🔒Newsworthy people and performances for June 29, 2026

New hires

SVN the Masiello Group, a commercial real estate firm in Bedford, N.H., hired Lindsey Ayre as an associate advisor in its South Portland office. Portside Real Estate Group in Falmouth hired Jordan Wielgoszinski as an agent. Keller Williams Realty Maine in Portland added Robert Baldacci, Nick Gallant, Promis Bryant and Kathleen Foden to the brokerage. Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, a luxury real estate firm, hired Stacy Salvo as a real estate professional in Portland. Diversified, an events and digital media company in Portland, hired Jenna Drapkin as corporate vice president of customer experience, Dawn Giovanniello as corporate vice president of product, David Hill as corporate vice president of content and digital strategy, Ken Roden as corporate vice president of delivery and go-to-market and Steve Valero as corporate vice president of technology. Norway Savings Bank hired Bridget Bailey as senior relationship administrator in the Norway Savings Asset Management Group. MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital hired Hannah Blasius as an adult-gerontology acute care nurse practitioner at its Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Rockport practice. The First Amendment Museum in Augusta hired Alison Sucy as executive director. Sucy was founder and CEO of Thistle Ridge LLC, a real estate development company. R.M. Davis, a private wealth management firm in Portland, hired Carter Allen as a client relationship associate, Tori Brooks as estate associate, Nick DeBlois as finance manager, Melissa Heffernan as associate compliance officer, Beverly Gava as chief people officer and Sian O’Malley Hahn as trust officer. United Insurance hired Samuel Seekins as an account executive in Augusta. Bar Harbor Bank & Trust hired Greg Vigue an assistant vice president, middle market portfolio manager in Portland. Most recently, Vigue was a comme

rcial credit analyst at TD Bank. The Maine Community College System hired Susan Rogers as president of Central Maine Community College in Auburn, effective Aug. 10. Rogers is currently a vice president at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. The Maine Bankers Association in Westbrook hired Aaron Stetter as president, effective July 6. Stetter is currently executive vice president of affiliate and volunteer relations for the Independent Community Bankers of America.

Promotions

Diversified, an events and digital media company in Portland, promoted David Kuntz to chief technology and digital officer and leader of its newly created global technology and digital office. Kuntz was previously senior vice president of technology and product in the company’s primary care/medical division. In addition, the company promoted Christina Henderson to vice president, endurance portfolio; Heather Johnson to vice president, tech portfolio; Meg Kilmurry to vice president, business communities portfolio; Dave Fournier to vice president, technology and security; Lewis Okun to vice president, transformation and business intelligence; Brenna Hensley to vice president, seafood events; and Jess Woods to vice president, finance and accounting. The Maine State Society for the Protection of Animals in Windham promoted Kerrie Leclair to executive director. Previously, Leclair was assistant director. Constant AI, a Portland-based financial technology services provider, promoted Lisa Cote from controller to CFO. Strategic Talent Management in Brunswick promoted Alyssa Curit to director of client services. Heart of Ellsworth promoted Chesnee Barney to assistant director. Barney was previously marketing and events coordinator. CORE, a commercial real estate firm in Portland, promoted Charlie Hippler to associate vice president. Previously, Hippler was an associate broker.

Appointments

Keller Williams Realty Maine in Portland said Rick Dow, broker, was selected as the 2026 Keller Williams New England regional cultural ambassador and will serve as the market center’s 2026 cultural ambassador. The University of Maine System board of trustees elected Roger Katz as chair and Elise Baldacci as vice chair. Katz is a lawyer at the Augusta firm of Lipman, Katz and Boston while Baldacci is president of the Maine Credit Union League in Westbrook. The Maine Sports Commission added Mark Schaub to its board of directors. A 21-year veteran registered Maine guide with whitewater level-two certification, Schaub has spent 25 years with Northern Outdoors in the Forks.

Achievements

The town of Lisbon presented Len Lednum with its “2026 Spirit of America Foundation” award for volunteerism. Lednum serves on the Lisbon School Committee and the Lisbon Shared Services committee, is president of the Middle School PTO as well as Discover Lisbon, is acting director of Friends of Worumbo and volunteers his time and equipment to livestream the services at his church. Kaplan Thompson Architects in Portland announced that team member Meg Bunke officially became a licensed architect in the state of Maine. Latis Materials, a startup developing bio-derived carbon fiber materials and composites, won the fifth annual Dirigo Labs Pitch Competition. SobaSparkle was the “Cohort Choice” award winner and Dooryard was the “Audience Choice Award” winner. Murray Plumb & Murray, a law firm in Portland, said that nine of its attorneys were recognized in the “2026 Maine Super Lawyers and Rising Stars” lists. Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, said that Chambers & Partners, publisher of the world’s leading guides to the legal profession, ranked nine of the firm’s practices and 30 of the firm’s attorneys in the “2026 Chambers USA Guide.” The University of New England in Biddeford earned a “STARS Silver Rating” for its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Piper Shores, a nonprofit life plan retirement community in Scarborough, announced that Fitch Ratings has affirmed its “A” rating with a Stable Outlook, reflecting strong operating performance, sustained demand and exceptional financial strength. The University of Maine at Augusta earned national accreditation for its early college program, becoming the first institution in the state and one of only 136 in the country to receive the recognition from the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. Haley Ward Inc., an employee-owned professional engineering, environmental, surveying, planning and architecture firm in Bangor, was recognized by Zweig Group as one of the “2026 Best Firms to Work For,” marking the fifth consecutive year the company has received the honor. This year the firm ranked No. 39 in the Multidiscipline category and no. 21 in the 200+ Employees category. Pierce Atwood, a law firm in Portland, said that Chambers & Partners, publisher of the world’s leading guides to the legal profession, ranked the firm “Band One” in two practice areas and No. 1 in seven of the 10 practices that the publication ranks in Maine in its “2026 Chambers USA Guide.” In addition, 19 of the firm’s Maine-based attorneys were recognized. PC Construction in South Burlington, Vt., announced that it was presented with the “2026 Mark H. Hasso Project of the Year Award” from the Construction Management Association of America New England Chapter for its work on the Shawn Walsh Hockey Center and Harold Alfond Arena renovation and expansion at the University of Maine. The MEMIC Group, a workers’ compensation specialist in Portland, announced that Dead River Co., an energy provider serving Maine and the Northeast, received its top honor for “Excellence in Worker Safety and Employee Care.” The Maine Office of Community Affairs in Augusta was named the Maine Association of Planners’ “2026 Project of the Year.”