NEW FACES

• Rick Dustin has been named the new director of The Lower Octave, the Boy Singers of Maine’s chorus for boys of middle or high school age. He has 16 years of experience teaching music in Maine high schools.

• Christine McNulty Grant of Windham has been hired as manager of Crossroads for Women’s residential rehabilitation program. Christina Fay of Windham and Mary Anne Roy of Saco have been hired as outpatient counselors. Kathleen Penna of Kennebunk joins Crossroads for Women in its Kennebunk Counseling Center as administrative assistant, and Linda Merrill of Westbrook has been hired as executive administrative assistant.

• Robin Johnson and Jim Belanger have joined St. Germain Collins, an environmental consulting and engineering firm in Westbrook. Johnson is an office administrator with four years of experience. Belanger, an accounts administrator, has 18 years of experience.

• Sasha Yapparov, a renowned ballet dancer and instructor, has joined the Portland School of Ballet as director of its CORPS program for high school students in partnership with Portland High School. Yapparov received his academic and ballet training at the Perm State Ballet Academy in Russia.

• John King has been hired as contact center manager for Modern Pest Services’ Brunswick office. He previously worked at Atlantic Title Co. in South Portland.

PROMOTIONS

• Nikolas Ray of Windham has been promoted to director of admissions at Saint Joseph’s College in Standish. He has been with the college for two years in the admissions office.

• Tara Roberts has been named drop-in coordinator for the Proud Rainbow Youth of Southern Maine program at the Community Counseling Center in Portland. She has been an employee of the center since 2006.

• Colleen Jillson of Sabbatus and Julie Daignault of Portland have been promoted to counselors at Crossroads for Women’s halfway house in Portland. Jillson was previously milieu coordinator in Windham; Daignault was previously milieu coordinator at the halfway house.

AWARDS and RECOGNITION

• The 2011 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” includes Randall Smith, senior partner at Smith, Elliott, Smith & Garmey, in the area of medical malpractice law.

• The 2011 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America” lists 23 attorneys from Drummond Woodsum, including George Dilworth in the white-collar criminal defense category and David Sherman in bankruptcy and creditor-debtor rights laws.

• Six attorneys from Murray, Plumb & Murray were selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of “The Best Lawyers in America.”

• Dr. Ray Min Loo of Lewiston has received recognition from the Physician Practice Connections – Patient-Centered Medical Home program for using evidence-based, patient-centered processes that focus on highly coordinated care and long-term relationships.

• Scott Transportation of Fort Fairfield has received the Gold Award from Great West Casualty Co. as part of the National Safety Awards program.

• Bangor Savings Bank was named 2010 Best Bank in the Bangor area by the organization BestOfSurveys.com, a division of Market Surveys of America.

• Maine Manufacturing LLC, producer of filtration and custom laboratory products for the international medical and laboratory diagnostic community, has received ISO 9001:2008 certification, which ensures the company is well-run, has procedures to monitor all processes, and will take adequate steps to ensure continual improvement.

GENERAL

• Paul Stone, recently named head skiing coach at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, was also elected by NCAA ski coaches nationwide to be president of the U.S. Collegiate Skiing Coaches Association.

• The Portland Regional Chamber recently elected new officers for the 2010-2011 board, including Anne Gauthier of National Semiconductor, who was elected chairwoman; Jim Cohen of Verrill Dana LLP, who was elected vice chairman; and Al Swallow of Maine Medical Center, who was elected acting treasurer.