Newsworthy people and performances for Feb. 10, 2020

New hires

Ocean Renewable Power Co., a marine renewable energy business in Portland, hired Stuart Davies as CEO. Davies, who also became a member of the company’s board of directors, has been associated with the company for several years as an advisor and investor.

The Maine Women’s Lobby in Augusta hired Destie Hohman Sprague as executive director. She most recently served as associate director of Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

OTELCO, a wireline telecommunications company in New Gloucester, hired Tina Campidelli as an executive assistant and special projects coordinator in New Gloucester and Jeffrey Dunifer as a technical support technician in Bangor.

Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice in Lewiston hired Frederick Duah as director of strategic business innovation. Duah was previously part of the business performance team at Boston Medical Center Healthnet Plan.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union in Scarborough hired Daniel Funk as senior project manager and Tara Hill as director of community development.

Rockland Main Street hired David Gogel as executive director. Gogel has served in senior level positions in business development and management consulting.

Robinson Kriger & McCallum, a law firm in Portland, hired Rebecca Brochu as an associate attorney specializing in family law, consumer bankruptcy and probate issues.

Cerahelix Inc., an Orono-based maker of a ceramic filtering technology that reduces water and carbon footprints, hired William Paulus as COO. Most recently, Paulus was vice president of manufacturing and supply chain at Blackmore Sensors & Analytics Inc.

RE/MAX Shoreline in Portland hired Steven Scott as a broker and Jeremy Bennett as a member of its mentoring program.

Maine Community College System hired Michael Fischer as president of York County Community College. Fischer, who starts in his new position in March, is currently an associate vice president at Great Bay Community College in Portsmouth, N.H.

Infinity Federal Credit Union in Westbrook hired Bob Leger as CFO. Leger was most recently controller for the franchising arm of Aroma Joe’s Coffee.

Promotions

KeyBank in Portland promoted Tony DiSotto to Key private bank market leader for its New England Region. DiSotto was previously regional retail leader.

Apex Youth Connection in Biddeford promoted Melissa Cilley to executive director. Cilley previously served as interim executive and strategic consultant.

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, promoted Ann Freeman, Sara Hellstedt, Lindsay Leone and Adam Prescott to shareholders. Freeman is a member of the firm’s labor and employment and municipal and governmental services practice groups; Hellstedt a member of the labor and employment and workplace and campus independent investigations and consulting practice groups; Leone a member of the energy and commercial and governmental finance practice groups; and Prescott a member of the business restructuring and insolvency practice group.

Robinson Kriger & McCallum, a law firm in Portland, promoted Thomas Quartararo to managing partner and Timothy Wannemacher to partner. Quartararo and both specialize in workers compensation insurance defense.

Kennebec Federal Savings in Waterville promoted Melissa Brugnani to mortgage loan officer.

Bar Harbor Savings and Loan Association promoted Rhonda Sawyer to loan officer and loan department manager. Sawyer was previously mortgage department manager.

Scott Simons Architects in Portland promoted Kayla Caron to partner and principal.

Verrill, a law firm in Portland, elected Kelly Donahue, Christopher Lockman and Mathew Todaro as partners. Donahue assists small and large businesses in establishing and protecting their brands in the U.S. and in other countries, Lockman advises clients on a range of retirement plan, welfare benefit plan and executive compensation issues and Todaro advises clients facing an array of regulatory compliance challenges.

United Midcoast Charities in Camden promoted Kelly Carey to program coordinator. Carey was previously administrative coordinator.

Appointments

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, announced that Hawley Strait was elected to the firm’s board of directors. Strait is a shareholder and a member of the firm’s real estate practice group.

The board of the Maine Justice Foundation in Hallowell elected Susan Faunce, retired Justice Warren M. Silver, Kelly McDonald and Kenneth Lehman to its board of directors. Faunce is an attorney at Berman & Simmons, Silver is retired, McDonald is an attorney at Murray, Plumb and Murray and Lehman is a shareholder at Bernstein Shur. The foundation also elected Lowell Brown as president-elect and Jerrol Crouter as treasurer. Brown is a partner at Heron, Burchette, Ruckert and Rothwell in Washington, D.C., while Crouter is an attorney at Drummond Woodsum.

The state Department of Administrative and Financial Services announced that Gregg Mineo, director of the Bureau of Alcoholic Beverages and Lottery Operations, was selected by the National Alcohol Beverage Control Association as incoming chair-elect, effective in May.

NAMI Maine in Hallowell added Joe Fitzpatrick, Karen-Ann Hagar, Michael Pooler, Lisa Shaw and Bryan Slaney to its board of directors. Fitzpatrick is a clinical psychologist, Hagar is director of after school programming at Central Lincoln County YMCA, Pooler is retired colonel in the Maine National Guard, Shaw is rural and small libraries and workforce development specialist with the Maine State Library and Slaney is a lieutenant and assistant jail administrator at the Kennebec County Correctional Facility.

Frances Perkins Center in Newcastle elected Peter Blaze Corcoran and Susan Kirk to its board of directors. Corcoran is professor emeritus of environmental studies and environmental education at Florida Gulf Coast University and a founding faculty member and director of the university’s Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education while Kirk is a Massachusetts-based community organizer and activist.

Portland City Councilor Jill Duson was appointed to the National League of Cities 2020 Energy, Environment and Natural Resources federal advocacy committee. The committee develops federal policy positions on issues involving air quality, water quality, energy policy, national wetlands policy, noise control and solid and hazardous waste management.

Achievements

Supreme Court Chief Justice Leigh I. Saufley announced the recipients of the Maine Judicial Branch Performance Council Awards for 2019. “Career Performance Awards” went to Superior Court Justice Nancy D. Mills, based at the Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland, and Karen Simpson, administrative clerk, Violations Bureau in Lewiston; the “Roy Rice Award” winner was Robert Byron, judicial marshal at the Cumberland County Courthouse in Portland; the “Special Service Award” was presented to the Judicial Branch facilities team, comprised of Director Jeff Henthorn and members Curt Lefebvre, Ryan Bell, Dylan Hanscom, Kevin Fogg and Lisa Morgan; and the “Outstanding Judicial Branch Employee of the Year” was Chris Coughlan, senior programmer analyst, based at the Capital Judicial Center in Augusta.

Rinck Advertising in Lewiston won three awards at the Maine Public Relations Council 2019 Golden Arrow Awards. The firm earned the “Best in Show” award and a “Gold Award” in the Integrated Communications Campaign category for its “VetriScience Helps a Veteran Pay it Forward” campaign and won a “Silver Golden Arrow Award” in the Feature/Commentary Placement: Local Mainstream category for a Portland Press Herald cover story about Bangor Savings Bank’s Green Dot bystander intervention training program.

Verrill, a law firm in Portland, was recognized by its clients for providing superior client service, including as a standout in both investing in client relationships and in client-facing communication, in the new “BTI Client Service A-Team 2020” report.

Central Maine Growth Council in Waterville named North River Co., owner of the Lockwood Mill complex, its “2019 Developer of the Year.” The council said the redevelopment of the former mill has played an important role in the city’s emergence as a health care, technology and knowledge-based hub.

The Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce recognized Carol Epstein, president and owner of Epstein Commercial Real Estate, as its “Norbert X. Dowd Award” winner. Other annual winners included GE Gas Power, “Business of the Year Award"; Carol Woodcock, “Catherine Lebowitz Award for Public Service"; Norm Heitmann, “M. Jane Irving Community Service Award"; Bangor Public Library, “Nonprofit of the Year Award"; Lee Speronis, “Arthur Comstock Professional Service Award"; Wilcox Wellness & Fitness, “Bion & Dorain Foster Entrepreneurship Award"; “The Nite Show with Dan Cashman,” “Arts & Culture Award"; and Nettie Kilby, “Chamber Volunteer of the Year.”

Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice in Lewiston named Daniel Rausch of Central Maine Healthcare’s Hematology Oncology Associates with its “2019 Heart of Hospice Award” and Trisha Dubois, wound resource nurse at the hospice, with its inaugural “2019 Hospice Hero Award.”

Fontaine Family – The Real Estate Leader in Auburn announced it was voted “Greater Lewiston/Auburn’s Best Real Estate Company” in an opinion poll conducted by Market Surveys of America.

Allagash Brewing in Portland was recognized for its efforts in industrial wastewater pretreatment with the “2019 Pretreatment Excellence Award” presented by the Maine Water Environment Association.

Dirigo Strategies LLC, a consulting, technical analysis and formal report writing firm in Thomaston, said that Brian Perkins attended the annual Surface Navy Association Symposium in Washington, D.C. The symposium is one of the biggest defense conferences in the U.S. and the largest focused on the naval services. Perkins is president of the firm.

Sappi North America Inc., a producer and supplier of diversified graphic and release papers, packaging products and dissolving wood pulp, announced that its Somerset Mill in Skowhegan is certified to the ISO 22000:2018 Food Safety Management System standard. The company is considered a Tier 3 supplier in the food supply chain and the certification applies to all products produced at the mill.

The city of Portland said that the Portland Police Department became the second police agency in the state of Maine to be recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as having attained the requirements of its One Mind campaign. The initiative is intended to ensure that police agencies have implemented contemporary and promising best practices aimed to ensure successful future interactions between police officers and persons with mental illness in its community.

The Edison Electric Institute presented Central Maine Power Co. with the association’s “Emergency Recovery Award” for its power restoration efforts after the October nor’easter hit Maine.

The Lewiston Auburn Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce presented its annual awards. Robin Robbins of Androscoggin Bank was named the “Ray Geiger Chamber Champion Award” winner, the “Theresa Samson Women’s Business Leadership Award” went to Sandy Buchanan of Western Maine Transportation Services, Mark Samson of Dirigo Federal Credit Union won the “Ken Additon Small Business Advocacy Award,” the “Community Service Award” went to Maureen Andrew of Androscoggin Home Healthcare + Hospice and the “Business Leadership Award” was presented to Emerson Chevy Buick.

Clark Insurance in Portland said Mona Freeman Wilkinson, vice president of personal insurance, was awarded a “Certified Advisor of Personal Insurance” designation from the Aresty Institute of Executive Education at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and Chubb.

Julie-Marie Bickford, executive director of the Maine Dairy Industry Association, received the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry “2020 Commissioner’s Distinguished Service Award.”