In short from Aug. 9, 2010 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

Norton Financial Services, a provider of business insurance and employee benefits in Cumberland Foreside, recently hired Kieth Tong as a financial consultant serving southern New Hampshire and eastern Massachusetts. Previously, Tong was an annuity specialist and senior investments representative at Fidelity Investments in Merrimack, N.H. Norton Financial Services also recently hired Nick Lelansky as a financial services coordinator. Previously, Lelansky was a senior relationship specialist at Charles Schwab in Orlando, Fla.

The Swan Agency Sotheby’s International Realty, a real estate agency that specializes in luxury oceanfront property with offices in Bar Harbor, Northeast Harbor and Blue Hill, recently hired Marcella Flubacher and Pam Armour to represent the Down East Maine market.

Lambert Coffin, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Maureen Sturtevant as an associate.

Harbor Technologies, a composite manufacturing company in Brunswick, recently hired Peach Frederick as a manufacturing manager.

MaineGeneral Medical Center’s Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care in Augusta recently hired Abby Thrower as a medical oncologist and hematologist.

Encompass Marketing, a marketing firm in Auburn, recently hired Danielle Sicotte as a project coordinator.

MaineGeneral Gastroenterology in Waterville recently hired Sakdhisapol Katanyutanon, as a gastroenterologist.

Macdonald Page & Co., a certified public accounting firm in South Portland, recently hired David Martines as a tax associate.

Bangor Savings Bank recently hired Mary Hendrick as mortgage development officer for Cumberland and York counties.

Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockland recently hired Sharon Landry as clinical research coordinator. Previously, Landry worked at Penobscot Bay Medical Center in pediatrics and the medical/surgical unit.

iBec Creative, a provider of website and traditional design services in Portland, recently hired Chris Putnam as web developer.

VOX Global, a public affairs firm in Portland, recently hired Joy Engel as account supervisor.

Tilson Technology Management, an information technology management company in Portland, recently hired Kevin Bailey as a consultant. Previously, Bailey worked for On Target Utility Services in Gardiner as a data collections specialist. The company also recently hired Gene Wendland as chief financial officer. Previously, Wendland was chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Village Candle Inc. in Topsham.

Dragonfly Therapy, a physical and occupational therapy clinic based in Brewer, recently hired Misty Starbuck as an occupational therapist specializing in geriatrics.

Beal College, a private career college in Bangor, recently hired Susan Polyot, a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, as director of the associate degree program in social and human services assisting and the one-year diploma program in substance abuse counseling. Polyot is also the employee assistance program coordinator at Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockport.

Medical Source, a health care recruitment company based in Portland, recently hired Larry Stewart as senior consultant for physician placement. Previously, Stewart was director of recruitment at Franklin Memorial Hospital in Farmington.

The Acadia Hospital, a private psychiatric and chemical dependency treatment center in Bangor, recently hired Karen Clements as chief nursing officer. Previously, Clements served as administrator for patient care services at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

Northern Benefits of Maine, a regional benefits brokerage in Gorham, recently hired Kristy Pendexter-Foss as a broker.

Promotions

The Kennebec Journal in Augusta recently promoted Bob Metinzer to city editor. Previously, Metinzer worked as assistant city editor.

Baker Newman Noyes, a certified public accounting firm in Portland, recently promoted Nicole Prokos, Jason Emery and Matt Vasil to audit managers. The following members of the audit division were promoted to senior audit accountant: James Boissonneault, Danielle Decaro, Jeremy Dumond, Matt Fernandez, Mary Michaud, Michael Morse, Bill Newton and Nick Paquette.

Northern Benefits of Maine, a health insurance and employee benefits management firm in Gorham, recently promoted Lori Lape to vice president of large group account management.

Appointments

Gov. John Baldacci recently nominated Gerard Conley for reappointment to the Maine Turnpike Authority and John Bubier for reappointment to the Northern New England Passenger Rail Authority. The nominations will be considered by the transportation committee.

Portland’s Downtown District, which represents over 1,000 property owners and businesses in the Old Port and Arts District, recently elected the following officers: Brian Petrovek, president/CEO of the Portland Pirates, as president; Tamara Gilliam, general manager of the Eastland Park Hotel, as vice president; and Doug Fuss, owner of Bull Feeney’s, as treasurer. Recently elected to its board of directors are Catherine Lamson, Peter Gellerson and Nicholas Morrill.

The Maine Cancer Foundation recently elected Jim Clair of Goold Health Systems, Barbara Grillo of the Maine Medical Center Cancer Institute, Jennifer Dumas of AstraZeneca, Peter Rinck of Rinck Advertising, and Stuart Lyons of Baker Newman Noyes to its board of directors. The Maine Cancer Foundation board of directors also elected Gene Libby as president, Cheryl Greaney as vice president and Stuart Lyons as treasurer.

Bangor Savings Bank recently appointed Jim Goff as board chair and Charles Hewett as vice chair for its board of directors.

The Forest Society of Maine, a statewide land trust, recently elected Alix Hopkins, George Jacobson, Michael Kelley and John McNulty to its board of directors.

St. André Health Care in Biddeford recently elected Kim Dennis and John Elmen to its board of directors.

Integrated Service Solutions of Maine, a nonprofit organization in South Portland that works with Maine behavioral health agencies, recently elected the following officers: Lynn Duby, CEO at Crisis and Counseling, as president; David Faulkner, executive director at Day One, as vice president; Greg Disy, CEO at AMHC, as treasurer; and Lora Wilford-McManus, clinical director at Youth and Family Services, as secretary.

A.J. Curran, an employee at L.L.Bean in Freeport, was recently elected to the board of directors of Friends of Casco Bay/Casco Baykeeper.

The Maine Academy of Modern Music in Portland recently elected Bernstein Shur attorney Arnold Macdonald as president of its board of directors.

Jeffrey Monroe, a transportation and maritime professional with HDR Engineering of Cape Elizabeth, was elected as the new chairman of the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee, which provides advice to the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on matters such as national security strategy and policy, actions required to meet current and future security threats, international cooperation on security issues and security concerns of the maritime transportation industry.

Mary House, an energy-efficiency and sustainability service line leader at Woodard & Curran in Portland, was recently appointed as a technical advisor for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System, an association of colleges and universities in North America. House will also serve as a member of the Climate Technical Advisor Work Group.

The Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, a nonprofit organization based in Portland, recently appointed Joshua Bodwell as its new executive director. Previously, Bodwell was the associate editor of Maine Home + Design magazine.

Company News

The Davis Family Foundation recently awarded $25,000 to The Maine Institute for Human Genetics and Health in Bangor for a research program within the communities surrounding Cobscook Bay. The pilot program, “What’s Cooking in Cobscook Bay?” will offer instruction in healthy cooking and nutrition.

Great Falls Construction in Gorham has been selected as the general contractor for a 34-unit affordable housing community for senior citizens in Westbrook.

PowerPay, a provider of electronic and point-of-sale payment processing services in Portland, recently announced a partnership with the Association of Vermont Credit Unions, a cooperative financial services organization located in South Burlington, Vt.

Saint Joseph’s College in Standish recently partnered with the Avila Institute of Gerontology in Germantown, N.Y., to create an online leadership program. Avila employees who complete the program may transfer into the Saint Joseph’s master in health administration program or get a bachelor’s degree in the long-term care administration program.

Randall Smith, senior partner at Smith, Elliott, Smith & Garmey in Saco, recently spoke at the Maine Trial Lawyers Association’s Continuing Legal Education conference, held on July 16 in Presque Isle.

The Maine Cancer Foundation recently awarded $649,140 to the following organizations to help support cancer research projects: The Jackson Laboratory, $247,500; Maine Medical Center Research Institute, $243,640; the University of Maine, $80,000; and the Maine Center for Cancer Medicine, $78,000.

Kennebunk Savings recently announced a donation of $80,000 to various York County nonprofits as part of its annual Customer Ballot, which provides customers with the opportunity to direct a percentage of the bank’s annual charitable giving.

The University of New England recently announced a gift of $2.3 million from Northeast Delta Dental in support of the College of Dental Medicine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that the Aroostook County Empowerment Zone will receive a grant for $499,000, which will be used to assist the Northern Maine Development Commission.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that the Living Word Food Cupboard in Dover-Foxcroft will receive a $53,000 loan and $35,000 grant to support the construction of a permanent building for the organization.

Ray Emery, a financial consultant at Norton Financial Services in Cumberland Foreside, has been awarded the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist designation from the College for Financial Planning. Kerri Willette and Nick Lelansky of Norton Financial Services have recently passed the life and health insurance exam offered through the state of Maine.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service has recently approved a shipment of 500 cattle from the port of Eastport to Turkey.

The Federal Aviation Administration recently awarded the following airports grant funding to help upgrade and expand infrastructure: The Central Maine Airport in Norridgewock, $105,450; and the Northern Aroostook Regional Airport in Frenchville, $181,983.

Northeast Charter & Tour Co. in Lewiston recently announced an investment of over $1 million to purchase environmentally friendly vehicles. The company also announced a new five-year partnership to provide transportation services for the Auburn/Lewiston YMCA.

The Maine Technology Institute recently approved nine seed grants to the following companies: Swan’s Way in Camden, $7,875; Grow-Tech in Lisbon Falls, $12,500; Mitokine Bioscience in Hancock, $12,414; University of Maine in Orono, $12,500; Callinectes Boatworks in Kennebunkport, $8,800; Falcon Performance Footwear in Lewiston, $10,010; Organic Alchemy Composting in Portland, $12,500; Chimani in Yarmouth, $12,500; and The Montalvo Corp. in Gorham, $12,500.

Good Shepherd Food-Bank recently opened a warehouse and distribution center in Portland to help supply food items to more than 140 food pantries, soup kitchens, after-school programs, shelters and other nonprofits in Cumberland and York counties. Funding for this facility was provided by the JTG Foundation, Libra Foundation, Virginia Hodgkins Somers Foundation and Feeding America.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution recently announced that 16 employees have received certifications and awards from the Northern New England School of Banking. Certified teller awards were awarded to Sarah Antonis, Patrick Beggs, Caitlin Binette, Elizabeth Doyle, Mathew Grenier, Alice Kaloyares and Michelle Letellier. Other certificates were awarded to Michelle Prejean, Stacey Skinsacos, Rebecca Whatley, Alie DiCarlo and Tim Grant.

S.W. Collins Co., a hardware, lumber and building materials company with stores in Houlton, Presque Isle and Caribou, recently donated 2,524 square feet of property in Houlton to the Katahdin Valley Health Center for a planned facility expansion and to expand patient parking.

Northeast Bank in Lewiston recently announced that it has maintained its position as fourth in the nation for producing revenue through income from insurance brokerage services among banks with assets of $500 million to $1 billion.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program recently awarded $1,116,000 in funding to Community Concept, an organization that assists low-income families in achieving homeownership in Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec and Oxford counties.

Nancy Marshall Communications, a public relations firm in Augusta, was recently awarded the public and media relations services contract for the Maine Office of Tourism.

Pat’s Pizza recently announced that it is open for business in Portland’s Old Port at 30 Market St.

Echelon Circles, an organization of women business leaders in Portland, recently announced the following new members: Kelly Flagg of Flaggship Landscaping; Sue Ellen McClain of McClain Marketing; Betsy Peters of Cambium Enterprises; Sandra Stone of Sea Cove Solutions; and Ann Weigel of Coldwell Banker.

The Maine Development Foundation recently released two reports from their “Maine’s Investment Imperative II” work. The two reports detail results from a survey of over 1,000 Maine business leaders on factors that affect their investment decisions and provides a comprehensive research paper that reports on the Maine economy, complete with data and recommendations to drive private-sector investment.

Landry Construction in Lewiston and Riverside Builders in Carrabassett Valley recently announced their merger into Landry/French Construction, which will be based in Scarborough and focus on large-scale commercial construction.

The town of Brunswick recently approved plans for exterior alterations to the former Grand City building, which include a new sidewalk, additional windows and exterior façade improvements.

Franklin Community Health Network recently announced that more than $21,000 was raised at the annual Healthcare Golf Classic at the Sugarloaf Golf Club to benefit the Healthy Community Coalition and the Martha B. Webber Breast Care Center.

U.S. Sen. Susan Collins recently announced that the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved $10 million to support the Maine Deepwater Offshore Wind Initiative at the University of Maine.

Employee Benefit Management, an enrollment firm of traditional and voluntary employee benefits in Freeport, and the National Worksite Benefit Group, an employee benefits insurance agency specializing in patient-centered health plan strategies in Hallowell, recently announced that the two organizations will combine services.

The College of the Atlantic’s marine mammal research arm, Allied Whale in Bar Harbor, recently received nearly $100,000 to continue its marine mammal stranding response program. Funding comes from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries program through the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program.

The Maine Health Access Foundation recently awarded $344,492 in grants to the following nonprofits to support outreach on how federal health care reform will impact uninsured and underserved people: Consumers for Affordable Health Care Foundation, Augusta; Legal Services for the Elderly, Augusta; Maine Equal Justice Partners, Augusta; Maine Medical Education Trust, Manchester; Maine Primary Care Association, Augusta; Maine People’s Resource Center, Portland; Eastern Agency on Aging, Bangor; Western Maine Community Action, East Wilton; and Healthy Community Coalition, Farmington.

William Faucher, an engineer at Allied Engineering Inc. in Portland, recently earned the title of registered roof consultant from RCI Inc., an international association of professional consultants, architects and engineers.

Norway Savings Bank in Norway recently announced that Dan Walsh, regional vice president and commercial lender, has graduated from the National School of Banking.

The Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration recently announced that the Northern Maine Development Commission is receiving a $50,000 investment for the second phase of its Wood Products Initiative Feasibility Study.

The Corner Room restaurant in Portland recently announced it has added sidewalk tables on Federal Street.

Holbrook Health Center in Scarborough, the skilled nursing care component of Piper Shores’ lifecare retirement community, received a report of zero deficiencies for the second year in a row from the Maine Department of Health and Human Services Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services as part of its annual inspection in May.

Putney Inc., a pet pharmaceutical company in Portland, recently announced it now supplies its FDA-approved Carprofen Caplets to VetCentric, a national pharmacy that partners with veterinary practices to provide pet owners with home delivery of FDA- and EPA-approved pharmaceuticals.

Nancy Marshall Communications in Augusta recently launched a new website for Saddleback Maine, www.saddlebackmaine.com. Nancy Marshall Communications managed the web project, designed the site and assisted in copywriting as part of its contract with Saddleback, which also includes public relations and marketing services.

Camden National Corp. recently reported net income for the second quarter of 2010 of $5.6 million, or $0.73 per diluted share, compared to $5.0 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2009 and $5.3 million, or $0.69 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2010. For the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, return on assets was 0.98% for each period, and return on equity was 11.36% and 11.25%, respectively.

Headspace Design, a website development and design company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with a branch in Kennebunkport, recently announced it is developing an iPhone application in conjunction with perfusion.com which enables perfusionists to calculate and monitor blood flow and other vital signs during open heart surgery.

Katahdin Trust Co. recently celebrated the grand opening of its new office in Bangor at the Broadway Shopping Center on Aug. 2.

Accolades

The Maine Center for Creativity recently announced that Jon Cavallo, a paint engineer, received an award of merit and title of fellow from the ASTM International Committee D33 on Protective Coating and Lining Work for Power Generation Facilities, the highest organizational recognition for contributions to ASTM activities.

Pierce Atwood in Portland was recently named one of the most innovative midsize law firms in the United States with inclusion on this year’s Midsize Hot List in the National Law Journal.

Kennebec Savings Bank recently received a five-star rating from Bauerfinancial, an independent bank rating firm, for 82 consecutive quarters. According to Bauerfinancial, only 4.6% of the nation’s banks have achieved this distinction.

Gifford’s Ice Cream, a Skowhegan-based ice cream company, recently was awarded top honors at the New Jersey Ice Cream Festival, a competition that allows ice cream fans to sample and vote on offerings from local shops and national brands. For the third year in a row, its Old Fashioned Vanilla won the best vanilla brand competition and Chocolate Lovers Chocolate won the people’s choice brand competition.

Spotlight

The Saint Joseph’s College online division recently signed new articulation agreements with Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor and Central Maine Community College in Auburn to allow the seamless transfer of course credits for students who want to complete their bachelor’s degree online, according to a press release from the college.

The formal agreement among the two- and four-year accredited institutions allows students to take up to three years’ worth of credits at the initial institution, followed by fulfilling the requirements for the major through online courses at Saint Joseph’s College.