Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, hired Richard Prentice as a shareholder in the firm's real estate law practice group. Prentice was previously a partner at Pierce Atwood.

The Portland Museum of Art hired Sarah Drake as development operations coordinator and Andrew Eschelbacher as the Susan Donnell and Harry W. Konkel Assistant Curator of European Art. Drake was previously with the Ogunquit Museum of American Art while Eschelbacher most recently was with the Petit Palais Museum in Paris, France.

Fontaine – The Real Estate Leader in Auburn hired Adam Jones as a licensed sales agent.

Thos. Moser, a wood furniture manufacturer in Auburn, hired Susan Davis as chief brand officer.

Ovation Fundraising Counsel LLC in Bangor hired Julie Poulin.

Tidestone Solutions, an accounting software firm in Portland, hired Greg Fiandaca as senior GP developer. Fiandaca was previously the director of enterprise architecture at Measured Progress.

Competitive Energy Services, an energy consulting firm in Portland, hired Linda Hyatt as pricing and products manager. Hyatt was previously with BlueTarp Financial.

Eaton Peabody Consulting Group in Augusta hired John Peters as part of its consulting team. Peters was previously president of Downeast Energy Corp.

Norton Insurance Agency in Cumberland Foreside hired Katie Piper as a personal insurance account executive and Nicole Goodrich as a commercial lines producer.

P&C Insurance in Westbrook hired Andrea Todd as vice president and account executive.

The MEMIC Group, a workman's compensation firm in Portland, hired Steven Crobar as senior production underwriter in Syracuse, N.Y. and Margaret Templeton as senior production underwriter in Albany, N.Y.

Monaghan Leahy LLP, a law firm in Portland, hired Nicholas Loukes as an associate.

Cancer Community Center in South Portland hired Nancy Audet as communications director. Audet most recently worked as communications director for Maine Family Planning.

Eaton Peabody, a law firm in Bangor, hired Laura Shortill as an attorney in the firm's trusts and estates practice group. Shortill was previously with the law offices of P. Todd Travis.

Norway Savings Bank hired Terry Seavey as southern regional vice president. Most recently, Seavey was with Peoples' United Bank.

Kemp Goldberg Partners, a public relations firm in Portland, hired Quincy Hentzel as a director. Quincy was the director of government affairs for the Maine Credit Union League.

The Maine Lobster Dealers Association in Bangor hired Annie Tselikis as part-time executive director. Tselikis most recently served as the program manager for the Maine Lobstermen's Association.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center, a free-market think tank in Portland, hired Matthew Gagnon as CEO. Gagnon was previously director of digital strategy for the Republican Governors Association.

Rinck Advertising, a marketing, promotions and public relations agency in Auburn, hired Nikki Jarvais as account planner.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, hired Elizabeth Riotte as an attorney in its business & corporate group. Riotte was previously with BakerHostetler in Cleveland, Ohio.

Maine Medical Partners in Portland hired Matthew Sanborn as part of its neurosurgery and spine practice and David Chalmers joined its urology practice in South Portland.

Sevee & Maher Engineers in Cumberland hired Lisa Jacob as a senior geologist/senior project manager.

The Portland Public Schools hired Michael Dery as the district's technology services director and Barbara Stoddard as talent development strategy coordinator.

Portland Surgical Associates hired Neena Kaur Singh as a general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery.

Maine Maritime Museum in Bath hired John Settelen Jr. as director of finance and business manager.

The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce hired Shelley Sund as marketing and events coordinator. Sund was previously with the Bangor Daily News.

The U.S. Small Business Administration hired James Pineau as senior area manager of its Bangor office. Pineau most recently served as the economic development liaison for Congresswoman Chellie Pingree.

Promotions

Dawson, Smith, Purvis & Bassett, a CPA firm in Portland, promoted Kirk Purvis to president and William Souter and Adam Johnson to principals.

Maine Medical Center in Portland promoted Kristen Sihler to trauma medical director. Sihler has been a surgeon at the hospital since 2010.

Penobscot Theatre Co. promoted Mary Budd to executive director and Bari Newport to producing artistic director. Budd was previously interim managing director and Newport was artistic director.

Casco Bay EyeCare in Portland named Kyle Benner a partner. Benner has practiced optometry at the office since 2009.

BerryDunn, a CPA and consulting firm in Portland, announced numerous promotions. Court Klein, Sandra Pappajohn, Seth Robertson, Rob Smalley and Dan Vogt were promoted to senior managers; Grant Ballantyne, Tyler Butler, Joe Byrne, Keith Damon, Brad Hanscom, Vienna Morrill and Jodi Reynolds to managers; and Jamie Brennan, Nick Crosman, Melissa Gouin, Yoko McCarthy, Lisa McDonough, Jessica Morse, Kevin Penley, Mike St. Pierre, Jaclyn Wall and Neal Warren were named seniors. The firm's IT department promoted Cody DeCamillis to business analyst, Tyson O'Keefe to systems administrator I and Mike Schoenbaum to systems administrator II.

The Maine Department of Corrections promoted Larry Austin to director of security. Austin was most recently director, Charleston Correctional Facility.

Kemp Goldberg Partners, a public relations firm in Portland, promoted Josh Barrett to director of account services.

The County Federal Credit Union in Caribou promoted James Mattila to branch manager in Houlton.

Norton Financial Services in Cumberland promoted Nathan Waller to insurance and investment service representative. Waller was previously securities clerk.

Camden National Bank promoted David Ackley to senior vice president, senior information and corporate security officer and Aline Taylor to vice president, retail sales and product development manager.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust promoted Katheryn Fournier-Decoste to assistant vice president of human resources. Fournier-Decoste was previously payroll manager.

Appointments

Kids First Center, a nonprofit in Portland, announced Tim Kennedy, Neil Shankman, Grey Terry and Mark Woodbury were appointed to its board of directors. Kennedy is a partner at Town & Shore Associates, Shankman is a senior attorney at Shankman & Associates, Terry is a financial advisor on the Simmons Wilkes Investment Advisors team; and Woodbury is a Portland business owner.

Penobscot Theatre Co. in Bangor announced Cynthia Bergin, Joel Farley, Adria LaRose, Coney Quinn and Sharon Zolper have been appointed to the board. Bergin is with Camden National Bank; Farley, Eastern Maine Medical Center; LaRose, Eaton Peabody; Quinn, People's United Bank; and Zolper, Hampden Academy.

The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in Tallahassee, Fla. announced that Craig Denekas joined its board of directors. Denekas is the president, CEO and a trustee of the Libra Foundation, a private charitable foundation in Portland.

The Maine Maritime Academy in Castine announced its board of trustees elected Captain Robert Peacock II as chair; Robert Somerville, vice chair; John Shipway, treasurer; and Rhonda Varney, secretary.

Portland Buy Local announced officers to its board of directors including: Tony Cox, president, co-owner of Casco Bay Frames and Gallery; Danielle Marks, vice president, volunteer at Portland Buy Local; Debra Tenenbaum, secretary, owner of Front Porch Public Relations; and Norman Patry, treasurer, founder of Summer Feet Cycling.

Scott Edwards, managing partner of Edwards, Faust & Smith CPAs in Bangor, was appointed a board member of New England Peer Review.

Achievements

Katahdin Trust was recognized as the U.S. Small Business Association's Top 7(a) Dollar Volume Lender in Maine. The loans are used to establish new businesses or to assist in the acquisition, operation or expansion of an existing business.

Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington was named one of the nation's most wired hospitals, according to the results of the 2014 Health Care's Most Wired Survey in the July issue of Hospitals & Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association. The hospital was one of 375 recognized.

William Haggett was selected by the Maine Maritime Museum in Bath to receive the 2014 Mariners Award, presented annually to an individual or organization that has made contributions to Maine's maritime heritage and impacted the state's culture and economy.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution announced that 26 of its employees earned 31 certificates, diplomas and honor awards this year. Sarah Gonneville of the South Portland branch and Kathy Williamson and Dot Poirier of the Saco branch became certified tellers through the Center for Financial Training Education Alliance. In addition, Michelle Prejean earned an Advanced Financial Services Diploma; Gary Trempe, Jo-Anna Laverriere, Kelly Currier, Mark Hodgdon, Matt Grenier, Shawn Walton, Steph Paquet and William Hoyle an Advanced Supervisor Certificate; Karen Gendron, Linda Chretien, Natalie Gagnon, Rhonda Johns, Sandra Golash, Sarah Gonneville, Shannon Barlow and Terri Litchfield a Bank Security Awareness Certificate; Suzanne Turcotte and Prejean a Bank Operations Diploma; Barb Lariviere an Introduction to Leadership Skills Certificate; Sue Paul a Professional Development Certificate for Managers II; Prejean a Supervisor Certificate; Jena Walton a Supervision Diploma; and Debbie Ouellette and Matt Grenier Team Leader Certificates.

Diversified Communications, an international media company in Portland, presented The Governor's Award to Denielle Christensen, marketing and eMedia director. In addition, Matt Boucher, registration team manager, won The 7Cs Award; Bob Morrill, 5-Year Service Award; Kate Menendez, Carmella Perrone, Heather Johnson and Jeff Powell, 10-Year Service Award; and Christensen, 15-Year Service Award.

The Ogunquit Playhouse and Video Creations were named a silver winner in the 35th Annual Telly Awards for a group tour promotional video titled, “Come for Play, Stay for the Day.”

PC Construction in Portland announced that Mike LaPointe, the project superintendent on the Oxford Networks Data Center project in Brunswick, achieved the Safety Trained Supervisor Certification. Additionally, the Maine Real Estate & Development Association in Portland selected the firm's Idexx Laboratories Synergy Center and the Mölnlycke Health Care Facility as two of the most notable commercial development projects of 2013 in the state.

Wright-Pierce, a water, wastewater, storm water and infrastructure services engineering firm in Portland, was selected to the 2014 Circle of Excellence by PSMJ Resources Inc., a management consulting firm for the A/E/C industries.

The National Association of Development Organizations recognized U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud with an award for leadership in promoting regional economic development.

Auburn Savings Bank was listed on the Independent Community Bankers of America Top-100 Overall Industry Loan Producers with an 86% ratio of overall loans by dollar value to its total assets.

The Associated General Contractors of Maine in Newry presented RJ Grondin with its Major Achievement in Construction Award. Grondin is the founder of RJ Grondin & Sons Construction in Gorham.

Murray, Plumb & Murray, a law firm in Portland, announced Drew Anderson, John Bannon, Thomas Newman, Richard O'Meara, Peter Plumb and Michael Traister were included in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.

McTeague Higbee, a law firm in Topsham, announced Jeffrey Cohen was selected as a Lawyer of the Year in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Karen Bilodeau and William Higbee were also included in the publication.

Fisher & Phillips LLP, a law firm in Portland, announced Elizabeth Olivier was selected as a Lawyer of the Year in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Jonathan Shapiro, Melinda Caterine, David Strock and Eric Uhl were also included in the publication.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, announced nine of its lawyers were selected as Lawyers of the Year in the 2015 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition, 58 of its lawyers were included in the publication.

The National Coalition for Capital presented Dana Connors, president of the Maine State Chamber of Commerce, with a Champion of Small Business award. The awards recognizes an individual's promotion of access to capital and economic development in states across the country.