Newsworthy people and performances for Dec. 9, 2019

New hires

Northern Light Pediatric Cardiology in Bangor hired Michael Epstein as a pediatric/congenital electrophysiologist. Epstein holds several licenses and certifications and is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Pediatrics (Pediatric Cardiology) and the American Board of Internal Medicine (Adult Congenital Heart Disease).

OTLECO, a wireline telecommunications company in New Gloucester, hired Katelynd Sperry as a project manager. Sperry was with Bath Iron Works.

Evergreen Credit Union in Portland hired Cassandra Mooers as mortgage loan originator and Julia Leighton as membership development associate.

Portside Real Estate Group in Falmouth hired Kelli Brewer and Sophia Rosendo as associate brokers and Nick Laverriere as a sales agent in the firm’s mentoring program. Brewer was previously with Keller Williams, Rosendo was at Tranzon Auction Properties and Laverriere was in business to business sales.

Rand O’Leary was hired as president of Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor and senior vice president of Northern Light Health in Brewer. O’Leary, who has 20 years of experience at the helm of health care operations, most recently was the chief executive for Peace Health Oregon Network.

The Maine Community Foundation in Ellsworth hired Joanne Watson as finance assistant. Watson previously handled accounts payable at Darling’s Auto Group in Brewer.

Maine Medical Partners in Portland announced several new hires including: Maxwell Afari, Maine Medical Partners – MaineHealth Cardiology; Adam Caldwell, Maine Medical Partners – MaineHealth Cardiology, Augusta; Dafina Pruthi, Maine Medical Partners – MaineHealth Cardiology, Lewiston; Jorge Escobar, Maine Medical Partners – MaineHealth Cardiology, Augusta/Waterville; Thomas Miller and Michael Hart, Maine Medical Partners – Congenital Heart; Darlene Peterson, Maine Medical Partners – Westbrook Family Medicine; Sarah Stone, Maine Medical Partners – Neurology; and Samantha Dunn, Maine Medical Partners – Pediatric Specialty Care, Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

The Maine Children’s Home for Little Wanderers in Waterville hired Elizabeth Barron as director of development. Barron has 30 years of nonprofit experience.

Northern Light Pediatric Gastroenterology in Bangor hired Annie Henderson. Henderson treats a wide range of pediatric gastroenterology concerns, including abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, bleeding, acid reflux and celiac disease.

Fontaine Family – The Real Estate Leader in Auburn hired Anna Waldman and Dave Foster as sales agents.

The Land Use Planning Commission, an agency within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, hired Judy East as executive director. East was previously executive director at the Washington County Council of Governments.

The Manufacturing Association of Maine in Portland hired Amber DelPonte as operations manager and Kaitlyn Small as administrative associate.

The United Way of Mid-Maine in Waterville hired Alan Smith as president and CEO. Smith most recently facilitated the Augusta Food Bank’s relocation into a new state of the art facility.

Promotions

Geiger, a promotional products distributor in Lewiston, promoted Amy Rioux and Jessica Harvey to key customer specialists in Total Care, Sarah Reidy to content manager, Ryan Getchell to heat press transfer operator in the Distribution Center, Brandy Marquis to program manager in Corporate Programs, Jason Dix to distribution operations manager, Jordan Bourgoin to program manager, Ryan Bissonette to distribution specialist II and Cassie Duclos to a promotional products expert.

Katahdin Trust Co. in Houlton promoted Angela Butler to senior vice president, retail and business banking and Billi Griffeth to regional vice president based out of Presque Isle. Butler was previously senior vice president, commercial services officer while Griffeth was assistant vice president, retail services.

The city of Bangor promoted Paul Nicklas to city solicitor. Nicklas was previously assistant city solicitor.

Scott Simons Architects in Portland promoted Julia Tate to associate and Kayla Caron to senior associate. Tate and Caron are project managers with the firm.

Appointments

The Maine Municipal Association in Augusta announced that Christine Landes, city manager in Gardiner, will become president of its executive committee and James Gardner Jr., town manager in Easton, vice president, effective Jan. 1, 2020. Ivan McPike, mayor of the town of Hampden, and David Cyr, town manager in Mars Hill, are other members of the association’s executive committee.

Verrill, a law firm in Portland, said attorney Elizabeth Connellan Smith was elected secretary of the National Workers’ Compensation Defense Network. Smith has been a member of the group since 2006, and was first elected to the executive board in 2018.

Douglas Sawyer, chief academic officer at Maine Medical Center, and Jennifer McCarthy, chief operating officer at Maine Medical Center, will lead the 2020 Southern Maine Heart Walk, the largest fundraising event for the American Heart Association in Maine. Their committee has set a goal to raise $450,000 through corporate donations and walk teams.

The Manufacturers Association of Maine elected Alan Lapoint chair and Judith Borelli vice chair of its board. Lapoint is president of the Strainrite Cos. while Borelli is director of public affairs at Texas Instruments. The association also added Chuck Bates, senior HR and facilities at GDOTS, to its board.

The Island Institute in Rockland elected Emily Lane as chairwoman of its board of trustees. Lane is international sales manager for Luke’s Lobster Seafood Co.

Achievements

Let’s Go!, a MaineHealth childhood obesity prevention program, announced that 12 schools, 31 school cafeterias, four out-of-school programs and 35 childcare programs in Aroostook County were recognized for their positive impact on children’s health.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough was one of only 50 credit unions nationwide to be named one of the “Best Credit Unions to Work For” in the U.S. by The Credit Union Journal, a national financial services publication.

Skelton Taintor & Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, said attorney Amy Dieterich presented at the National Business Institute seminar, “Mini Law School for HR Professionals: A Comprehensive Primer on Labor and Employment Law” held in Bangor. The firm also announced attorney Andrew Zulieve served as a volunteer judge during the annual 2019 Bowdoin College Mock Trial and that the firm was named a Tier 1 Metropolitan “Best Law Firm” for family law, medical malpractice law – plaintiffs and trusts and estate law by U.S. News - Best Lawyers in 2020.

Verrill, a law firm in Portland, said seven of its Maine-based attorneys were recognized for their litigation skills in Benchmark Litigation’s 2020 edition. In addition, Karen Frink Wolf and Martha Gaythwaite were named to the publication’s national list of “Top 250 Women in Litigation” by the publication.

Eastern Maine Development Corp. in Bangor said it was one of 66 organizations nationwide recognized with a “2019 Impact Award” from the National Association of Development Organizations.

Sebago Technics, an engineering and surveying consulting firm in South Portland, announced that Stephen Sawyer Jr., senior vice president of transportation services, was awarded a “2019 Lifetime Achievement Award” by the Maine Better Transportation Association.

Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, announced that it received seven national and 82 metropolitan rankings in the 2020 U.S. News-Best Law Firms directory.

Maine Food for Thought, an educational food tour in Portland, said it was awarded “Best Food or Beverage Tour Experience” by the World Food Travel Association panel of judges at the 5th annual FoodTrekking Awards.

MaineHealth announced two of its experts recently participated in Congressional presentations. Brian Marden, chief pharmacy officer, spoke about the impact of recent drug shortages and the organization’s efforts to provide safe, patient-centered care while Abby Fleisch, an attending physician at Maine Medical Center in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes and faculty scientist at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute, explained the need for more research on the health effects of environmental chemicals like per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly found in household items like carpets and furniture.

Kris Doody, CEO of Cary Medical Center, and Samuel Collins, president of S.W. Collins Co., were welcomed as laureates into the Junior Achievement of Maine Business Hall of Fame.

Dead River Co. in South Portland was recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor with its “Gold Medallion” award, an honor from the department’s HIRE Vets program, part of the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins received the “Francis Crowe Honorary Engineer Award” and was inducted as an honorary member of the Francis Crowe Engineering Society at the University of Maine College of Engineering Edward T. Bryand Recognition Banquet. Collins also was honored with the “Congressional Champion of 2019 Award” from ConservAmerica for her leadership in conservation and clean energy initiatives.

HM Payson, a financial advisory firm in Portland, said it was ranked No. 43 on “CNBC’s FA 100,” a list of the top 100 financial advisory firms in the country.

Portland Monthly won three prizes for design excellence by Graphic Design USA at its American Graphic Design Awards. The magazine was recognized for “May 2019 Cover Design,” “Winterguide 2019 Cover Design” and “Summerguide 2018, A Thousand Julys Editorial Design.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Maine District Office presented Camden National Bank with its “2019 District Director Award” for making significant efforts to increase the use of SBA loans in its portfolio and access to capital for small businesses in the previous fiscal year. In Fiscal Year 2019, the bank made 16 loans for $3.8 million under the SBA’s 7(a) program, and six loans for $7.8 million under the 504 3rd Part loan program. This was the third highest number of 7(a) loans and the second highest number of 504 3rd Party loans among lenders in Maine for Fiscal Year 2019.

Jamie Dorr, president of the Midcoast Community Alliance’s executive committee, was selected as a “2019 Patriots Difference Maker of the Week” by the Patriots Foundation.

Medical Care Development Inc., a global public health nonprofit in Augusta, won the “2019 P3 Impact Award” from the U.S. Department of State for its work during the past 15 years through the Bioko Island Malaria Elimination Project to eliminate malaria on Bioko Island in Equatorial Guinea, reducing transmission by 99% and mortality in children under the age of five by 63%.

The 10th annual Tobacco-Free Hospital Gold Star Standards of Excellence Awards Celebration, hosted by the MaineHealth Center for Tobacco Independence’s Breathe Easy initiative, recognized Cary Medical Center, Franklin Memorial Hospital, Houlton Regional Hospital, LincolnHealth, Maine Medical Center, MaineGeneral Medical Center, Mid Coast Hospital, Mount Desert Island Hospital, New England Rehabilitation Hospital, Northern Maine Medical Center, Pen Bay Medical Center, Redington-Fairview General Hospital, Southern Maine Health Care, Spring Harbor Hospital, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Waldo County General Hospital at the Platinum Level; Bridgton Hospital, Calais Regional Hospital, Central Maine Medical Center, Down East Community Hospital, Millinocket Regional Hospital, Northern Light AR Gould Hospital, Northern Light Blue Hill Memorial Hospital, Northern Light Charles A. Dean Memorial Hospital, Northern Light Maine Coast Memorial Hospital, Northern Light Mercy Hospital, Rumford Hospital, Stephens Memorial Hospital and York Hospital at the at the Gold Level; and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Northern Light Inland Hospital, Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital at the Silver Level. In addition, Barbara Crowley of Coastal Healthcare Alliance, Dena Whitesell of Maine Medical Center, Timothy Goltz of LincolnHealth and Joanne Fortin of Northern Maine Medical Center were named “Gold Star Champions” for championing tobacco-free efforts at their organization.

The Manufacturers Association of Maine in Augusta presented the “Above and Beyond” award to Jen Fullmer of Boots 2 Roots for connecting returning military members to careers in manufacturing. The association also announced that “2019 Hall of Fame” inductees were Cheryl Bolduc, South Maine Industries, and Charles Johnson, Kennebec Technologies, and congratulated association member KV Tooling for winning ANCA’s “Tool of the Year” award.

Acadia Insurance Co. in Westbrook said it is the first organization to receive the “Mindful Employer Designation,” an honor awarded by employees via the Mindful Employer organization. This designation, based on results from an anonymous employee survey, signifies commitment to cultivating purposeful work, leadership engagement and wellbeing for all.

American Council of Engineering Companies of Maine announced its “2019-20 Engineering Excellence Awards.” Winners included: “Grand Conceptor Award,” VHB for the Route 1 - Main Street Bridge Project; “Honor Award for Engineering for Civic Value,” Kleinfelder for the Brewer Riverwalk, Phase II; “Honor Award for Cost-effective Solutions in Engineering Design,” Wright-Pierce for the ACB’s of Flood Mitigation at Corcoran’s Pond Dam; “Honor Award for Context-sensitive Design,” HNTB for the Bar Harbor Route 3 Highway Rehab; “Honor Award for Transportation Master Planning,” HNTB for the Portland Area Mainline Needs Assessment Study; and “Honor Award for Integrating Historical Preservation in Engineering Design,” CHA for the Whittier Field Athletic Complex Renovation.

Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands in Augusta was named a recipient of a “2019 Leadership Award” from the Forest Stewardship Council for its work administering the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program and managing an FSC-certified group of family woodlands.

Maine Preservation announced the winners of its “2019 Honor Awards,” celebrating outstanding examples of historic preservation and revitalization statewide and recognizing the owners, professionals, preservationists and partners who make them possible. Winners included: “Earle G. Shettleworth Jr. Preservation Champion,” Renys Inc.; “Spirit of Preservation Award,” Alison Richardson and Molly Siegel, Isle Au Haut Lighthouse Swimmers; Augusta, Hartford Fire Station; Biddeford, 17 Alfred St.; Bridgton, Webb House Rufus Porter Museum; Edgecomb, Merry Barn; Hallowell, Stevens Hall, Maine Industrial School for Girls; South Paris, Mildred M. Fox School; Portland, Jose Block, 80 Exchange St.; Portland, Butler School and Payson House; Portland, The Sawyer Building, 2-6 Exchange St./395-399 Fore St.; Saco, Notre Dame de Lourdes/Cutts Avenue Apartments; Surry, Old Surry Village Schoolhouse; and Yarmouth, Grand Trunk Railroad Depot.

Skelton Taintor & Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, said attorney Andrew Zulieve was guest speaker at the Rockland Rotary Luncheon. His presentation focused on common misconceptions of trademark law by businesses and the legal problems they can create.

The Professional Logging Contractors of Maine received the Finance Authority of Maine “Education at Work for Maine Award” for its role in creating Maine’s only postsecondary training program for operators of mechanized logging equipment, the Mechanized Logging Operations Program.