Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

Rockland Main Street Inc. recently hired Gordon Page Sr. as executive director. Page owns his own marketing and public relations business based in Owls Head.

Whitney Corp., a specialty items company in Whitneyville, recently hired Rick Heller as director of business development for its fulfillment and packaging company, Downeast Packaging Solutions.

Auburn Manufacturing, a manufacturer of high performance textiles for extreme temperature protection, recently hired Steven Boulet as human resources manager. Boulet recently served as director of administration/human resources for WahlcoMetroflex in Lewiston.

Putney Inc., a pet pharmaceutical company in Portland, recently hired Kelvin Luther as distributor sales manager and Mary Beaupre as manager of inside sales. Luther was previously with Merck Animal Health and Beaupre was with WEX.

LearningWorks, an organization in Portland that provides services to at-risk youth and immigrant families, recently hired Brenda Smith as director of community-based youth services. Smith previously worked for The Opportunity Alliance.

The Maine Department of Corrections recently announced that Commissioner Joseph Ponte accepted a position as New York City's Department of Correction commissioner.

The Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership in Augusta recently hired Steve Westra as supply chain project manager. Westra is a specialist in Lean Six Sigma with an extensive knowledge of Maine manufacturers.

Nova Star Cruises, the operator of the cruise ferry service between Yarmouth, N.S., and Portland, recently hired Eric Junker as director of operations in Portland and Mark Muise as director of operations in Yarmouth, N.S. Junker currently works for Americana Marine Service in San Rafael, Calif., while Muise was most recently director of finance for the South West Nova District Health Authority in Yarmouth.

ES Boulos Co., an electrical contractor in Westbrook, recently hired Eric Bretton as a contract administrator. Bretton previously worked at Wesco Distribution in Portland.

Baker Newman Noyes, a CPA firm in Portland, recently hired Chris DeRosa as a manager in the tax practice and Morgan Hilow as a staff I in the audit practice in the firm's Manchester, N.H., office.

Day One, a nonprofit agency in South Portland that works to prevent and treat adolescent substance abuse, recently hired Kaisa Mann, Kristen Cianelli and Susan Pettingill as care associates for its residential program.

Lipman & Katz, a law firm in Augusta, recently hired attorney Christopher Wright. Wright was previously a derivatives trader in New York City.

United Country – McPhail Realty in Lincoln recently hired Rick Theriault as a sales agent.

The Portland Food Co-op recently hired Kevin Gadsby as general manager. Gadsby was previously general manager at Good Tern Co-op in Rockland.

HistoryIT, an information technology firm in Portland, recently hired Jen Bush as COO, Sue Inches as vice president, northeast and Serge Vladimiroff as lead software engineer. Bush was most recently portfolio manager at the Maine Technology Institute; Inches was previously deputy director of the State Planning Office; and Vladimiroff was with Zynga Inc.

Terry Garmey & Associates, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Jonathan Sahrbeck as an associate. Sahrbeck most recently served as an assistant attorney general for the state of Maine, based in York County.

Diversified Business Communications recently hired Kathleen Montana and Ashley Chase as marketing analytics administrators.

The Montalvo Corp., a web tension control company in Gorham, recently hired Steve Larrivee for inside sales and support. Larrivee has a background in project management, operations management and customer service.

Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick recently hired Whitney Campbell as director of marketing.

Magnusson Balfour Commercial & Business Brokers in Portland recently hired Andrew Carr, Dennis Wheelock and Victor Tedford as sales agents. Carr previously owned Carr Building Services, Wheelock was the owner of Dennis' Pizza and Tedford worked for Hannaford.

Bar Harbor Savings and Loan recently hired Rhonda Sawyer as mortgage loan specialist. Sawyer has more than 20 years of experience with mortgages and loans.

Promotions

Baker Newman Noyes, a CPA firm in Portland, recently announced several promotions. Jeff Mansir was promoted to senior manager in the risk and business advisory practice; Griffin Hardy and Josh Lapierre to managers in the tax practice; Rob Wright to office manager; Adam Aucoin and Remy Vazquez to seniors in the tax practice; Matt Dionne to help-desk analyst III; and Greg Knight to staff II in the health care management consulting practice.

Camden National Bank recently promoted Monica Tolman to senior vice president, loan production manager. Tolman was previously commercial administration manager.

The Montalvo Corp., a web tension control company in Gorham, recently promoted Tony Rossetti to applications specialist – Northeast. Rossetti previously handled inside sales.

The Maine Department of Corrections recently promoted Shane Blakely to senior cadre for the Training Division.

Clark Insurance in Portland recently promoted Martin Duggan and Bret Cote to shareholders.

Time Warner Cable Media Sales recently promoted Doug Foerster to local sales manager. Foerster was previously an account executive.

Appointments

Gorham Savings Bank recently appointed Paula Silsby to its board of directors. Silsby is an adjunct professor at University of Maine School of Law and a corporator at Gorham Savings Bank.

The Institute for Global Ethics in Rockport recently appointed President and CEO Anthony Gray as a Distinguished Scholar at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, a transdisciplinary research partnership housed at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The Maine Project for Fine Art Conservation recently added Ruth Greene-McNally to its board of directors. Greene-McNally is an experienced and published curator.

Camden National Corp. recently announced that Catherine Longley was elected to serve as a member of its board of directors. Longley is the senior vice president of finance and administration and treasurer at Bowdoin College.

Crisis & Counseling Centers in Augusta recently announced that Susan Cover, Dale Lancaster and Kim Lane were elected to its board of directors. Cover is the city editor of the Kennebec Journal; Lancaster is chief deputy at the Somerset County Sheriff's Department; and Lane is assistant professor of mental health and human services at the University of Maine at Augusta and care manager clinician at MaineGeneral Health.

Skelton, Taintor & Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, recently announced that attorney Darcie Beaudin was invited to serve as a member of the United States Bankruptcy Court, District of Maine, Local Rules Committee.

The Finance Authority of Maine recently added six individuals to its board of directors including Jonathan Block, Reis Hagerman, James Howard, Gregory Miller, Rosaire Pelletier and James Violette Jr. Block is a partner with the law firm of Pierce Atwood LLP; Hagerman is dean of campus life at St. Joseph's College; Howard is the president and CEO of Priority Real Estate Group; Miller is currently working in student affairs at Eastern Maine Community College; Pelletier is senior forest products adviser for the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development; and Violette is a senior loan officer in the commercial division at TD Bank N.A.

The First Bancorp, holding company for The First N.A., recently announced that Cornelius Russell was elected to serve as a director for the bank and the holding company. Russell is the general manager of the Samoset Resort in Rockport.

Achievements

Holbrook Health Center at Piper Shores in Scarborough recently received the Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award from The American College of Health Care Administrators. The award recognizes nursing facilities that surpass the five-star rating system used by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

True North salmon in Cobscook Bay was recently certified to BAP standards, a third-party certification program for aquaculture facilities, endorsed by many of the world's leading retailers and food service operators.

The Junior League of Portland recently sent Allison Campbell and Belle Bocal to the Association of Junior Leagues International's annual Organizational Development Institute. Campbell is the senior coordinator of events and marketing at CIEE and Bocal is an analyst at KPI Direct.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce recently presented its year in review awards. Winners included: Small Business of the Year Award, Dream Local Digital; Beacon Award, Camden Harbour Inn; Award for Economic Enhancement, Rockport Properties; Community Volunteer of the Year Award, Jean Freedman-White; Special Recognition Award, Swing and Sway Dancing; and Innovation in Business Award, The Strand Theater.

Norm Dinerman, emergency physician at Eastern Maine Medical Center and founding medical director for LifeFlight of Maine, was recently recognized by the National Association of EMS Physicians with the Ronald D. Stewart Award. The award is given out annually to a person who has made a lasting contribution to the EMS community in the U.S. and Canada.

Maine Community Health Options in Lewiston recently received Interim Health Plan Accreditation status for Commercial and Exchange Preferred Provider Organization products from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.

Joella Rossignol of Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden recently earned the Safeco Insurance Award of Excellence. The company also announced that Gene McKeever and Chris Richmond, marine insurance specialists, recently led a panel discussion on best practices for dealing with shock losses such as ship sinking and weather disasters at the 41st annual Tall Ships America Annual Conference in San Diego.

The American Bankers Association recently honored Katahdin Trust Co. in Houlton with its Community Commitment Award. The bank donated more than $330,000 to the communities that it serves in 2013.

Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that partner Dan Stevens received two pro bono service awards. The Maine State Bar Association presented Stevens with the award for the Attorney Contributing the Highest Number of Pro Bono Hours for Kennebec County and the Board of Overseers of the Bar recognized him for his six years of service on the Fee Arbitration Commission, the last two of which he served as chairman.

Jan Robinson Interiors of Portland was recently awarded Best Of Houzz by Houzz, a leading platform for home remodeling and design. The award recognizes a company that demonstrates an eco-friendly conscience.

Murray Plumb & Murray, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that attorney John Bannon received a Superb rating from Avvo, a website that helps individuals choose the best lawyers for their specific legal needs. Bannon was recognized as a Top Attorney/Land Use and Zoning.

Friends of Casco Bay in South Portland held its 2014 Volunteer Appreciation Celebration and annual members meeting and recognized Joan Greene and Mike Doan for 20 years of service, Roberta Brezinski for 15 years of service and Nan Bragg, Sarah Coburn, Charlotte Rosenthal and Jeannie Wester for five years of service.

Thompson & Bowie LLP, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that Leonard Langer was recognized by Chambers and Partners as a leader in the field of admiralty and maritime law in the Chambers USA 2014 edition.