A roundup of new hires, promotions and achievements at Maine’s businesses, professional services firms, nonprofits and health care organizations.
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New hires
Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, a luxury real estate firm in Portland, hired Chessell McGee as a senior vice president.
ElleVet Sciences, a pet CBD company in Portland, hired Ryan Shadrin as chief commercial officer. Shadrin has 25 years of marketing and operator experience.
Facility Door Solutions, a provider of automatic door services and preventive maintenance in Lewiston, hired Alex Demars as customer experience coordinator.
Maine’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Women hired Elinor Higgins as executive director. Higgins was previously a policy associate at the National Academy for State Health Policy.
The Boulos Co., a commercial real estate firm in Portland, hired Briana Scalzone as executive assistant to Drew Sigfridson and Nate Roop as an associate. Scalzone was previously with the Washington Post while Roop was co-owner of a business that contracted under FedEx Ground.
Maine Savings in Hampden hired Kaitlin Ferland and Kash Keezer as mortgage loan officers. Ferland will cover the Rockland to Lewiston-Auburn area while Keezer will focus on Greater Portland.
Northern Light Mercy Hospital in Portland hired Kieran Donaghey, Ian Corbett and Annika Bannon as primary care providers at Northern Light Mercy Primary Care.
AIO Food & Energy Assistance in Rockland hired Alan Kearl as executive director. Kearl is a former executive in the beauty industry.
Haley & Aldrich, an environmental and geotechnical consulting firm in Portland, hired Binks Colby-George as a technical expert in database management and Billy Edgar as a project manager, hydrogeologist.
Maine Boys to Men, a nonprofit in Portland, hired Bruce King as executive director. Previously, King was co-executive director at Maine Inside Out.
The Hallowell Area Board of Trade hired Nick Lacasse as president. Lacasse is also a founding partner of Perennial Renewables LLC, an energy development and consulting firm.
Dentons Bingham Greenebaum, a law firm in Portland, hired Kevan Lee Deckelmann as a partner and a member of its corporate practice.
Promotions
Kennebunk Savings Insurance, a subsidiary of Kennebunk Savings Bank, promoted Mark Ross to director of insurance operations. Ross was previously vice president, retail experience manager at the bank.
ElleVet Sciences, a pet CBD + CBDA company in Portland, promoted Haley Israelson to CFO. Israelson was vice president of finance, operations and ecommerce.
The Boulos Co., a commercial real estate firm in Portland, promoted Sasha Phillips and Roy Donnelly to associate brokers. Both were previously associates.
cPort Credit Union in Portland promoted Kelsey Marquis to CFO and COO and Bill Whitmore to senior vice president of business and information technology services. Marquis was previously executive vice president and CFO while Whitmore was vice president of business services.
KeyBank in Portland promoted Tony DiSotto to market president for Vermont. DiSotto also serves as Key Private Bank market leader for Maine and Vermont and market president for Maine.
Bar Harbor Savings and Loan Association promoted David Cohen to president and CEO, treasurer. Cohen was previously senior vice president and treasurer.
New Ventures Maine in Augusta promoted Suzanne Senechal-Jandreau to program director. Senechal-Jandreau previously worked for the organization in Aroostook County as the statewide workforce development manager.
Haley Ward Inc., an employee-owned professional engineering, architecture, environmental and surveying consulting firm in Bangor promoted Chip Haskell III, Jacalyn Gorczynski and Johanna Szillery to vice presidents. Haskell is a senior project manager, land development in Bangor; Gorczynski is a project manager/senior project geologist in Saco; and Szillery is a project manager/senior project scientist in Bangor.
Appointments
Friends of Casco Bay in South Portland added Samantha Bengs, Nathan Davis and Fiona Wilson to its board of directors. Bengs is a graduate student at University of Southern Maine conducting research with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Davis is director of programs at Gateway Community Services and Wilson is director of the Sustainability Institute at the University of New Hampshire.
Thomas College in Waterville added Brian King to its board of trustees. King is a senior executive with Bank of America and president of Bank America Maine.
Achievements
The U.S. Small Business Administration announced that Matthew Polstein, owner of New England Whitewater in Millinocket, was selected as its “2024 Small Business Person of the Year Award” winner for Maine. Other annual award winners included: “Maine and New England Minority Owned Small Business of the Year,” Niky Dwin Watler Amaris and Martha Leonard, Maiz in Portland; “Maine Veteran Owned Small Business of the Year,” Kendra Chubbuck, Shore Shop Gifts in Isle au Haut; “Maine Home Based Business of the Year,” Kirantee Sangsap, Studio Choo11 in Scarborough; “Maine Woman Owned Small Business of the Year,” Sarah Morneault and Lindsey Levesque, Tiller and Rye in Brewer; “Maine Young Entrepreneur of the Year,” Candace Edgecomb, W.E. Family Farm in Limestone; “Maine Micro-Enterprise of the Year,” Kate Hall, Graze LLC in Northport; “Maine Small Business Manufacturer of the Year,” Heather Kerner, the Good Crust in Canaan; and “Maine Small Business Exporter of the Year,” Grace Phillips, Belle Cove LLC in Portland.
Norway Savings Bank recently recognized employees at its 2024 Employee Appreciation Banquet. Jackie Curtis, vice president of human resources, was named the “President’s Award” winner; Corey McEntyre, software engineer III assistant vice president, “Employee of the Year Award;” Talley Estes, commercial loan administrator team lead assistant vice president, “Best Supporting Role Award;” Dylan Mooney, senior investments and treasury officer vice president, “Individual Excellence Award;” and Jen Gillespie, assistant market manager in Portland, “Culture Champion Award.” “Communication Awards” went to Bobbi Burke, Michele Close, Heidi Ortiz and Jesse Shand; “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Awards” to Dante Colley, Paul Gimlewicz, Tina Merritt and Cheryl Powers; “Hunger for Excellence Awards” to Karie Anderson, Nate Dubois, Heidi Edwards and Carter Lessard; “Leadership Awards” to Jen Corbett, Frank Farrell, Amy Lehigh and Jenn Piper; and “Team Member Experience Awards” to Kim Bean, Liz Hatch, Seth Johnson and Kelcey Kimball. “Years of Service Awards” were presented to Ann Brett, 40 years; Sandy Smith, 35 years; Amy Bessey, 25 years; Kati Chandler, Catriena Marois, Robin Miller and Cari Morrissette, 20 years; Karri Card, Darcy Coslet, Kaela Delan, Ann Lewis, Vicky Libby, Christine McMann, Kelly Sturmer and Mark Thurlow, 15 years; Jaime Brochu, Jen Corbett, Frank Farrell, Liz Hatch, Corey McEntyre, Ian Pullen and Heather Whitney, 10 years; and Shawn Baldwin, Rachel Barton, Gary Bellegarde, Andrea Benvie, Kelina Demers, Carter Lessard, Holly Pepin and Jenn Piper, five years.
Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington presented David Scammon with the “BEE Award (Be Exceptional Every Day)” in recognition of his exceptional non-nursing care. Scammon is a nutrition representative at the hospital.
Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, recognized its Maine-based attorneys and staff for giving back to the community through pro bono and community service efforts. Cameron Goodwin, a litigation attorney, and Heidi Grant, a legal assistant, were named the “McKusick Community Impact Award” winners; and Kellie MacDonald, an immigration attorney, and Abigail Dyer, marketing coordinator, won the “Scribner Firm Impact Award.”
Blue Ox Malthouse in Lisbon Falls won a bronze medal in the “Caramel” category for its floor malted Caramel 20 malt and a silver for its floor malted Yankee Pilsner malt in the “Pilsen” category during MaltCon2024.
Morgan Stanley announced that Andrew Thomas, executive director, senior investment management consultant, financial advisor in the firm’s Portland Wealth Management office, and Gary Bergeron, an executive director, financial advisor in the firm’s Portland Wealth Management office, were named to Barron’s list of “America’s Top 1,200 Advisors: 2024 State-by-State.”
PC Construction in Portland said it received a “Construction Risk Partners Build America Award” in the $76 million to $125 million new building category from the Associated General Contractors of America for its work on the University of Southern Maine’s Portland Commons Residence Hall and McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success.
Maine Preservation in Yarmouth announced its annual “Honor Awards.” This year’s honorees included 33 State/213 Exchange in Bangor, Freedom Place in Portland, The Grant in Bath, Queen Mary in Bremen, Tuttle Farmhouse in Freeport, Frances Perkins Homestead National Historic Landmark in Newcastle, Gingerbread House in Norway, and Andrea Burns of Norway.
Hannaford Supermarkets named Patrick Doak as its “Store Manager of the Year.” Doak is store manager in Blue Hill. Maine district winners included Dory Gain, Skowhegan, District 2; James Shive, Boothbay Harbor, District 3; Ken Kirouac, Scarborough, District 4; and Ron Sullivan, Biddeford, District 6.
The University of Maine at Augusta said it was awarded two “U.S. News Top 100 Best Online Program” rankings in the categories of “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs” and “Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans.” The university also announced it was named a “Top Military Friendly School” by Military Friendly.
Thomas College in Waterville announced its students won top awards at the Society for the Advancement of Management International Business Conference. The college placed second as a team and third place for case study presentation. Individually, Preston Moody, Jade Crowell and Addison Landon made the Knowledge Bowl finals with Landon finishing in second place. Landon was also recognized as the top individual student performer in the competitions.
A team made up of students from Cheverus and Greely high schools captured the Thomas Cup, an overnight IT and innovation competition hosted by Thomas College in Waterville. Brody Gifford, Corbin Richter, Andrew Flanders, Hayden Harkett and Alexander Wharton made up the winning team and each received a $10,000 scholarship to the college. Dexter Regional High School finished second and Forest Hills Regional High School third.
The Maine Center for Palliative Medicine in Lewiston said it achieved distinction through the Accreditation Commission for Health Care for the services of palliative medicine.
