Kristen Miale

Similar to rock stars taking breaks from touring and college graduates spending a “gap year” to travel or volunteer, a growing number of business and nonprofit leaders are giving themselves time-outs of a year or more to reset.

Exit planning is not the same as putting a business up for sale. It’s the process of laying the groundwork in advance to ensure a smooth transition when the time comes.

A roundup of new hires, promotions and achievements at businesses, nonprofits, professional services firms and health care institutions around Maine.

FocusMaine added Kristen Miale, the former president of the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, and Amanda Rector, the state economist for Maine, to its board.

Having worked in food retailing for more than two decades, Heather Thompson Paquette has seen firsthand the challenges of food insecurity and impact on families.

The interim president was appointed while a nationwide search for a permanent president is underway.

Kristen Miale has led the food bank since 2012, and, largely during her reign, Good Shepherd almost tripled the food it has distributed statewide.

Amanda Rector, state economist for Maine, offered a mostly upbeat outlook on Maine's economy in 2023 at the Mainebiz "5 on the Future" event.

For the third year in a row, Maine credit unions are kicking off their annual campaign to fight hunger with a 30-day, $100,000 challenge to financial institutions, businesses and individuals to contribute.

The state's largest health care system plans to convert the former bus terminal, purchased two years ago, into a food pantry that will serve MaineHealth patients and potentially others in need.