serves as a central office for the organization's work, offers meeting space and creates new training facilities.

The Portland office of Consigli Construction Co. Inc. recently completed the renovation of the University of Maine's Neville Hall Data Center located on the college's campus in Orono. The renovation included new electrical and mechanical systems and upgrades, fire protection and fire alarm systems, exterior lighting, landscaping and paving improvements.

Accolades

Community Health Accreditation Program Inc. recently announced that Community Health and Counseling Services was awarded CHAP accreditation under the CHAP Home Health and Hospice Standard of Excellence. This is the 10th year CHCS has received the CHAP accreditation.

Eaton Peabody recently announced that shareholder Andy Hamilton was named the Best Lawyers' 2013 Bangor Land Use & Zoning Law Lawyer of the Year. Hamilton, chairman of the environmental and land use, and municipal law and finance practice groups at the firm, has more than 25 years of experience in general environmental counseling and regulatory compliance, natural resource permitting and land-use permitting.

The University of Maine at Farmington recently received national recognition for the 16th consecutive year by U.S.News & World Report as one of the "Best Colleges 2013." According to the annual college rankings, the college secured fifth place in its geographic region "Top Public Regional Colleges" in the north and 17th place in the overall ranking of both public and private regional colleges in the north.

U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, former chair and current ranking member on the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, was recently honored by the National Federation of Independent Business with its Guardian of Small Business award. Snowe received a perfect score from the federation for voting favorably on critical small business issues.

McTeague Higbee, a Topsham-based law firm, recently announced that three of its attorneys were included in the 2013 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Jeffrey Young was named Maine Lawyer of the Year in the specialty of Employment Law – Individuals; Karen Bilodeau was selected in the specialty of Workers' Compensation Law – Claimants; and William Higbee was selected in the specialties of Workers' Compensation - Claimants and Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs.

Sappi Fine Paper North America recently announced it has been named the 2012 Maine Manufacturer of the Year by the Maine Forest Products Council. As a first-time winner, Sappi is being recognized for innovative strategy, dedicated investment, value-added service, environmental leadership, safety performance and community involvement.

Baker Newman Noyes was recently named one of the nation's top 200 accounting firms by INSIDE Public Accounting for 2012. The accounting and consulting firm headquartered in Portland has earned the top 200 distinction for three years.