In short from April 4, 2009 | A roundup of new hires, promotions, accolades and appointments from Maine's business community

New Hires

The University of Southern Maine in Portland recently hired Margaret Weston as the new vice president for advancement. Weston will also serve as president and CEO of the University of Southern Maine Foundation. Previously, Weston was operator of Weston Imaging LLC, a consulting firm in Yarmouth specializing in providing strategy and marketing.

Sun Life Financial Employee Benefits Group, a financial services company, recently hired Paul Severino as senior sales representative in its Portland sales office. Previously, Severino served as senior sales representative at Reliance Standard in Nashville, Tenn.

Mid-Coast Mental Health Center, a division of Pen Bay Healthcare in Rockland, recently hired the following two psychiatrists: Harold Amsel to the Mid-Coast Mental Health Center office in Belfast and David Schmidt to the Mid-Coast Mental Health Center office in Rockland. Previously, Amsel was in private practice in New York City and Schmidt was in practice with Allegiant Health Psychiatric Associates in Omaha, Neb.

Portland-based Regional Transportation Program Inc., a private nonprofit United Way agency, recently hired Sara Trafton as executive director. Previously, Trafton was assistant director for resource development of the York County Community Action Corp.’s transportation program.

TD Banknorth in Portland recently hired Brian O’Coin as a commercial loan portfolio officer in the commercial workout department. Previously, O’Coin was a commercial lender at Bank of New England in Massachusetts.

Tilson Technology Management, an IT consulting firm based in Portland, recently hired Doreen Bell as a senior consultant specializing in accounting systems and construction business software. Previously, Bell served as a certified Timberline consultant.

KG Partners, an advertising and public relations agency in Portland, recently hired Brian Feeney as art director, Evan Parker as interactive designer and developer and Mario Proia as production manager. Previously, Feeney was an art director at McKee Wallwork Cleveland in Albuquerque, N.M., Parker was lead graphic and Web designer for Sparky’s distribution in Longwood, Fla., and Proia was studio manager at Modernista in Boston, Mass.

Charter Oak Capital Management, an independent investment advisory and management firm in Portland, recently hired Cindy O’Rourke as a senior vice president and senior financial advisor. Previously, O’Rourke served as vice president and senior account executive for Fidelity Investments’ Private Client Group in Portland.

Wright-Ryan Construction Inc. in Portland recently hired Cordelia Pitman as director of pre-construction services. Previously, Cordelia served as a project architect at Winton Scott Architects in Portland.

KeyBank in Portland recently hired Brian LaFrance as vice president and relationship manager in commercial banking for KeyBank’s Maine district. Previously, LaFrance was vice president and senior commercial credit underwriter for Bank of America’s middle market department.

Gardiner Main Street, a downtown economic and cultural vitality organization, recently hired Sarah Fraser as executive director. Previously, Fraser was the program coordinator of Main Street Bath Inc. in Bath.

Allen Financial Group in Camden recently hired Christopher Guptill as a financial advisor. Previously, Guptill worked at Camden National Corp. in Rockport.

The Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice in Fairfield recently hired pediatrician Anne Beressi. Beressi is also a member of MaineGeneral Medical Center’s active medical staff. Previously, Beressi practiced with the Bowdoin Medical Group in Portland.

Christine Germano of North Yarmouth has become a regional independent consultant with Tastefully Simple Inc., a national direct-sales company featuring gourmet foods located in Alexandria, Minn.

Auburn-based law firm Skelton Taintor and Abbott recently hired Kelly Turner as an associate attorney. Previously, Turner was an assistant attorney general representing the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Support Enforcement and Recovery, the Maine Department of Labor and Maine Revenue Services.

The Nature Conservancy in Brunswick recently hired Martin Hayden as donor relations manager. Previously, Hayden worked for Maine Public Broadcasting Network as a major gifts and planned-giving officer.

Franklin Community Health Network in Farmington recently hired Michelle Dunlap as director of patient financial services. Previously, Dunlap was director of health information management, patient financial services and patient registration at Inland Hospital in Waterville.

Vreeland Marketing and Design in Yarmouth recently hired Kris Allen as an accounting and human resources manager. Allen received a B.S. in business administration from St. Joseph’s College in Windham.

Portland-based Living Wealth Partners LLC, a general agency of The Guardian Life Insurance Co. of America in New York City, recently hired Gene Waters as a financial professional and Rob Schreiber as a field representative. Previously, Waters was an insurance sales representative with Baystate Financial Services in Boston, Mass., and Schreiber received his B.A. from Norwich University in Northfield, Vt.

Promotions

Disability RMS, a provider of turnkey disability risk management products and services in Westbrook, recently promoted Matt Gilligan to president. Previously, Gilligan served as interim president.

Sebago Technics Inc., a land development engineering firm headquartered in Westbrook, recently promoted the following: Owens McCullough to vice president of engineering and project development; Patrick Somma to vice president of technology; Troy McDonald to vice president of land surveying; Daniel Riley to site civil team leader; and Jan Wiegman to site civil team leader. Previously, McCullough was a team leader and senior project manager, Somma was a network administrator, McDonald was a director of marketing and business development, and Riley and Wiegman were senior project managers.

U.S. Cellular recently promoted Nathan Davis to sales manager at the company’s South Portland location and Sean Griffith to area sales manager for central and northern Maine. Previously, Davis was a service technician for its Topsham and Westbrook retail locations and Griffith was store manager for the company’s Bangor and Ellsworth retail stores.

Portland-based fundraising consulting firm Demont and Associates recently promoted Kate White Lewis to vice president. Lewis will also continue to provide client service and direct the firm’s marketing efforts.

Jøtul North America, a manufacturer of gas hearth products in Gorham, promoted Paul Haroldsen to vice president of finance. Previously, Haroldsen was controller.

Main-Land Development Consultants, a land-use planning company in Livermore Falls, recently promoted Charles Buker to chief of surveying. Previously, Buker was a surveyor.

Tilson Technology Management, an IT consulting firm in Portland, recently promoted Michael Swartz to general manager and Joshua Broder to president. Previously, Swartz was IT security director and Broder was general manager.

Camden National Corp., a federally chartered, non-depository trust company in Camden, recently promoted K. Barbara Brown to vice president and trust tax officer for Acadia Trust, Camden National Corp.’s wealth management subsidiary in Portland. Previously, Brown was responsible for individual and fiduciary tax administration for Acadia Trust clients.

Ocean Bank in Kennebunk, a division of People’s United Bank, recently promoted Doug Jones to vice president and commercial loan officer. Previously, Jones served as vice president and marketing manager.

KeyBank in Portland recently promoted Anthony DiSotto to vice president and area leader for KeyBank’s Maine district and Paul Collins to vice president and relationship manager for KeyBank’s Maine district. Previously, DiSotto was manager of KeyBank’s Falmouth branch and Collins was a senior underwriter with KeyBank’s Northeast Business Service Center.

Spotlight

Manchester, Maine-based Quality Counts, an organization working to improve access to healthcare, recently said Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Redington-Fairview General Hospital in Skowhegan, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Lewiston and Southern Maine Medical Center in Biddeford were selected by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to participate in a new effort to improve the quality of care in hospitals.

Quality Counts will receive more than $1 million to hire national experts to train nurses and other frontline staff on indentifying, testing and implementing improvements to the quality and safety of patient care. The program is part of the foundation’s $300 million national effort.

Appointments

Gardiner Main Street, a downtown economic and cultural vitality organization, recently appointed Josh Whalen to board president.

The Environmental and Energy Technology Council of Maine, a statewide organization of businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals working on growing Maine’s green economy based in Portland, recently appointed Phil Coupe, managing partner and co-founder of ReVision Energy in Liberty and Portland, and Tim Vrabel, deputy director of the energy programs division in Maine’s Public Utilities Commission in Augusta, to its board of directors.

True North, a nonprofit integrative care, education and research organization in Falmouth, recently appointed Elisa Boxer-Cook, an adjunct faculty member in the University of Southern Maine’s English department in Portland, and Peter Knight, a naturopathic doctor at True North, to its board of directors.

Brenda Kielty, a teacher of early childhood through middle school in Freeport, was recently admitted to the Maine State Bar Association. Kielty will focus her practice on child protection and school law.

Company News

Portland-based consulting firm Atlantica Group LLC, with the support of the Consulate General of Israel to New England and the Consulate General of Israel at Montreal, recently announced a business mission to Israel. The mission will be geared to the needs and interests of regional firms and investors from the northeast region of North America.

Kepware Technologies, a manufacturer of communication software for automation in Portland, was recently selected as the primary supplier of communications between Operon Systems Red Hawk data collection and manufacturing productivity monitoring solutions and devices.

Soyatech LLC, a global media, marketing and event company in Southwest Harbor, recently announced a $50,000 donation to the World Soy Foundation at a nutrition conference in Washington, D.C.

Stephen Wade, an attorney and shareholder at the Auburn-based law firm Skelton Taintor and Abbott, was recently chosen to be featured as a leader in his field in medical malpractice and insurance litigation in the 2009 edition of Chambers and Partners, a London-based guide to the legal profession.

Portland-based Kaplan Thompson Architects, a residential green architecture firm, recently received the LEED Gold designation for a new residence in Falmouth. The residence is only the third LEED Gold-certified home in the state of Maine.

Peter Palermo of Elm Street Printing and Graphics in Camden recently took part in a residential course at CPrint in Charleston, W.Va. The course is only available to companies who meet and maintain certain standards in operations, training, equipment and software.

Peaked Mountain Farm, an eco-friendly Wild Blueberry farm in Dedham, has expanded its Bite O’ Blue Wild Blueberry Dog Treat product line with a new grain-free Bite O’ Blue Wild Blueberry Dog Treat.

Quantrix, a software manufacturer in Portland, recently announced an online, interactive mortgage modification model. Using techniques from the “Mod in a Box” loan modification model created by the FDIC in conjunction with user-provided and current market data, lenders can model the impact of adjusting housing-to-income ratios as well as rapidly fluctuating house values.

The University of Maine Business School in Orono and the University of Maine School of Law in Portland recently announced a new joint degree option in the fall, allowing students to concurrently get an MBA and law degree sooner and at a lower cost than pursuing each degree separately.

Gifford’s Ice Cream in Skowhegan recently announced the debut of its new mascot “Tubby,” a life-sized Gifford’s Ice Cream container, to celebrate the return of its half-gallon container.

Absolute Marketing and Design in Lewiston recently announced its affiliation as a division of PROforma Albrecht, a promotional products distributor in Milford, Ohio. Absolute will be its Northeast representative and will provide the promotional product and logo merchandise needs for companies throughout the Northeast.

Marble Geographics, a developer and provider of geographic software products in Gardiner, recently announced it will exhibit at the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Conference in Baltimore.

Saco and Biddeford Savings Institution announced that the following employees recently graduated from the 2008 session of the Northern New England School of Banking: Betty McGovern, assistant manager of the South Portland branch; Tim Grant, teller supervisor at the Old Orchard branch; Tony LeBlanc, vice president and bank secrecy act officer in Saco; and Claire Tillyer, assistant vice president and benefits manager in Saco.

Bar Harbor-based RainWise Inc., a manufacturer of weather stations in the U.S. and abroad, recently supplied Los Angeles-based Northrup Grumman Corp., principal engineering contractor for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with three of its HM-1 Hazmat Weather Systems for use during rocket and satellite launches.

York-based DennyMike’s ’Cue Stuff, a line of barbecue sauces and rubs, was recently recommended in the March 10 edition of The Houston Chronicle and the March 11 edition of The San Antonio Express-News.

Keiser Homes of Oxford and CTA Construction of Boston recently signed a contract to build a 95-unit senior living center in Somerville, Mass.

Waltham, Mass.-based Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England recently acquired the assets of Home Sellers Inc. in South Portland. Home Sellers’ operations in South Portland and Boothbay Harbor will be combined with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s existing Portland office and will operate under the banner of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England.

The Penobscot Bay Medical Center Creative Learning and Childcare Center in Rockport recently announced that the following teachers have earned a Child Development Associate credential from the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C.: Jo-Anne Ames, Pat Porter and Gail Widdecombe.

Bethel ski resort Sunday River recently opened the Sunday River Sugaring House to guests. The Sunday River Sugaring House offers tours, demonstrations and free candy and syrup samples. Sunday River syrup will be for sale in the near future and sold from Sunday River Sports. 

Putney Inc., a Portland-based pet pharmaceutical company, recently partnered with the Babson Consulting Alliance Program, in Babson Park, Mass., to provide Babson College students with an opportunity to address real-world business challenges. Six students will spend a year learning about the veterinary pharmaceutical industry and developing an implementation strategy for a portion of Putney’s business plan.

Better Bread Co. in Windham recently reached an agreement with Stone Hearth Pizza, headquartered in Belmont, Mass., to supply the chain with gluten-free pizza crusts.

Auburn-based KICTeam, a developer and manufacturer of cleaning cards, recently released its adhesive remover swab. The swab was designed especially for use on thermal printers that incur adhesive build-up from regular use during label printing.

Cathy Rowe, owner of Well Dressed Interiors in Kennebunk, was recently selected as one of 58 national interior designers and decorators to test a new version of Minutes Matter Studio, a computer software program that allows designers to digitally create custom designs that can be individualized by importing actual fabrics, wallpapers, paint colors and pictures of furniture into the program.

Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor recently announced the opening of a new six-bed unit, Westside Court. The new unit is designed to accommodate the special needs of patients who have conditions like Alzheimer’s or dementia.

The South Portland Carrier Annex, a United States Postal Service worksite, recently achieved star status in the voluntary protection program of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The program recognizes worksites that are committed to effective employee protection beyond the requirements of OSHA standards, and encourages cooperative relationships among labor, management, unions and government.

Wayne Sherman, president of Biddeford Saving Bank, recently reported at the company’s 142nd annual meeting that the bank ended 2008 with positive earnings. The market value of its investment portfolio was greater than its book value and its capital remained at just over 9%.

The RAM Cos., a retail, residential, industrial and office developer in based in Scarborough, recently announced the completed acquisition of a four-building industrial park in Leominster, Mass. The fully leased industrial property is occupied by several tenants and will be renamed The Leominster Commerce Center.

Berlin City Auto Group in Portland recently acquired five properties totaling more than two acres adjacent to its dealership on Riverside Street in Portland. The property will allow the Berlin City Auto Group to immediately expand its new and pre-owned inventory and eventually its service center.

Accolades

Scott Simons Architects of Portland recently received an Excellence in Architecture Honor award at the New Hampshire Chapter of the American Institute of Architects’ 25th annual awards banquet in Manchester, N.H.

The Summer Camp in Washington, a nonprofit residential summer camp for low-income and foster girls from New York and New England, was recently selected by The American Camp Association as a recipient of this year’s Eleanor P. Eells Award.

Scott Rousseau, owner of used sports equipment retailer Play It Again Sports in Portland, recently received the Sales Excellence Award at the company’s winter conference and trade show in New Orleans.

Applied Thermal Sciences, an engineering research and development company in Sanford, recently received the 2008 Defense Manufacturing Technology Achievement Award from the Department of Defense joint defense manufacturing technology panel for developing a way to manufacture large-scale laser-welded corrugated-metallic sandwich panels.

Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth was recently awarded the Automobile of America 2009 Four Diamond Rating.

Kennebunk-based marketing agency IMS-21 recently received a 2008 All Star Award from Constant Contact, a permission-based email marketing company headquartered in Waltham, Mass.

The Maine Center for Enterprise Development recently said Crossrate Technologies, its nominee for the National Business Incubation Association’s 2009 international annual awards, has been named a finalist for Outstanding Incubator Graduate in the technology category. Crossrate Technologies, headquartered in Windham, is a developer of an integrated GPS/eLoran receiver,

The Maine Restaurant Association recently announced the following winners of its 2009 annual awards: Christian Gordon, executive chef at Shipyard Brewing Co.’s Inn on Peaks Island, received the 2009 Chef of the Year Award; Will Beriau, chair of the Culinary Arts department at Southern Maine Community College received the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award; Brian Langley, owner of the Union River Lobster Pot in Ellsworth, received the 2009 Restaurateur of the Year Award; and Nick Alberding, co-owner of Pine State Beverage Co. in Gardiner, received the 2009 Allied Member of the Year Award.

Portland-based law firm Drummond Woodsum recently said Michael High has been named Maine’s Corporate Lawyer of the Year for 2009 by Best Lawyers, a peer review publication in the legal profession. 

At the annual meeting of the Maine State Bar Association, Verrill Dana, a law firm in Portland, received an award for accepting the most Maine volunteer lawyers project cases in 2008 and another award for working the most hours on completed pro bono cases in 2008. 

GHM Insurance Agency, headquartered in Waterville, was recently recognized as a Lighthouse Partner from OneBeacon Insurance, a Massachusetts-based underwriter and marketer of property casualty coverage for personal and business use.

Calendar

To view our updated online event listings or to post an event, visit www.mainebiz.biz.

April 7

The Maine Women’s Fund hosts a brown bag lunch discussion, “Importance of female focused networks,” from noon-1 p.m. at the B Street Community Center in Lewiston. 774-5513. www.mainewomensfund.org.

The Maine Association of Nonprofits hosts a seminar, “Give, get or get off!: Development vs. fundraising and the role of the board,” from 9 a.m.-noon at SeniorsPlus in Lewiston. 871-1885. www.nonprofitmaine.org.

The Maine Merchants Association hosts a seminar, “Smart use of social media,” from 5-8 p.m. at the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport. 623-1149. www.mainemerchants.org.

April 8

The Maine Association of Nonprofits hosts a seminar, “Introduction to grant writing,” from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the United Way of Greater Portland in Portland. 871-1885. www.nonprofitmaine.org.

The Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce hosts its 2009 business-to-business showcase from noon-7 p.m. at the Alfond Youth Center in Waterville. 873-3315. www.midmainechamber.com.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts the 2009 Penobscot Bay business expo from noon-7 p.m. at the Samoset Resort in Rockport. 546-0379. www.penobscotbaybusinessexpo.com.

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce hosts its annual chamber recognition and award dinner from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Bath Country Club in Bath. 725-8797. www.midcoastmaine.com.

The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts a lunch and learn with John Kerry, director of the Maine Office of Energy Independence and Security from noon-1:30 p.m. at the South Portland Community Center in South Portland. 772-2811. www.portlandregion.com.

April 9

The Association for Consulting Expertise hosts a seminar, “Consulting 101: Building an independent consulting practice,” from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Portland Country Club in Falmouth. 839-6535. www.consultexpertise.com.

The Maine Real Estate and Development Association hosts its members-only breakfast seminar from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Clarion Hotel in Portland. 874-0801. www.mereda.org.

Par 4 Technology Group hosts a seminar, “Taking virtualization and optimization to the next level,” from 6-9 p.m. at the Portland Regency Hotel in Portland. 221-6786. www.par4tech.com.

April 11

The Brick Store Museum hosts a seminar, “Preservation station,” from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at its office in Kennebunk. 985-4802. www.brickstoremuseum.org.

April 14

The Belfast Area Chamber of Commerce hosts a seminar, “State of the state: Economic challenges,” from 7:30-9 a.m. at the University of Maine’s Hutchinson Center in Belfast. 338-8002. www.belfastmaine.org.

The Penobscot Bay Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts a business after hours event from 5-7 p.m. at Machias Savings Bank in Rockland. 596-0376. www.therealmaine.com.

The Maine Women’s Fund hosts a seminar, “Women standing together,” from noon-1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland. 774-5513. www.mainewomensfund.org.

The Maine Association of Nonprofits hosts a seminar, “Managing conflict in the workplace,” from 9 a.m.-noon at Laudholm Trust in Wells. 871-1885. www.nonprofitmaine.org.

April 15

The Institute for Civic Leadership hosts a board builders workshop, “The board’s role in strategic planning,” from 8:30 a.m.-noon at the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce in Lewiston. 773-3254, ext. 100. www.civicleadership.org.

The Damariscotta Region Chamber of Commerce hosts a business after hours from 5-7 p.m. at Kieve/Wavus Education in Nobleboro. 563-8340. www.damariscottaregion.com.

The Maine Health Access Foundation hosts its annual meeting from 12:30-5 p.m. at the Augusta Civic Center in Augusta. 848-9210. www.mehaf.org.

The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts a lunch and learn, “Update on the Cumberland County Civic Center Task Force,” from noon-1:30 p.m. at its office in Portland. 772-2811. www.portlandregion.com.

April 16

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce hosts a seminar, “Morning chambers: Tourism roundtable,” from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Harpswell Inn in Harpswell. 725-8797. www.midcoastmaine.com.

The Maine Association of Nonprofits host a seminar, “How to succeed as a one-person development office,” from 9 a.m.-noon at the Island Institute in Rockland. 871-1885. www.nonprofitmaine.org.

The Maine Center for Enterprise Development host a seminar, “An entrepreneur’s approach to licensing: A means to an end,” from noon-2 p.m. at the University of Southern Maine’s Abromson Center in Portland. 780-4627. www.mced.biz.

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce hosts a seminar, “The who, what and why of Internet social networking,” from 5:30-7 p.m. at FHC in Bowdoin. 725-8797. www.midcoastmaine.com.

The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce hosts a business after hours from 5-7 p.m. at Mercy Hospital in Portland. 772-2811. www.portlandregion.com.

April 17

The Association for Consulting Expertise hosts a seminar, “Social networking and other Web 2.0 media: Wading through the waters,” from 7:30-9:30 a.m. at the Portland Country Club in Falmouth. 839-6535. www.consultexpertise.com.

April 21

The Maine Association of Nonprofits hosts a seminar, “Introduction to investment management for nonprofit endowments,” from 9 a.m.-noon at City Hall in Saco. 871-1885. www.nonprofitmaine.org.

April 22

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber of Commerce hosts a chamber after hours from 5-7 p.m. at Maine Bank and Trust in Brunswick. 725-8797. www.midcoastmaine.com.

The Maine Association of Nonprofits hosts a seminar, “QuickBooks basics,” from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Capitol Computers in Augusta. 871-1885. www.nonprofitmaine.org.

The Institute for Civic Leadership hosts a seminar, “PROPEL: Lunch with the experts, featuring members of the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce,” from noon-1:30 p.m. at the Portland Regional Chamber in Portland. 772-2811. www.civicleadership.org.

April 24

The Maine International Trade Center hosts a seminar, “Essentials of exporting,” from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the EMDC Building in Bangor. 541-7455. www.mitc.com.