Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

U.S. Cellular recently hired Lois Flaherty as business development manager for southern Maine and the state of New Hampshire. Previously, Flaherty held positions at Alliance Healthcare Services and InSight Health Services Corp.

George R. Roberts Co. and The Step Guys, a precast concrete company in Alfred, recently hired Adam Foster as a field sales engineer. Foster has eight years of experience in the precast concrete industry as well as prior experience within the utility construction and the engineering fields.

Summit Utilities Inc., recently hired Michael Minkos as president of Summit Natural Gas of Maine Inc. Minkos previously served as the general manager/CEO for Massachusetts Municipal Wholesale Electric Co.

Sewall, a consulting organization specializing in energy, infrastructure and natural resources in Old Town, recently hired LaMarr Clannon as a stormwater engineer. Clannon was previously the program coordinator of the Nonpoint Source Education for Municipal Officials, a program that reaches out to Maine towns to assist with stormwater management and water quality issues.

Salem Advisory Group LLC, an independent registered investment advisory firm and insurance agency in Kennebunk, recently hired Joan Tishkevich as a practice manager and investment adviser representative. Tishkevich was previously with L.L.Bean.

Macpage LLC, a CPA firm in South Portland, recently hired Anya Trundy and Trent Prater as staff accountants. Prior to joining the firm, Trundy worked for candidate and referendum campaigns in Maine while Prater worked in the customer service department for personal lines insurance at a local insurance company.

C&L Aerospace in Bangor recently hired Frederick Dibble as senior vice president of business development. Dibble was most recently the principal of MCC Aviation Services, where he led brokerage, management and advisory services to airline, bank and investor clients.

Maine Small Business Development Centers at Androscoggin Valley Council of Governments recently hired Jane Mickeriz as center director/business counselor. Mickeriz returns to the center as a business counselor with more than 10 years of commercial lending experience.

Trademark Federal Credit Union in Augusta recently hired Scott Seguin as CFO. Seguin was previously with Lisbon Community Federal Credit Union.

Planet Dog recently hired Colleen McCracken and Stacey Haskell. McCracken, previously the CEO of Thomas Moser, was hired as co-CEO. Haskell, who has more than 20 years of experience in finance, bookkeeping and accounting, was hired as accounting manager.

WGTECH, an IT service provider in Westbrook, recently hired Shawn Pennington and Keith Nelson. Pennington, previously the director of IT for the city of South Portland, was hired as senior systems engineer. Nelson was hired as systems support specialist.

Machias Savings Bank recently hired Luke Libbey as its Lincoln branch manager. Libbey was most recently a small business relationship manager for TD Bank.

Benchmark Residential & Investment Real Estate in Portland recently hired Andrew Snyder as broker and Realtor. Snyder's areas of expertise include home construction, remodeling and rehabilitation of older homes, as well as subdivision approval and land-use regulation.

Bangor Savings Bank recently hired Amelia Kurtz as vice president and financial planning officer for the Wealth Management Group of Bangor Savings Bank. Kurtz has worked in the financial services industry since 1993.

James D. Julia, an auction antique house in Fairfield, recently hired Chris MacKenzie as lamps and glass division leader and Josh Loewensteiner as firearms sales coordinator. MacKenzie has more than 25 years of senior-level sales, service and marketing experience. Loewensteiner was previously a regional director for Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association – College Retirement Equities Fund.

Clyde Bergemann Auburn, the air-gas handling division of Clyde Bergemann Power Group Americas, recently announced three new hires. Tim Dean and Dilip Chakravarty were hired as project engineers. Dean has design and management experience with Becker Structural Engineers, Pinkham & Greer, Platz Associates and Bechtel Power Corp. Chakravarty most recently was an integrated product team leader with Pratt & Whitney in North Berwick. The firm also hired Terry Scalia as a designer-drafter. Scalia was previously with Bath Iron Works, Master Millwork in Wareham, Mass., and Modern Woodcrafts of Lewiston.

Acadia Trust N.A., recently hired Scott Storgaard as vice president and senior portfolio manager. Storgaard, who is joining the firm's team serving the central Maine and Down East regions, has been serving and advising trust clients for more than 25 years in the greater Bangor market.

Promotions

CCB Inc., a construction firm in Westbrook, recently promoted Laurent Grenier to project manager. Grenier was previously a project superintendent.

The NorState Federal Credit Union board of directors recently promoted Susan Whitehead to CEO. Whitehead, who has more than 30 years of financial industry experience, previously was the credit unions' executive vice president and COO.

TD Bank recently promoted Peter Boudreau to manager of its Sanford branch. Boudreau was previously an assistant manager for the bank's Saco branch.

Baker Newman Noyes, a CPA and consulting firm in Portland, recently announced several promotions. In the tax department, Matthew Pore and Tabitha Lamontagne were promoted to senior managers; John Hadwen and Nicholas Porto to managers; Colleen Mathews, Griffin Hardy, Jaclyn Johnson, Josh Lapierre and Stephanie Leary to supervising seniors; and Kelly Bristol, Tatyana Nossova, Daniel Gayer, Drew Blaney and Kayla Bartlett to seniors. In the audit department, Matt Prunier was promoted to senior manager and Michael Meserve to senior. In the health care consulting group, Stephanie Richio was promoted to senior. The company also promoted Kaitlin DeMartin to supervising senior in the firm's Boston tax department.

Bangor Savings Bank recently promoted Annette Lease to senior financial planning officer. Lease was previously the bank's vice president of wealth management.

The Bethel Inn Resort recently promoted Tammy James to wedding and events coordinator. James had previously been assisting with weddings and group events at the resort for more than a year.

Appointments

Scarborough Land Trust recently elected Betts Armstrong to its board. Armstrong is a former trustee at Gulf of Maine Research Institute and Waynflete School and has been active with Friends of Scarborough Marsh. Officers appointed were: Paul Austin, president; Elizabeth Peoples, vice president; Patrick O'Reilly, treasurer; and Rick Shinay, clerk.

The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness, a nonprofit in Portland that supports the disabled, recently added Len Gulino and John Hallé to its board of directors. Gulino is of counsel with the law firm of Bernstein Shur and Hallé is the president/CEO of Cate Street Capital.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center in Portland recently announced that Timothy Bryant was selected to serve on its board of directors. Bryant is a partner in the law firm of Preti Flaherty in Portland.

Achievements

Harriman, an architecture and engineering firm in Portland, recently announced that Matthew McClenahan received his professional license to practice architecture. McClenahan has worked for 13 years as a designer in the architectural studio.

Sonya Mitchell, program manager and vice president/financial consultant with Bar Harbor Financial Services, recently received her Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor designation. The designation is awarded by the College for Financial Planning to individuals who complete a study program and pass a final exam.

The American Bankers Association recently honored Katahdin Trust Co. with its Community Commitment Award. The recognition was made based on the more than $225,000 the company committed to the communities it serves.

Gwyn Mattingly, a dog training instructor at Green Acres Kennel Shop in Bangor, recently earned Level I certification through the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, an internationally recognized certification program for professional dog trainers.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce recently held its awards gala. Recipients included: Chris Rector, Community Person of the Year; Horch Roofing, Small Business of the Year; Penobscot Bay Rendezvous, Beacon Award; P. A.W.S. Animal Adoption Center, Public Improvement Award; Trackside Station, Community Service Award; Penobscot Marine Museum, Heritage Preservation Award; Windowdressers, Environmental Leader Award; Phi Home Designs, Building Award — New; On the Water in Maine, Building Award — Renovated; Camden International Film Festival, Economic Enhancement; and Reade Brower, Innovation in Business Award.

Preti Flaherty, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that Tim Bryant was recognized nationally in the area of franchise law by Franchise Times magazine. Bryant, a partner at the firm, was one of 154 attorneys nationwide chosen from the 775 nominations received for inclusion on the 2013 list of Legal Eagles by the Minneapolis-based national trade publication.

The Aroostook Medical Center in Presque Isle announced that Stacey Gallagher-Sutton recently received her certification from the Board of Certification for Emergency Nursing. Gallagher-Sutton, a certified emergency nurse, a flight registered nurse, transport registered nurse and a pediatric emergency nurse, is one of only 16 people in the nation to earn the certification.

Lloyd Irland, president of The Irland Group in Wayne, recently presented at the United Nations Forum on Forests 10th Session in Istanbul, Turkey. Irland served on a panel discussing private investment issues related to forest financing.

Peter Violette, owner of Comfort Keepers in Scarborough, was recently recognized as a President's Club Award recipient during the Celebration Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the company's annual conference held in Boca Raton, Fla. The award is presented annual to the top-25 franchise owners in the United States for sales and service to the community.

Maine Commissioner of Labor Jeanne Paquette recently announced that Reed & Reed, a construction firm in Woolwich, earned the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program Award for the Sewall's Bridge project in York. The company earned recognition for operating its facility under safety and health management standards.

Gregory Feero, a physician at MaineGeneral's Four Seasons Family Practice in Fairfield, was editor of a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. The issue focused on genomics.

BerryDunn, a CPA and management consulting firm in Portland, recently announced that Lydia Atwood, a senior business valuation analyst, earned the Certified Valuation Analyst designation. Atwood is part of the firm's valuation and forensic services group.

Emerge Maine recently selected the Honorable Janet Mills as its 2013 Woman of the Year. Mills was a founding member of the Maine Women's Lobby and has served on a number of boards and commissions, including the Margaret Chase Smith Foundation Board. She is also a winner of the Maine Bar Association's Glassman award for the advancement of women.

Smith Reuter Lull Architects in Lewiston recently announced that Gabrielle Russell received her professional license to practice architecture in Maine. Russell is a LEED Accredited Professional, a certification for sustainable building design and construction knowledge.

Oak Street Lofts, a LEED Platinum-certified affordable housing community in Portland developed and owned by Avesta Housing, was recently named the winner of the 19th Annual Charles L. Edson Tax Credit Excellence Awards in the category of green housing. This national award is given to low-income housing tax credit properties by the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition.

The Charlotte White Center, a nonprofit in Bangor that provides support services to individuals with cognitive, intellectual and developmental disabilities, recently announced that it presented Roger Wilson with its Distinguished Donor Award for his contributions to the organization for more than 20 years.

KeyBank recently earned its eighth outstanding rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency for exceeding the terms of the Community Reinvestment Act exam. The act requires banks to meet the credit needs of low- and moderate-income communities across America.

Brann & Isaacson, a law firm in Lewiston, recently announced that attorneys Meg Greene and Kenleigh Nicoletta have become members of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. As members, Greene and Nicoletta are considered premier providers of legal services benefiting the elderly and those with special needs.

The Greater Portland Convention + Visitors Bureau recently recognized members for achievements that advanced the tourism industry this past year in Maine at its annual meeting. Winners included: Portland Museum of Art, Casco Bay Award; The Maine Mall, Member of the Year; Portland Sea Dogs, Lighthouse Leadership Award; and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, Bring Yours Home Award.

Central Maine Power and Rochester Gas and Electric, two Iberdrola USA subsidiaries, were recently ranked ninth and fifth, respectively, for brand strength among the nation's top utilities in the E Source 2013 Utility Brand Strength Rankings. The online survey measured customers' perceptions of utility image, price-to-value ratio, communication effectiveness, program offerings, environmental friendliness, customer service, trustworthiness, reliability and customer loyalty across 32,000 U.S. households.

The Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens Bosarge Family Education Center in Boothbay was recently awarded the 2013 Zero Net Energy Building Award by the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Thornton Tomasetti, an engineering firm in Portland, served as the project's green building consultant.

K&M Advertising in Portland recently received a bronze Healthcare Advertising Award for "A Hospital for Maine: The History of the Maine Medical Center." The 327-page book was designed by Kirsten Schultz and written by Martha Fenton.

Matt Rideout, interactive marketing manager at Nancy Marshall Communications, recently completed the Google AdWords Certification Program. Certification demonstrates an in-depth knowledge and proficiency in the system for Internet-based advertisement creation, development and management.

Yankee Magazine recently featured All Aboard Trolley and Limousine, a transportation service in Rockland, in its May/June issue. The company was one of the magazine's selections for Best of New England – Editor's Choice for its "Napah" Valley Wine Tour.

Internet software provider AskOnline has awarded its first Innovator Award to the University of Southern Maine's Learning Commons. The award is presented to institutions that are expanding AskOnline's technology through creative applications of its software platform to enhance student engagement and academic success.

Gov. Paul LePage recently presented seven Maine companies with the Governor's Award for Business Excellence. The awards recognize business leaders for their commitment to their communities and contribution to Maine's economy. More than 120 businesses have received the award since its inception in 1991. This year's recipients are: Falcon Performance Footwear, Auburn, a manufacturer of industrial footwear; FHC Inc., Bowdoin, a company that designs and manufacturers devices for the neuroscience industry; Howie's Welding & Fabrication Inc., Jay, a structural steel fabricator that also operates a hardware store and offers specialized welding services; Lapointe Lumber Co., Gardiner, a family owned and operated lumber and building material retailer serving the professional contractor, builder, remodeler and retail public of central Maine; Lonza Rockland Inc., Rockland, develops and manufactures products used in life sciences, including basic cellular and molecular biology research, drug discovery and forensics; Norway Savings Bank, South Paris, a community bank with a commitment to personal values, community values and financial values; TD Bank, Portland, TD Bank is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S. with deep roots in Maine.

The Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority recently launched a redesigned website, mrra.us, with Google maps and slideshows of all available properties and search capabilities for the entire site, and other features.