Newsworthy people and performances

New hires

Tidestone Solutions, an accounting software company in Portland, recently hired Jake Moore as a member of its business development team. Moore has previous experience in event and sports marketing.

Burgess Advertising and Marketing in Portland recently hired Seth Storey and Caitlin Conroy. Storey was hired as senior digital strategist while Conroy was hired in client relations.

Bangor Savings Bank recently hired Mike Del Tergo as vice president and senior portfolio manager in its wealth management group.

Yarmouth Boat Yard recently hired Ross Taliaferro as a sales representative. Most recently, Taliaferro served in sales and marketing roles for several software startups in Boston.

Skelton, Taintor & Abbott, a law firm in Auburn, recently hired business attorney Robert Waeldner. Previously, Waeldner ran his own law practice.

Drummond Woodsum, a law firm in Portland, recently hired Christopher Dana and Jeana Petillo. Dana, who joined the firm's business and corporate services group, is a former attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. Petillo is a recent graduate of Connecticut School of Law.

KPI Direct, a direct marketing and brand management agency in Portland, recently hired Bara Goldberg as media manager, Elizabeth Violette as customer experience analyst and May Advincula as project manager. Goldberg was previously an advertising account manager at Turner Broadcasting and at Peachtree Financial Solutions; Violette previously served as an account executive at Diversified Business Communications; and Advincula was formerly an assistant account executive at BKV, a direct and digital marketing firm.

CBRE|The Boulos Co., a real estate firm in Portland, recently hired Brian Berube and Vince Ciampi as associates. Berube was previously a professional land surveyor with Nadeau Land Surveys and CES Engineering while Ciampi was most recently with Tidesmart Global.

Hebron Academy recently hired Geoff Campbell as the digital communications coordinator in the Marketing Communications Department. Previously, Campbell worked at Mount Allison University.

Norton Financial Services in Cumberland Foreside recently hired Brenda Neuts as group insurance service assistant. Neuts was previously the group benefits administrator and COBRA administrator at Kilbride & Harris Insurance Services.

Holden Agency, an insurance agency in Portland, recently hired Laura Peterson as project/productions manager of Employee Benefits Solutions, a division of the agency. Peterson was previously benefits administration manager for Barber Foods/Advancepierre.

The city of Bangor recently hired Tanya Emery as director of community and economic development. Emery was previously a business development specialist for the city.

Northeast Security Systems in Wiscasset recently hired Jeniffer Cooley as inside sales and marketing manager. Cooley was previously a graphic designer with Carrabassett Marketing and Printing and its sister company, Nancy Marshall Communications.

The directors of Macpage LLC, a CPA firm in South Portland, recently hired Cameron Hart as an audit staff accountant.

Promotions

Trademark Federal Credit Union in Augusta recently announced several promotions. Joann Bisson was promoted to president and CEO; Scott Seguin to executive vice president/CFO and liaison for senior management to the institution's IT department; Candace Baker to member services manager; Cynthia Grasse to lending manager; and Earl Clary Jr., to IT manager.

People's United Bank in Portland recently promoted Melinda Higgins to customer service manager at the bank's Yarmouth office.

Bangor Savings Bank recently promoted Amelia Kurtz to senior fiduciary officer for the wealth management group of the bank. Kurtz was previously a vice president.

TD Bank recently promoted Ward Graffam Jr., to senior vice president, market commercial credit manager in Portland. Graffam most recently served as a vice president in commercial credit management.

Appointments

Bryan Dench, chairman of the board of directors of the law firm of Skelton, Taintor & Abbott in Portland, was recently elected to the board of directors of the Labor and Employment Relations Association of Maine. Dench has been a management labor attorney for more than 38 years.

Kennebec Valley YMCA recently announced that Bob Oickle will serve as interim CEO while the board selects a permanent replacement for former CEO Mark Yerrick. Oickle previously was CEO for the Cumberland County YMCA and has served as an interim CEO for three different YMCA organizations in New England.

Gov. Paul LePage recently appointed Jim Rier as acting commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. Rier was most recently the department's deputy commissioner.

Brian Hodges, Camden development director, was recently elected vice president for the Mid Coast Economic Development District. Other officers that were re-elected to continue in their roles were Roger Moody, Knox County commissioner, president; Betty Johnson, Waldo County commissioner, secretary; and Bill Post, Bowdoinham town manager, treasurer.

Achievements

Kris Doody, CEO of Cary Medical Center in Caribou, was recently named among the top-20 health leaders in Maine by the Maine Health Management Coalition. The list was assembled in celebration of the coalition's 20-year anniversary.

Debbie Lancaster, director of Engel Place, a division of Ross Manor in Bangor, recently was named the recipient of the Excellence in Gerontological Nursing Award from the National Gerontological Nursing Association. The award was established to recognize individuals who have provided outstanding care to older adults.

Funtown Splashtown USA, a water and amusement park in Saco, was recently rated the 20th-best theme park in the United States by ThemeParkCritic.com, an online theme parks guide.

Planet Dog, a pet supply company in Portland, captured a gold award for Best New Product Innovation for its Orbee-Tuff Snoop toy at the Total Pet Expo held recently in Chicago.

Maine Venture Fund, Maine's venture capital fund formerly known as Small Enterprise Growth Fund, recently presented awards to three of its portfolio companies at its annual CEO recognition dinner. Coast of Maine Organic Products Inc. in Portland was named Leadership Team of the Year; Harbor Technologies LLC in Brunswick captured the Achievement Award; and Cerahelix Inc. in Orono was the Public Benefit Award winner.

The Portland Chamber of Commerce recently recognized WEX Inc., the Portland Press Herald, Quirk Chevrolet and the Maine Red Claws as the 2013 Henri A. Benoit Award for Leadership in the Private Sector winners at the chamber's 159th annual Community Leadership Awards event.

Marc Pitman, a fundraising coach in Waterville, was recently featured in the October edition of SUCCESS magazine.

The board of directors of the Retail Association of Maine recently chose Mexicali Blues of Newcastle as its 2013 Retailer of the Year. The store has locations in Newcastle, Portland, Raymond, Freeport and Bangor.

Franklin County was recently chosen as one of 12 finalists for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Roadmaps to Health Prize. The prize honors the efforts of communities committed to creating a culture of health for all residents.

Keeping Maine's Forests was recently presented with a plaque honoring the group for its recognition by the America's Great Outdoor Program. The program selected the organization for its approach to conservation and stewardship of natural resources, particularly its work in brook trout habitat restoration.

Bernstein Shur, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that shareholders Daniel Murphy, Emily Gray Rice, Peter Rubin and Andru Volinsky were ranked as Local Litigation Stars by Benchmark Litigation 2014. The ranking recognizes individuals recommended by clients and peers as being consistently reputable and effective.

CD&M Communications, a marketing firm in Portland, recently won the 2013 Best of Show Award at the New England Financial Marketing Awards. The award in the brand marketing category recognized the firm's “Ask Us” series of spots that aired for Kennebunk Savings.

Systems Engineering, an IT strategy and managed services provider in Portland, recently celebrated 25 years in business with an open house and networking event. The event featured technology exhibits sponsored by Microsoft, Cisco, HP and NetApp.

Strategic Maintenance Solutions in Gorham recently added certification to offer IBM TRIRIGA, an integrated workplace management system, to its customers.

The October 2013 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, included the Lobster White Truffle Pizza created by Chefs Brian and Shanna O'Hea of Academe at The Kennebunk Inn.

The University of New England was recently listed as the ninth fastest-growing private nonprofit university offering master's programs in the country, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, a publication reporting on U.S. colleges and universities. The listing ranks private nonprofit master's institutions based on 10-year U.S. Department of Education data from 2001-2011. The university also recently received a $620,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to support education and careers in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.

The Boys & Girls Clubs and YMCA of Greater Waterville were recently awarded a three-year, 1:2 matching fund of $120,000 from the Unity Foundation.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife recently announced that it has been selected to receive nearly $540,000 of federal funding as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's annual Competitive State Wildlife Grant program.

Tidestone Solutions, an accounting software company in Portland, recently developed a set of data import tools to import data from a spreadsheet into GP using macros to streamline processes, reduce keystrokes and increase back-office efficiency.

The Law Offices of Doyle & Nelson in Augusta recently announced that attorney Dennis Carrillo received a Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Rating. Carrillo received the highest “AV” rating. The rating is an indicator of a lawyer's ethical standards and professional ability.

Gov. Paul R. LePage recently presented the Maine Tree Farm Committee with the 2013 Austin H. Wilkins Forest Stewardship Award. The award recognizes people or organizations that stand above their peers to further forestry, forests or forestland conservation in Maine.

Bar Harbor Bankshares, the parent company of Bar Harbor Bank & Trust in Bar Harbor, recently was named one of the top performing small-capitalization banks in the nation by investment banking firm Sandler O'Neill & Partners.

The Town & Country Federal Credit Union's 2012 Better Neighbor Fund charitable giving campaign was recently awarded a bronze award in the Overall Philanthropy Category at the New England Financial Marketing Awards. The awards are designed to recognize the best in bank and credit union marketing initiatives.

The American Bus Association recently named the Maine Lobster Festival in Rockland as one of its Top-100 Events in North America in 2014.

Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, recently announced that Attorney Karen Frink Wolf was recognized in Benchmark Litigation's 2013 edition as one of the Top-250 Women in Litigation, an honor bestowed upon only four attorneys in Maine.

The ACLU of Maine recently presented the Roger Baldwin Award to Ann Luther at its annual meeting. Luther has long been dedicated to expanding and protecting voting rights in Maine, serving in a leadership capacity at the League of Women Voters of Maine for more than 12 years.

Holbrook Health Center at Piper Shores in Scarborough recently announced that it received an Innovative Programming Award from the Maine Health Care Association for Memory Care Planning and Development. The association annually honors nursing care providers who have designed and implemented a program that has improved resident quality of life and elderly care.

Kate Davis McKelvy, an instructor and equine specialist in mental health learning at Riding To The Top Therapeutic Riding Center in Windham, was recently named a Region 1 Instructor of the Year from the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International.

Firestone Building Products Co. LLC recently presented G&E Roofing Co. Inc. in Augusta with the 2013 Partner in Quality award for roofing excellence. The company is one of only 207 Firestone Red Shield licensed contractors throughout North America honored with this industry distinction.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution recently announced that William Hoyle, John Mondor, Tammy Perkins, Michelle Prejean, Tim Villemaire, Jo-Anna Laverriere, Kathleen Williamson and Stephanie Bailey received bank operation diplomas from the Center for Financial Training Education Alliance.

The Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership recently announced that Kennebec Technologies in Augusta was selected as the 2013 Manufacturer of the Year. The firm has grown from a small shop equipped with manual machines to a world-class manufacturing operation specializing in complex high-precision components for aerospace, defense, alternative energy, medical, semi-conductor and telecom applications.

The Maine Town and City Clerks' Association recently awarded Auburn's City Clerk, Sue Clements-Dallaire, the 2013 Rookie of the Year award at the Maine Municipal Association annual convention.

Matt Rideout, interactive marketing manager at Nancy Marshall Communications in Augusta, was a featured speaker at the recent New England Summit Tradeshow & Educational Conference at the Grand Summit Hotel in Attitash, N.H.

Immigrant Legal Advocacy Project Board President Jennifer Archer was recently named the American Immigration Lawyers Association's Pro Bono Attorney Hero for Summer 2013. Archer is a shareholder at Kelly, Remmel & Zimmerman, a law firm in Portland.

Gray Cat Marketing and Design in Portland recently won an American Graphic Design Award in the Brand Identity category for its work developing the logo, business cards and brochure for startup Liz's Personal Chef Service in Portland.

Jeff Beaule, the city of Lewiston's combined sewer overflow project engineer, recently won the 2013 Charles Perry Award from the Maine Wastewater Control Association. The award recognizes excellence in collection system management, operations and maintenance.

Scott Simons Architects in Portland recently received an American Institute of Architects New England Citation Award for Design Excellence for the renovation of the Portland Public Library. Scott Simons, principal, and Austin Smith, principal and project manager, received the award for the project that was completed in April 2010.

The National Association of Social Workers Maine Chapter recently honored Gregg Frame and Adam Taylor of the Portland law firm of Taylor, McCormack & Frame LLC as its citizens of the year. Frame and Taylor were honored for their work in representing over 550 social workers and clinicians in a class action litigation on their behalf.

Dan Haskell, a safety engineer with PC Construction in Portland, recently received a national Construction Health and Safety Technician certification. Haskell is one of 24 Maine construction professionals to hold this title.

The New England Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Chapter recently announced that Joseph Porta, partner at CBRE|The Boulos Co., a real estate firm in Portland, was named the 2013 Robert W. Holmes Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Scholarship Recipient.