Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

Burns & McDonnell, an engineering, architecture, construction, environmental and consulting services firm in New Gloucester, recently hired Adam Wilding as an assistant project manager. Previously, Wilding was an engineer with Weston & Sampson Engineers.

Natalie's at Camden Harbour Inn recently hired Jason Sturdivant as a pastry chef. Sturdivant worked most recently at L'Auberge Provencale in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley.

Pierce Atwood LLP, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Sarah Tracy as counsel in its energy practice group. Tracy was previously a staff attorney with the Maine Public Utilities Commission.

Shipyard Brewing Co., in Portland recently hired Ed Crockett as president of Capt'n Eli's Soda. Crockett was previously with Oakhurst Dairy in Portland.

Introspective Systems, an architectural software company in Portland, recently hired Paul Bierman-Lytle as CEO. Bierman-Lytle was previously with Pangaeon.

The Wellness Council of Maine in Bangor recently hired Roxane Dubay as executive director. Dubay was previously with the New Balance Student Recreation Center at the University of Maine, where she served as lead fitness instructor.

The Maine Department of Corrections recently hired Jeffrey Morin as superintendent of Mountain View Youth Development Center and Michael Tausek as deputy warden of programs. Morin has more than 20 years of experience in juvenile and adult corrections while Tausek previously served as executive director of the State Board of Corrections.

Abierto Networks LLC, an Eliot-based provider of digital marketing and high-speed payment technologies for the convenience store and fuel retail industry, recently hired Craig Tack as a software engineer.

Estes Custom Builders in Portland recently hired Mike Regula as COO. Regula was previously a branch manager for Wallboard Supply.

Maine Audubon in Falmouth recently hired Michelle Smith and Libby VanWyhe. Smith, previously with Goodwill Industries of Northern New England, was hired as communications and marketing manager and VanWyhe was hired as environmental educator.

Willis of Northern New England Inc., a global risk adviser, insurance and reinsurance broker, recently hired Nicole Goodrich as a senior account manager and Alan Frost as an account executive. Goodrich will work in the firm's alternative markets department in New Gloucester while Frost has joined the firm's commercial business unit.

The Landing School, a marine industry post-secondary institution in Arundel, recently hired Natasha DeLuca as a lab technician in the Marine Systems and Composite Boat Building programs.

Saint Joseph's College in Standish recently hired Michael Pardales as vice president and chief learning officer. Pardales was previously dean of education and human services at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Jeremy Fischer as an attorney. Fischer's practice focuses on bankruptcy, creditors' rights and commercial litigation.

Hall Internet Marketing in Portland recently hired Justin Graten as a junior developer.

People's United Bank recently hired Linda Wyman as assistant vice president, mortgage account officer in Portland.

Comfort Keepers, a Scarborough in-home care company for seniors, recently hired Dianne Vigue as a quality care coordinator. Vigue has been a nurse in the elderly care field for nearly 20 years.

MaineToday Media Inc., recently hired Barbara Bock as vice president of advertising and Stefanie Manning as vice president of marketing. Bock was previously national advertising director for the Boston Globe while Manning was in marketing and brand development at Hearst's O, The Oprah Magazine.

New England Communications, a telecommunications provider in Portland, recently hired Tyler Prosser as a systems engineer.

Promotions

Woodard & Curran, an engineering, science and operations company, recently named Rebecca Talbert, assistant counsel, and Carl Wilcox, senior project manager, as vice presidents in the firm's Portland office. The company also named Denise Cameron, project manager; Andy Stanhope, senior financial analyst; Jeremy Wherren, health and safety manager; and Gillian Wood, senior project engineer, as associates in the Portland office. Andy Fitzpatrick and Adam Thibodeau, senior project engineers, were named associates in Bangor.

Camden National Bank recently promoted Tammy Watt to retail lender. Watt was previously the branch manager at the bank's location in the Hannaford Supermarket in Kennebunk.

WBRC Architects/Engineers recently promoted Kevin Meserve to associate. Meserve was previously a senior architectural designer.

Appointments

The National Academy of Sciences' Gulf of Mexico program recently appointed Ashanti Johnson to an advisory group to create a strategic vision and guide the program's development and implementation. Johnson, an associate research professor at the University of Texas, Arlington, and executive director at the Institute for Broadening Participation in Damariscotta, was one of 24 individuals selected.

Laudholm Trust, nonprofit partner within the Wells Reserve at Laudholm, recently named to its board of trustees David Johnson of the Southern Maine Medical Center, Scott Anderson of Verrill Dana and Mark Mueller, an architect.

The Maine Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers recently elected Toby Dilworth as president. Dilworth, a lawyer at Drummond Woodsum, has more than 20 years of trial experience, concentrating in commercial litigation, white collar defense and internal investigations.

The First Bancorp, holding company for The First N.A., recently announced that David Soule Jr., was elected to serve as chairman of the board for both the company and the bank. Soule is a lawyer at Soule, Soule & Logan in Wiscasset.

The United Way of York County recently announced that Patsy Aprile, president and CEO of Goodall Hospital, has accepted the chairmanship of the nonprofit's annual campaign. The volunteer position provides the leadership for the volunteers in the fundraising effort.

The Cancer Community Center in South Portland recently elected six new members to its board of trustees: Patricia Camelio, senior vice president, People's United Bank; Butler Carmichael, service delivery manager, Nike; Timothy Griffin, portfolio manager, H.M. Payson & Co.; Ellen Norton; Michael Rayder Jr., senior vice president and foundation manager, TD Charitable Foundation; and Robert Sansone, vice president of human resources, Tyler Technologies. Four officers were also elected: president, Nicole Avery, Zone 3 Fitness; vice president, Andrew Beahm, L.L.Bean Inc.; treasurer, Nickolas Ireland, Baker, Newman & Noyes; and secretary, Roberta Tielinen, Lincoln Financial Group.

The Maine Hospital Association recently appointed Michelle Hood as chair of its board of directors. Hood is the president and CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems in Brewer. New board officers include: Rebecca Ryder, president and CEO of Franklin Memorial Hospital, chair-elect; James Donovan, president and CEO of Lincoln County Healthcare, treasurer; and Chuck Hays, CEO of MaineGeneral Medical Center, secretary. The following joined the board: Edward Hannon, CEO of Mayo Regional Hospital; Douglas Jones, CEO of Down East Community Hospital; Richard Petersen, CEO of Maine Medical Center; Mary Prybylo, CEO of St. Joseph Hospital; Peter Sirois, CEO of Northern Maine Medical Center; and Lois Skillings, CEO of Mid Coast Hospital. Christina Maguire-Harding, vice president of finance at Mount Desert Island Hospital became chair of the Health Care Finance Council and Dan Coffey, CEO at Acadia Hospital, will chair the Mental Health Council.

Kennebec Behavioral Health recently announced that William Branch, Patsy Garside Crockett, Alan Dorval and William Johnson were elected to its board of directors. Carol Axtell, Ronald Ducharme, Lisa Landry and Rosalie Williams were elected to the KMHA Parent Board; foundation board members are Sandra Delano, Marjorie Downing and Samuel Goddard; and real estate board members are Bruce Harrington and Walter Price.

Competitive Energy Services, an energy consulting firm in Portland, recently announced that Senior Vice President Andrew Price was appointed to serve on the Environmental Technology Board of the Maine Technology Institute.

Michael LaCombe, a member of MaineGeneral Medical Center's Cardiology Department, was recently elected president-elect of the Harvard Medical School Alumni Council. LaCombe, who will become president in the final year of his three-year term, is also professor of medicine and medical humanities at the University of New England.

The Portland Museum of Art recently announced its new board officers: Anna Wells, president; John Isacke, chairman; William Hamill and Jeffrey Kane, vice presidents; Robert Nanovic, treasurer; William Ryan Jr., vice president and assistant treasurer; and James Houle, secretary.

Achievements

Meg Baxter, president and CEO of the Mitchell Institute, recently received the 2013 Hon. Edmund S. Muskie Access to Justice Award. The award was created honor Senator Muskie's lifelong commitment to justice for low-income and elderly Americans.

Willis of Northern New England Inc., an insurance and reinsurance broker in Lewiston, recently announced that it received a Willis North America Bronze Eagle Leadership Award. The award was received in recognition of having the highest client retention rate within the firm's retail group.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, was recently rated as a leading firm in all six Maine categories and three sub-categories by Chambers & Partners, a legal research and publishing company. The firm's corporate/mergers and acquisitions, energy and natural resources, labor and employment and real estate practice groups received Top Tier rankings while 31 attorneys were recognized as leading lawyers in numerous fields.

The Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club recently presented its Ethics in Business Award to Jim Wellehan of Lamey Wellehan Shoes.

The New England Society for Healthcare Communications recently presented Diane Atwood with a Gold Lamplighter Award for her health and wellness blog, Catching Health with Diane Atwood. Atwood, a former health care professional and television health reporter, began writing the blog in 2011.

The Alzheimer's Association, Maine Chapter recently named Kim Block, news anchor at WGME, as its 2013 Maine Alzheimer's Champion. Block was honored for her leadership and dedication to increasing awareness of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

Northern Tides Art and Gift Gallery in Lubec recently awarded 2012 Appreciation Awards to Andrea Poulos, Erda Inc., and Solmate Socks Inc.

Pierce Atwood LLP, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that it received No. 1 rankings in all six practice areas evaluated in Maine by Chambers and Partners, a legal research and publishing company. The firm earned top ranking in the Litigation: General Commercial and Environmental practice areas and received one nationwide attorney ranking for Energy: Oil & Gas practice area. It received two attorney rankings in New Hampshire for corporate and real estate work and one attorney ranking in Massachusetts for bankruptcy work. The firm also had 40 attorneys recognized in the 2013 guide.

The New England Rehabilitation Hospital of Portland recently presented its annual employee appreciation awards. Winners included: Mary Ellen White, director of health information management services, Leadership Award; Beth Nestor, rehab therapy tech, Buzz Fitzgerald Award; Barbara Leslie, Clinician of the Year; Joe Melcher, Employee of the Year; and Megan Black and Sandra Marriner Rehabilitation Nurse of the Year Award.

Bernstein Shur, a Portland law firm, recently announced that Mary Beth Turcotte, the firm's director of human resources, was selected as the 2013 Maine Human Resources Leader of the Year by the Society for Human Resource Management Maine State Council at its annual convention in Rockland. The council supports human resources professionals throughout the state and provides resources to advance the profession.

O'Hare Associates, a CPA firm in South Portland, recently announced that Sean O'Hare earned the designation of Certified Tax Resolution Specialist.

The Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport recently received a Certificate of Excellence Award from Trip Advisor. Recipients are among the top 10% of businesses listed on the travel website.

Valley Distributors, a beverage distribution company in Oakland, recently earned the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program Award from the Maine Department of Labor. The certification recognizes businesses that voluntary undertake a rigorous safety achievement program.

Maine's official state website, www.Maine.gov, recently received two awards recognizing achievements in the fields of creativity and communications. The website received a Silver Communicator Award of Distinction from the International Academy of Visual Arts and a Bronze Summit Creative Award from the Summit International Awards Organization.

The 2013 Maine Downtown Achievement Awards were recently announced. Eastport received the Outstanding Downtown Network Community of the year award; historic preservation awards went to the Waterville Opera House and 265 Main Street in Biddeford; promotion of the year, Main Street Bath; Outstanding Green Downtowns Project, Bath Custom House; Downtown Business of the Year, Belfast's Front Street Shipyard; and the Maine Downtown Visionary award was presented to Amber Lambke, Somerset Grist Mill in Skowhegan. It was also announced that Augusta has joined 10 other designated Main Street communities in Maine.

Gifford's Ice Cream in Skowhegan was recently nominated by Dairy Foods as one of the trade magazine's 2013 Plant of the Year finalists.

Saddleback in Rangeley recently received the Visitor's Choice Award for Best Family Resort in the northeast.

Avesta Housing, a nonprofit developer of affordable housing, recently awarded the 2013 Mike Yandell Award for extraordinary work in the field of affordable housing to John Ryan, president of Wright-Ryan Construction.

The Publicity Club of New England recently recognized FairPoint Communications Inc., with its Bell Ringer Merit Distinction award for the company's efforts to stop lottery scams targeted at the elderly, especially across Maine.

ReEnergy Holdings, a renewable energy producer in Augusta, recently achieved certification to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Standard. The certification verifies that the company's biomass procurement program promotes land stewardship and responsible forestry practices.

Kaplan Thompson Architects in Portland recently received the 2013 Best Energy-Smart Home award from Fine Homebuilding magazine for its Flying Point home in Freeport. Architects Jesse Thompson and Richard Lo designed the contemporary home with energy efficiency as a primary goal, achieving LEED Platinum certification and exceeding Passive House air-sealing standards by 30%.

Rudman Winchell, a law firm in Bangor recently announced that Paul Chaiken, David King, Frank McGuire, George Eaton and William Hanson were all recognized by Chambers and Partners for excellence in their respective practice areas. The firm also received recognition in the following practice areas: corporate/mergers and acquisitions; labor and employment; litigation; and real estate.

The Maine Chapter of Construction Specifications Institute recently recognized WBRC Architects/Engineers with an Award for Excellence in Construction Project Delivery for its role in the Cross Insurance Center project management team.

Kennebec Behavioral Health recently announced its annual award winners. The Greater Somerset Public Health Collaborative received the Outstanding Community Partnership Award and Augusta's Cross Café was presented with the James R. Schmidt Award.