The Mainebiz roundup of businesses and businesspeople that have been making changes in recent weeks. Check out our compilation of new hires, promotions, accomplishments and more.
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New hires
Tilson, a network development and information infrastructure professional services firm in Portland, hired Andy Spurgeon as vice president of strategic initiatives. Spurgeon was previously COO for BroadbandUSA, a program within National Telecommunications & Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
OTELCO, a wireline telecommunications company in New Gloucester, hired Brian Lemp as a marketing-and-sales project manager/analyst and Joshua Stanley as a technical support technician in Bangor.
Central Maine Healthcare in Lewiston hired Hector Tarraza as chief of its Oncology Institute and associate chief of surgery. Tarraza, a cancer surgeon specializing in women’s health, was chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Promotions
Mount Desert Island Hospital promoted Christina Maguire to president and CEO. Maguire, who is currently COO and senior vice president for the independent, nonprofit hospital, will succeed Art Blank when he retires at the end of the year.
Diversified Communications, an international media company in Portland, promoted Alayna Hebert to web portfolio and design manager. Hebert most recently served as web developer.
Herrick & Salsbury Inc., a land surveying and consulting firm in Ellsworth, promoted Tara Hartson to vice president. Hartson, who will transition into ownership of the business, has worked in various roles for the company since 2006.
Appointments
Avesta Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer and property manager based in Portland, announced its new officers to its board of directors including Tony Cipollone, chair; Jonathan Culley, vice chair; Janice deLima, treasurer; and Kimberly Twitchell, secretary. Cipollone is president and CEO of the John T. Gorman Foundation, Culley is a developer for Redfern Properties, deLima is community reinvestment officer at Norway Savings Bank and Twitchell is Maine regional president at NBT Bank. In addition, Peter Pitegoff, professor of law, University of Maine School of Law; Arthur Sabiti, executive director, Intercultural Community Center; and Amy Smith, founder and president, Healthy Homeworks, were added to the board.
75 State Street, a nonprofit senior-independent and assisted-living community in Portland, announced the election of new officers to its board of trustees: Neal Allen, chair; Julia Redding, vice chair; Ed Suslovic, treasurer; and Kate Guare, secretary. Allen is retired, Redding is geriatrician at Maine Medical Partners, Suslovic is an independent sustainable development consultant and Guare is planning manager at MaineHealth. In addition, Mark Googins, partner at Verrill, and Megan Walton, CEO at Southern Maine Agency on Aging, were added to the board.
Alexis Mann, program associate at the John T. Gorman Foundation in Portland, was appointed to the Central Western Maine Workforce Development Board. Operating under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, this regional board works to identify needs in the local job market, oversee career centers and direct workforce investment programs.
Achievements
Verrill, a law firm in Portland, said it was rated as a “leading firm” in 10 categories and subcategories by Chambers and Partners, a publisher of law firm rankings. In addition, the firm reported 25 of its Maine-based attorneys were also recognized in the rankings.
Leapfrog Group, a national group of employers and other health care purchasers, awarded an “A” rating for safety to 11 out of 17 Maine hospitals evaluated this spring. Recipients of an “A” rating were: Cary Medical Center, Caribou; Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston; Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington; Southern Maine Healthcare, Biddeford; Mid Coast Hospital, Brunswick; Northern Light Mercy Hospital, Portland; Northern Light Inland Hospital, Waterville; Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital, Ellsworth; Northern Maine Medical Center, Fort Kent; Pen Bay Medical Center, Rockport; and York Hospital, York. MaineGeneral Medical Center, in Augusta; Maine Medical Center, Portland; St. Joseph Hospital, Bangor; and St. Mary Regional Medical Center, Lewiston earned “B” grades and Northern Light A.R. Gould Hospital in Presque Isle and Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor earned “C” grades.
Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, a luxury property company in Portland, announced it was ranked No. 570 in 2019 in RISMedia’s “2020 Power Broker Report.” In 2019 the firm reported a sales volume of $506 million, 828 transaction sides and more than 80 full-time agents.
R.M. Davis, a wealth management firm in Portland, said that Wendy Baker and George Carr passed the Certified Financial Planner exam. Baker is assistant vice president of wealth management, while Carr is vice president and portfolio manager.
Readiness Associates, a consulting firm in Portland that acts as a full-service business continuity and emergency preparedness partner, announced that Vernon Jeffery, chief strategist, discussed cyber security safety types for remote locations and working-from-home situations during a presentation titled, “Navigating the Pandemic: Cyber Security” hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad & Tobago. Jeffery was joined in the discussion by Shanna Utgard, success manager at Defendify, a Portland-based cyber security firm focused on small businesses. The firm also said that it was selected to participate in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology I-Corps Southern Maine “Fusion” program.
Geiger, a promotional products distributor based in Lewiston, announced Gerry Gauthier, distribution specialist III and assistant to the facilities manager, and Jennifer Sewell, IT help desk manager, were named its “1st Quarter Geiger Star” individual winners while members of its help desk and network teams, including Sewell, Mike St. Germain, Gloria Arita, Bryon Newcomb, Jon Assam, Brian Mann and Alain Laverdure, were also recognized.
Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington said that Heather Mitchell, athletic trainer at Mt. Blue High School, completed a master of science degree in exercise science and health promotion with a dual concentration in performance enhancement and injury prevention/rehabilitation science from California University of Pennsylvania. The hospital also presented its ninth annual “Nursing and Direct Care Professionals Excellence Awards.” Nursing awards went to Bonnie Gasper, Franklin Health Farmington Family Practice, innovation; Mary Sennett, med/surgical unit, patient centered; Pamela Hadley, infection prevention, integrity; Deb Brinkman, maternal and child health, excellence; and Jaime Roberts, operating room, ownership. Direct care professional awards were presented to Ashley Noyes, ambulatory and cupid credentialed trainer, innovation; and Hannah Cousins, patient centered.
Bill Mitchell, president and CEO of GHM Insurance in Waterville, was selected to receive the “Rough Notes Community Service Award.” Mitchell was chosen from over 35,000 independent insurance agencies from across the country for his efforts to support the Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville at the Alfond Youth & Community Center.
The University of Maine School of Social Work named Chris McLaughlin, associate vice president at Community and Pediatric Services, Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor, its “Alumni of the Year Award” winner.
ERA Dawson Bradford Co. in Bangor said that Augustine Ofili was named the “2019 Rookie of the Year” by ERA national. Ofili a realtor with the agency, helped 50 clients close on their homes in 2019. Additionally, the agency reported that Pauline Rock was one of three finalists for the “2019 Top Sales Associate Award” and that it was one of nine finalists for the “Gene Francis Memorial Award,” ERA’s highest honor.