Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

SymQuest Group, an information technology company in Westbrook, hired Brent Graham as document sales account executive in Westbrook and Iman Poeraatmadja as account executive-networking in Auburn.

WGTECH, an information technology company in Westbrook, recently hired Mark Van Loan as senior IT consultant. Van Loan was previously with Oxford Networks.

Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockport hired Ali Hilt-Lash as director of quality and safety. Hilt-Lash was most recently health services supervisor of the acute care team for the state of Maine's Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services.

Millinocket Regional Hospital hired Robert Peterson as CEO. Peterson was previously the administrator for surgery and women and children's services at Eastern Maine Medical Center.

Patrons Oxford Insurance Co. in Auburn recently hired Stephanie Reed as a personal lines underwriter.

Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden hired Jen Wadsworth as a customer service representative.

Maine Media Workshops + College in Rockport hired Ashley Craig as photography program director. Craig was previously an adjunct professor of photography at Miami International University of Art and Design.

Gowen Power Systems in Portland hired Jacob Gardner as a lead generator technician.

The Portland Museum of Art recently selected Alison Ferris to organize its 2015 Portland Museum of Art Biennial. Ferris is curator at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in Sheboygan, Wisc. The museum also recently hired Graeme Kennedy as communications and new media specialist. Kennedy most recently was production manager for Might & Main.

The First N.A. and its parent company, The First Bancorp, recently hired Samantha Hill as vice president, business relationship officer in its Union Street branch in Rockland. Hill recently served as assistant vice president and branch manager at KeyBank.

Portland Monthly Magazine recently hired Karen Duddy, Christopher Riccardo and Allison Hughes as advertising account executives. Duddy was previously head of sales at Old Port magazine, Riccardo worked for the Muskie School of Public Service and Hughes was with Direct Display Publishing.

Preble Street, a homeless shelter in Portland, hired Jaime McLeod as communications manager and Gregory Perchik as teen services coordinator. McLeod was previously web content editor for the Farmers' Almanac while Perchik served as a clinical manager for the Boston Public Health Commission.

USI Insurance Services LLC in South Portland recently hired Peter Casey as vice president, New England commercial insurance account executive, and Burr Duryee as senior vice president, employee benefits insurance. Casey was previously a commercial lines agent for Varney Insurance Agency and Burr worked for Alliant Insurance Services.

The American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine in Augusta recently hired Raegan LaRochelle of Eaton Peabody Consulting Group as executive director.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Wayne Keown as part of the firm's intellectual property group.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently hired Timothy Tunney as vice president/regional relationship manager at its Ellsworth branch.

Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty hired Brian Wickenden as a senior vice president and office manager in Camden.

Norway Savings Bank hired Sherrie Maietta as assistant vice president and branch manager in South Portland and Janice de Lima as assistant vice president, commercial portfolio manager in Portland.

Criterium Engineers, a consulting engineering company in Maine, hired John Holt Jr. as COO.

Promotions

The Board of Directors of the Maine Real Estate & Development Association promoted Shelly Clark to vice president of operations.

Criterium Engineers, a consulting engineering company in Maine, promoted Scott Forbes to senior operations director.

Kennebunk Savings promoted Mark Ross to vice president, retail market manager. Ross was previously branch manager of the bank's Wells branch.

FISC Solutions, a back-office processing company in Lewiston, recently promoted Tiffany Fortier to vice president of sales, marketing and client relations. Fortier was previously sales and marketing director.

CES Inc., a Brewer firm of engineers, environmental scientists and land surveyors, promoted Michael Deyling to vice president.

M2 Service Group promoted Jeff Hughes to senior technician of the Rooter-Man of southern Maine, seacoast areas and central New Hampshire.

Nancy Marshall Communications in Augusta promoted Jennifer Libby to web developer and Ebb Walton to online marketing specialist. Libby was previously a graphic designer and Walton was an account assistant.

InterSpec Inc., a construction document management company in Portland, promoted Gilles Letourneau to president and CEO. Letourneau, a co-founder of the company, was previously chief technology officer.

PeoplesChoice Credit Union promoted Nicholas Plummer to head teller/member service representative at its Biddeford branch, Penny Hastings to assistant branch manager of its Wells branch and Kaitlyn Morse to head teller at its Saco branch.

Camden National Bank promoted Jennifer Mazurek to senior vice president and compliance manager.

USI Insurance Services promoted Scott Twitchell to regional president of the firm's Maine operating company.

Maine Savings promoted Josh Howes to branch manager and Karen-Ann Ellis and Kristen Brasslett to member service representative/loan officers at its new Old Town branch.

WBRC, an architecture and engineering firm in Bangor, promoted Mat Ward to senior architect.

Preble Street, a homeless shelter in Portland, promoted Jimmy Perkins to finance coordinator. Perkins was previously an accounting associate.

Appointments

Gov. Paul R. LePage appointed Jonathan LaBonte as the director of the Governor's Office of Policy and Management. LaBonte is the mayor of Auburn.

The Portland Museum of Art elected the following board officers: president, Anna Wells; chairman, John Isacke; vice presidents, Jeffrey Kane and Nancy Kaye; treasurer, Robert Nanovic; and secretary, James Houle. In addition, Nathan Clark, William Davisson Jr., Joseph Foley, Stewart Strawbridge and Heather Veitch were elected as trustees.

Girl Scouts of Maine announced that Janet O'Toole and Alyssa Burns have joined its board of directors. O'Toole is owner of Honeck O'Toole CPA and Burns is human resources lead at Sappi Fine Paper North America.

Healthways Inc. announced the election of Donato Tramuto, CEO and chairman of Physicians Interactive, as the chairman of its board of directors. Tramuto is also owner of the Inn on Shore Road in Ogunquit.

The board of the American Red Cross' Southern Maine Chapter welcomed new officers and board members. Officers are: Gary Merrill, Hussey Seating, chair; Gregory Sanborn, Baker Newman Noyes, first vice chair; Laura Rideout, Preti Flaherty Beliveau & Pachios, second vice chair; and Eileen Kalikow, Vocational Resources, secretary. New board members are: David Abel, WMTW-8; Daniel Chojnowski, Martin's Point; Michele Davis and Edna Krull, community volunteers; Josh Ellis, Clark Insurance; and Tatia Gagnon, KeyBank.

The Bennett Law Firm in Portland announced that Peter Bennett was named to the board of the National Judicial College, a national judicial education and training institution on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno. Bennett is the president of the firm.

The Maine Hospital Association board of directors named Rebecca Arsenault, president and CEO of Franklin Memorial Hospital, as chair. Other board officers include: Michelle Hood, president and CEO, Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems, immediate past chair; James Donovan, president and CEO, Lincoln County Healthcare, chair-elect; Chuck Hays, president and CEO, MaineGeneral Medical Center, treasurer; and Peter Sirois, CEO, Northern Maine Medical Center, secretary. New board members are: Deborah Johnson, president and CEO, Eastern Maine Medical Center; Tina Legere, CEO, Central Maine Medical Center; Teresa Vieira, president and CEO, Sebasticook Valley Health; and Richard Willett, CEO, Redington-Fairview General Hospital. Willett is also the chair of the association's public policy council, while Charles Therrien, president and CEO of Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, is chair of the Quality Council.

The Hospice of Southern Maine elected Gayle Brazeau and Barry Hobbins to its board of directors. Brazeau is dean and professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of New England. Hobbins currently represents part of Saco in the Maine House of Representatives.

Portland's Downtown District elected to its 2014-15 board of directors: Josh Benthien, partner, Northland Enterprises; Denine Leeman, COO, East Brown Cow; Eric Urbanek, principal broker, Commercial Properties; Kim Volk, investment adviser, Aurora Financial Group LLC; Jeffrey Packard, CEO, Alodyne LLC; and June Usher, assistant vice president and branch manager, Bangor Savings Bank.

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, elected George Burns to its board of directors. Burns is a shareholder with the firm.

United Way of Greater Portland announced its 2014 Campaign & Resource Development Council members. Michael Simonds, president & CEO of Unum U.S., is chair. He is joined by Sean Dugan, director of systems, MaineHealth; Joan Fischer, advancement officer, University of New England; Shawn Gorman, chairman, L.L.Bean; Sterling Kozlowski, Maine district president, KeyBank; Jocelyn Olsen, director of consumer development, Unum; Jeff Sanders, executive vice president and COO, Maine Medical Center; Bill Williamson, Maine president, Bank of America; and Nicole Witherbee, chief program officer, John T. Gorman Foundation.

The Thomas Plant Memorial Home, an elder care facility in Bath, announced five new members of its board of directors: Lisa Gellatly, occupational therapist, CHANS Home Health; Connie Jones, director of the area agency on aging programs, SeniorsPlus; Linda MacMillan, principal, MacMillan Associates; Carol Wark-Bijhouwer, care coordinator, Mid Coast Hospital; and Lisabeth Wyman, vice president/banking center manager, Bath, The Bank of Maine.

Matthew Caras was recently elected to serve as a director of both Bar Harbor Bank & Trust and its parent company, Bar Harbor Bankshares. Caras is an owner and managing director of Leaders LLC, a mergers and acquisitions company in Portland.

The Maine Real Estate & Development Association announced that Timmi Paulson, Theresa Hodge and Jennifer Small joined its board.

Achievements

Fontaine, an Auburn real estate firm,announced that Tammy Soucy earned her state of Maine sales agent license.

Junior Achievement of Maine honored Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors with its Maine Business Hall of Fame award. In addition, Alan Ordway of Winona Camps for Boys and John Ryan of Wright-Ryan Construction were inducted into the Maine Business Hall of Fame.

The National Association of Development Companies honored Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor as one of the nation's top 10 Community Advantage lenders by volume. The Community Advantage 7(a) lending program is offered through the U.S. Small Business Administration as one method to spur economic growth and create jobs.

Cross Insurance, a subsidiary of Cross Financial Corp. in Bangor, announced that Royce Cross, president and CEO, received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration from Husson University in Bangor.

Aaron Poole won the gold medal in the pipe welding competition and Mike Astle won gold in the millwright competition at the Associated Builders and Contractors National Craft Championships held recently in Birmingham, Ala. Both Astle and Poole work at Cianbro in Pittsfield.

Dora Anne Mills, vice president for clinical affairs at the University of New England in Portland, participated in an invitation-only think tank on integrating public health with health care held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

The Inn of Acadia in Madawaska was named as a 2014 Best of New England Editor's Choice winner for the category of best convent makeover by the Yankee Magazine Travel Guide to New England.

EJ Drywall in Greene was selected as the prime contractor of the year for Maine for 2014 by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Visible Logic, a branding agency in Portland, was selected for three awards by Graphic Design USA. The awards were for the Relax America website, the Muddy Rudder Restaurant website and mobile site and the Climb Technology corporate website.

Ira and Judy Rosenberg received honorary degrees from Salem State University in recognition of their philanthropic contributions in New England. Ira Rosenberg is president of the Prime Motor Group in Saco.

Dan Stevens, partner in charge of Pierce Atwood's Augusta office and chair of the firm's personal injury practice, recently participated in a pro bono program that offers low income Maine residents the opportunity to speak privately with a lawyer on a civil subject.

Acadia Hospital in Bangor presented its peer excellence awards. Winners included: Nathan Valentine, physician; Kiley Kelly, nurse; Justin Umel, clinician; Jacqueline Soohey, psychiatric technician; and Lenci Hurd, ancillary staff member.

The Maine State Council of the Society for Human Resources Management recently presented Amie Parker of Bates College with its human resources volunteer of the year award and Susan Ouellette of Kleinschmidt Associates with its human resources leader of the year award.

Coldwell Banker Sandy River Realty announced that broker Juanita Bean-Smith was named the 2014 Realtor of the year by the Mountains Council of Realtors.

The Lewiston-Auburn Rotary Club presented its second annual ethics in business award to Peter Kowalski of John F. Murphy Homes, a provider of services to adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder.

The Maine Department of Labor recently announced that Deering Lumber stores in Springvale, Biddeford and Kennebunk earned the safety and health achievement recognition program award.

Stephan Zeeman, a professor in the Department of Marine Sciencesatthe University of New England, was awarded a 2014-2015 Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. Zeeman received the award to teach at Universitas Diponegoro in Semarang, Indonesia, focusing on his expertise in marine science as well as remote sensing and geographic information systems.