A roundup of new hires, promotions and achievements at businesses, nonprofits, professional services firms and health care institutions around Maine.
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New hires
The University of New England in Biddeford hired John Vitale as dean of the Westbrook College of Health Professions. Most recently, Vitale served as dean of the School of Professional Studies and Science at Landmark College in Putney, Vt.
RSU 21 in Kennebunk hired Dawn Therrien as director of human resources.
Keller Williams Realty in Maine hired Nancy Jarrett as assistant market center administrator, Corey Lynn Morton as director of agent services and Jacob Cloutier, Faith Fontaine, Julia Langham, Deanna McKenna, Jane Meisenbach, Richard Meisenbach and Greg Selmon as associates.
St.Germain, an environmental, EHS compliance and engineering firm in Westbrook, hired Danica Kay as a geologist with extensive environmental assessment and remediation experience.
Northern Light Health in Bangor hired Steven Kozusko as a surgeon at Northern Light Plastic and Hand Surgery. Kozusko has specialized training in hand and upper extremity surgery.
Verrill, a law firm in Portland, hired Jill Cohen as a partner. Cohen is a member of the International Cannabis Bar Association, Maine Municipal Association, Cumberland Bar Association and serves as the vice chair of the state of Georgia Cannabis & Hemp Law section.
Northern Light Sebasticook Valley Hospital in Pittsfield hired Warren Shearer as vice president and senior physician executive. Shearer will be providing family medicine primary care services and outpatient dermatology services in Pittsfield, Newport and Clinton in addition to his administrative duties.
Katahdin Trust in Houlton hired Michelle Ritcheson as senior vice president, senior credit officer in Scarborough.
News Center Maine hired Ryan Breton as a meteorologist. Breton was previously with FOX61 in Hartford, Conn.
The Center for Grieving Children in Portland hired Kelly McCormack as director of marketing. McCormack was most recently development and marketing manager at the Maine Association of Nonprofits.
United Insurance in Portland hired Wanda Marston as a personal lines account manager in Farmington, Eden Paradis as an account executive in Fort Kent and Tania Adams as receptionist/administrative support in Rumford.
Promotions
Geiger, a promotional products distributor in Lewiston, promoted Jeff DePalma to vice president of enterprise sales. DePalma was previously regional vice president for the northeast.
Franklin Savings Bank in Farmington promoted Derek Hayes to executive vice president, chief lending officer and Christopher Raymond to commercial underwriting officer.
The city of South Portland promoted Frederick Dillon to director of its Water Resource Protection Department. Dillon was previously the department’s stormwater program coordinator.
The Center for Grieving Children in Portland promoted Emma Walker to director of philanthropy. Walker was previously a development manager and corporate relations and events specialist.
The University of Southern Maine promoted Britney Mitchell to director of admissions. Mitchell was previously associate director for online students.
United Insurance in Portland promoted Jason Duval to partner. Duval was previously a senior account executive.
United Way of Southern Maine promoted Dan Coyne to chief impact and governance officer, Kristin Chase Duffy to chief operating and communications officer and Cameron Peden to chief people and development officer. Coyne was previously senior vice president of impact and governance; Chase Duffy was senior vice president of technology and communications and Peden was senior vice president of people and resources.
Appointments
FocusMaine, a private-sector organization, working to create jobs in the food economy and bioeconomy, added Kristen Miale and Amanda Rector to its leadership team. Miale is a managing director at Caswell Advisory Group while Rector is the state economist for the state of Maine.
Maine College of Art & Design in Portland added Charles Butterfield, Jeana Cho, Stacey Dietsch and Sue Lambe to its board of trustees. Butterfield is the founder and president of Boulder Wind Consulting, Cho is a lawyer and former vice president of marketing and sales at Knours, Dietsch is executive vice president, talent pipeline at Liberty Mutual Insurance and Lambe is a licensed landscape architect.
Kennebunk Savings elected Lori Howell as chair of its board of directors. Howell is co-owner of Spinney Creek Shellfish in Eliot.
Thomas College in Waterville added Bob Moore to its board of trustees. Moore is executive director of the Augusta Food Bank.
The American Heart Association in Portland named Kelly Elkins, COO at MaineHealth, as the community volunteer chair of the 2025 Go Red for Women Luncheon.
Achievements
The Maine Tourism Association in Hallowell announced that Kathryn Hamlyn, Tim Charboneau, Eva Johnson and Beth Whitney are the first graduates of its Travel Counselor Certification Program. Hamlyn and Charboneau are travel counselors, Johnson is center manager and regional partnership manager for the Maine Visitor Information Center in Fryeburg and Beth Whitney is with the Maine Visitor Information Center in Yarmouth.
Northern Light Acadia Hospital in Bangor said it was ranked No. 2 in the country among psychiatric hospitals for the lowest readmission rate by Becker’s Behavioral Health.
The Maine Council on Aging in Brunswick announced its 2024 award recipients, honored for their inspired and sustained leadership. Marilyn Gugliucci, professor and director of geriatrics education and research at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, was named the “Lasting Legacy Award” winner; Jess Fay, Maine state representative from Raymond, won the “Lasting Legislative Legacy Award;” the 131st Joint Standing Legislative Committee Health & Human Services captured the “Legislator of the Year Award;” Mary Lou Ciolfi, co-director of the Consortium for Aging Policy Research and Analysis and a facilitator at the National Center to Reframe Aging, received the “Trailblazing Advocate Award;” Jean Saunders, executive director of Age Friendly Saco, was the “Douglas O. Wilson Rising Tide Leadership Award” recipient; and the “Business Excellence Award” went to the state of Maine, the second state in the country to become a certified Age Friendly Employer.
College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor was rated No. 1 in Green Matters: Everyone Cares About Conservation; No. 2, LBGTQ-Friendly; No. 5, Most Active Student Government; No. 5, Students Study the Most; No. 6, Great Financial Aid; and No. 9, iBest Campus Food in Princeton Review’s 2025 390 Best Colleges guide.
The Southern Maine Community College Foundation in South Portland announced its “2024 Light on the Point Award” winners. Recipients included Daniel Abbott, professor, architectural and engineering design, “Outstanding Faculty/Staff Award;” Chris Cohen, founder of Eclipse Sports, “Outstanding Alumnus Award;” and Johnson & Jordan, Mechanical Contractors, “Outstanding Business Award.”
SKILLS Inc., a nonprofit in St. Albans, named Rick Lancaster and Roberta Braley as its “2024 Direct Support Professionals of the Year.”
Rinck Advertising in Lewiston said it won five awards at the 2024 Maine Public Relations Council Golden Arrow Awards. The agency’s “Filter Out the Noise” campaign for the Maine CDC captured a “Gold Award” in the Communications Campaign Category as well as the “Best in Show Award” and its strategic media pitching for VetriScience earned three “Gold Golden Arrows,” two for targeted media placements with Spruce Pets and Chewy and another for their overarching earned media campaign for the pet supplement brand.
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife honored Tenley Skolfield and Alexandra Conover Bennett with the “Fly Rod Crosby Lifetime Outdoor Achievement Award.”
The Sebago Lakes Region Fuller Center for Housing said it will recognize Hancock Lumber at its 5th Anniversary Gala Celebration for donations of funds and building supplies to The Fuller Center, a Windham-based nonprofit that offers home repairs for seniors and veterans so they may remain in their homes safely and enjoy the quality of life they deserve.