Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

Yarmouth Boat Yard and Moose Landing Marina recently hired Christina St. Cyr as director of marketing. St. Cyr was previously with MaineToday.com, NewsSimply.com and Gannett.

Black Bear Medical, a retail medical supply and equipment store in Portland, recently hired Travis Beaulieu as marketing manager. Beaulieu has more than seven years in marketing and business development.

Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in Ellsworth recently hired Timothy Wooster as vice president/trust investment officer to Bar Harbor Trust Services. Previously Wooster was vice president/portfolio manager in the wealth management division of People's United Bank.

Holden Agency, an insurance firm in Portland, recently hired Sarah Ireland and Leah St. Jean as account managers with Employee Benefits Solutions, a division of the agency. Ireland was previously an account manager with Turner Barker/Clark Insurance while St. Jean was previously the vice president-senior account executive in the Employee Benefits division at TD Insurance.

Sunrise County Economic Council in Machias recently hired Asher Woodworth to oversee and manage the Sunrise Food Infrastructure Initiative. The initiative supports Washington County farmers, fishermen and food producers in the form of access to capital, guidance and technical assistance.

WEX Inc., a provider of corporate payment services in South Portland, recently hired Alison Vanderhoof as senior vice president, general manager for emerging markets. Previously, Vanderhoof held several senior leadership positions at Vistaprint.

The Maine Warden Service in Augusta recently hired Jeffrey Beach as a game warden pilot.

Crisis & Counseling Centers in Augusta recently hired Courtney Yeager as public relations and marketing coordinator. Yeager previously served as writer and content manager at the Maine Department of Education.

MorrisSwitzer~Environments for Health, an architecture firm in Portland that designs health care facilities, recently hired Ana Ortega. Ortega has more than 24 years of health care and research lab design experience on both U.S. and international projects.

Occupational Medical Consulting LLC in Leeds recently hired Danielle Caregnato as Florida health coach. Caregnato was previously an exercise specialist/personal trainer and youth gymnastics coach in Tampa, Fla.

Maine Quality Counts, a regional health improvement collaborative in Manchester, recently hired Allison Watson as deputy director, Rhonda Selvin as associate medical director for practice transformation and Ashley Soule as the Maine Patient Centered Medical Home Pilot Program coordinator. Watson was previously in education and utility industries, Selvin, a nurse practitioner, most recently practiced at Wiscasset Family Medicine and Soule previously served as a neuro patient navigator at Maine Medical Center's Neuroscience Institute.

Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington recently hired Benoit Blondeau as a surgeon at Franklin Health Surgery. Previously, Blondeau provided general surgery and trauma care at Truman Medical Center and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, both in Kansas City, Mo.

Day One, a nonprofit agency preventing and treating youth substance abuse in South Portland, recently hired Shayne Croy as an outpatient clinician at the Teen Center in Portland and Steve Rogers, Jeanne Martin and Deborah Morrison as care associates for its residential program.

Maine Medical Center recently hired Lugene Inzana as senior vice president and CFO. Inzana was previously vice president of finance and support services/CFO at Lawrence + Memorial Corp./Hospital in New London, Conn.

The Breast Care Center at the Maine Medical Center Cancer Institute recently hired Loren Rourke as director. Previously, Rourke, who also joins Maine Medical Partners – Surgical Care, led the breast surgery program at the Woodlands Regional Care Center at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Elizabeth Wall as director of marketing and business development. Most recently, Wall was the regional marketing manager for the New York Office of Arnold & Porter.

Lovejoy Health Center in Albion recently hired Margo Beemer and Debra Daigle.

The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation recently hired Carrie Enos as president. Enos was most recently the finished products business unit manager at the Verso Paper Mill in Bucksport.

Putney Inc., a pet pharmaceutical company in Portland, recently hired Alexis Hanna and Patrick Curran as inside sales representatives.

Promotions

The Maine Department of Corrections recently promoted Ben Beal to director of the Bolduc Correctional Facility. Beal previously held the positions of correctional officer, sergeant, director of Central Maine pre-release and acting deputy warden.

Putney Inc., a pet pharmaceutical company in Portland, recently promoted Shannon Lancaster to director of financial planning and analysis and Jason Dobrinick to manager of inside sales.

The Maine Community Foundation recently promoted Jennifer Southard to vice president of donor services and gift planning. Southard was previously director of philanthropic services.

TD Bank recently promoted Erica Moir-Boyles to vice president, branch manager at 680 Main St. in Presque Isle. Moir-Boyles was previously assistant branch manager in Presque Isle.

United Insurance recently promoted Alan Michaud to agency manager of the company's Fort Kent office. Michaud most recently worked overseeing commercial insurance accounts for United Insurance.

Allen Insurance and Financial in Camden recently promoted Dan Bookham to director of business development, Jean Dutch to COO and vice president and Gene McKeever to vice president.

Appointments

Catholic Charities Maine in Portland recently announced its board of directors for 2014: board chair, David Madore; immediate past chair, Roger Dyer; vice chair, Mark LaPointe; treasurer, Rachel Grivois; and secretary, Barbara Smith. Board members include: Michael Seavey, parochial vicar for Portland peninsula and the island parishes; Bob Cleveland of St. Brendan the Navigator Parish in Camden, Rockland and Belfast; Craig Foster, Jean Little, Ellen Turner, John McCormack, Kathleen Murphy, Romeo Parent and John McAuliffe, a pastoral associate at Our Lady of Hope Parish in Portland.

Berry Talbot Royer, a CPA firm in Falmouth, announced that President and CEO Michael Royer was recently appointed as the vice chairman of the finance committee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine.

Sunrise County Economic Council's board of directors recently appointed Assistant Director Jennifer Peters to interim executive director. The council also recently added Tom Hitchins, TEH Architecture, to its board.

Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor recently announced its board of directors and officers for 2014. Officers include Mark Woodward, chair; Micki Sumpter, vice chair; Daniel Tremble, clerk; Dave Milan, treasurer; and Tom Lizotte, past chair. Board members are Dennis Damon, James Gilway, Julie Green, Susan Hammond, Ralph Harvey, Gail Kelly, Brian Langley, John Moore, Chuck Rohn, Jane Searles, Erik Stumpfel, Cary Weston and Garrett Wilkin.

Achievements

Wright-Ryan, a construction company in Portland, recently announced that The National Housing & Rehabilitation Association named Elm Terrace in Portland, as the winner of its 2013 J. Timothy Anderson Award for Excellence in Historic Rehabilitation. The project was selected as Best Historical Rehabilitation Involving New Construction. Community Housing of Maine, CWS Architects and Sutherland Conservation & Co. were part of the 44,814-square-foot historic renovation of a former children's hospital built in 1909.

The Maine Innkeepers Association recently presented its annual awards. Innkeeper of the Year: Sarah Diment, Beachmere Inn, Ogunquit; Hall of Fame: Nancy Gray, Harraseeket Inn, Freeport; Community Service Award: Allyson Cavaretta, Meadowmere Resort, Ogunquit; Special Service Award: Richard Grotton, president and CEO, Maine Restaurant Association; President's Award: Jim Ostrowski, Inns at Blackberry Common, Camden; and Allied Member of the Year: Tom Hildreth, Carrabasset Coffee Co., Kingfield.

Preti Flaherty, a law firm in Portland, announced that partner Christopher Nyhan was recently recognized by Benchmark Litigation for his litigation experience handling personal injury and medical malpractice matters. The publication also recognized the firm as Highly Regarded.

Efficiency Maine recently presented awards honoring contractors, customers and partners. Qualified Partner Awards were presented to: Supplier of the Year, Graybar Electric Co.; Multifamily Program Partner of the Year, Strategic Energy Group; Lighting Projects, Kaplan Electrical Construction; Mechanical Projects, Mechanical Services; and Qualified Partner of the Year, Horizon Solutions. Additional award winners included: Participating Energy Advisor of the Year, Keith McPherson, Home Energy Answers; Retail Partner of the Year, Sam's Club; and Customer of the Year, The Island Institute. Denis Bergeron, director of energy programs for the Maine Public Utilities Commission, was presented the Philip C. Hastings Award for commitment to energy efficiency.

Skelton, Taintor & Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, recently announced that five of its lawyers were named to the New England Super Lawyers 2014 list. Jill Checkoway, Bryan Dench, Alan Stone, Stephen Wade and Rebecca Webber were recognized while Marc Frenette was named a Rising Stars honoree.

Catching Health, a health and wellness blog and events calendar by Diane Atwood, recently won a gold eHealthcare Leadership Award in the category of Best Social Networking during the 17th annual Healthcare Internet Conference in New Orleans.

Systems Engineering Inc., an IT strategy and managed services provider in Portland, recently announced that MicroSoft recognized the company for a 2013 East Region SMB Partner Award as Northeast Partner of the Year. The award recognizes achievements of value-added resellers who have produced results across the business.

Ocean Renewable Power Co. in Portland was recently featured for its TidGen Power System in the Best of What's New section in the December issue of Popular Science.

Kemp Goldberg Partners, an integrated advertising, public relations and interactive agency in Portland, recently announced it won 18 Broderson Awards from The Ad Club of Maine. The agency captured four gold, seven silver and six bronze awards.

Best Lawyers in America recently named McTeague Higbee, a law firm in Topsham, one of the Best Law Firms in the Portland area with a tier one rating in employment law for individuals, personal injury litigation for plaintiffs and workers' compensation law for claimants.

Plum Creek Timber Co. in Fairfield recently announced that all of its Maine lands have been recertified under the Sustainable Forestry Initiative following a review by independent auditors.

Pine Tree Legal Assistance in Brunswick recently recognized Jonathan Reitman, a partner with the Brunswick law firm Gosline & Reitman, for 30 years of distinguished service on the organization's board of directors.

The Society of American Travel Writers recently presented its 2013 Phoenix Award to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Maine Wilderness Lodges. The award recognizes the club's efforts to attract new nature-based tourism to the Maine woods over the past decade as part of its approach to land conservation called the Maine Woods Initiative.

Kampgrounds of America Inc. recently presented the Saco/Old Orchard Beach KOA Campground with the 2014 KOA President's and Founder's Award during KOA's annual International Convention in Austin, Texas.

Androscoggin Bank's MainStreet Foundation recently presented the $25k for Kids Award for 2013 to the Good Shepherd Food-Bank's Backpack Program. The program provides healthy, easy to prepare meals for kids on weekends and during holiday periods when children don't have access to free breakfast and lunch through their school.

The Brunswick Sewer District wastewater treatment plant staff was recently honored by the Maine Waste Water Control Association with the Richard B. Goodenow Award. The award is presented annually in recognition of operations and the maintenance of a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Facility.

Nancy Marshall and Charlene Williams of Nancy Marshall Communications in Augusta recently taught a two-day public relations boot camp at the Grand Floridian Hotel at Disney World for owners and account executives of advertising agencies from across the country. The camp was designed to share the latest public relations techniques and how to add them to ad agency services to improve results for clients.

David Frum, president of Bridgton Hospital, and John Ludwig, vice president for operations at Rumford Hospital, recently presented at the National Center for Healthcare Leadership Human Capital Investment Conference held in Chicago. Frum and Ludwig's presentation was entitled “There's No Crying in Management” and focused on the leadership challenges faced by the two critical access hospitals over the past several years.

The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the University of Maine at Fort Kent were recently named top-ranked schools by U.S. News and World Report in helping veterans and members of the military apply, pay for and complete their degrees.

Nickerson & O'Day Inc., a contractor in Brewer, was recently recognized by the Associated General Contractors of America for completing all of 2012 with zero injuries or lost employee time.

Hall Internet Marketing in Portland recently announced that Mike Johnston, CMS developer, RC Lations, analytics manager; Andre McKay, technical search and CSE analyst; Luda Paliyenko-Sherman, search engine marketing specialist; and Jessica Wallace, digital marketing analyst, earned their certification in Digital Analytics Fundamentals program.

American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine recently announced its 2013 Engineering Excellence Awards. Woodard & Curran received The Grand Conceptor Award for its work on a wastewater treatment facility with the city of Ellsworth; Special Recognition Awards for Engineering Excellence went to Becker Structural Engineers Inc. for its structural engineering work on the Twitchell-Champlin Co. Building at Merrill's Wharf in Portland and to Haley & Aldrich for its geotechnical engineering work on Mile Brook Bridge in Winslow; Honor Awards for Engineering Excellence were presented to Louis Berger for its work on the Bedford, N.H. Route 3 Bridge project and to Becker Structural Engineers Inc. for its work on a private residence bridge in Maine.

Thompson & Bowie LLP, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that Partners James Bowie, Mark Franco and Robert Hatch were listed in Super Lawyers Business Edition 2013.

Brenda Fontaine, owner and broker with Fontaine Family - The Real Estate Leader, was recently honored with the Community Service Award from Make-A-Wish Maine.