AWARDS and RECOGNITION
• The Ride-Away dealership in Gray was recently honored by the Braun Corp. with its Ralph Braun Signature Award for customer satisfaction. Braun makes wheelchair-accessible vehicles and wheelchair lift systems. The award is presented to dealers who earned the highest average customer satisfaction score in the Northeast region. The company earned an average score of 97.5 percent.

• The following business leaders will be welcomed as laureates into the Junior Achievement of Maine Business Hall of Fame in an induction ceremony May 11 at the Marriott Sable Oaks in South Portland.
The Business Hall of Fame laureates for 2011 include Bill and Bruce Chalmers, owners and founders of Chalmers Insurance; Brenda Garrand, owner and CEO of Garrand Marketing & PR, and George J. Mitchell, the U.S. special envoy for Middle East peace.

• Pulp+Wire, a design and marketing firm in Portland, recently earned 17 national design awards from the Service Industry Advertising Awards, Graphic Design USA and the National BBQ Association.
The company was recognized for its work on behalf of clients including the Portland Regional Chamber, Freeport USA, the Westbrook Performing Arts Center, Denny Mike’s Award Winning Sauces and Rubs, Pleasant River Soap Co., Grapheteria and Duffy Anderson.
Pulp+Wire was also recognized in Graphic Design USA’s Package Design Awards for its work for Pleasant River Soap.

GENERAL
• Good Shepherd Food-Bank announced the following organizational changes:
David DiPerri was named vice president of operations, finance and Internet technology; Christine Force was named vice president of development, public relations and procurement, and Cheryl Jalbert will assume the role of vice president of human resources and agency services.

• Darlene Stromstad, president and chief executive officer of Goodall Hospital, is stepping down from her position for another job, as CEO of Waterbury (Conn.) Hospital. She will remain at Goodall until June 1. Stromstad became CEO of Goodall six years ago and is known in the state’s hospital industry for advocating payment of overdue MaineCare settlements.

• Dr. Michael Schmitz, emergency department physician at Southern Maine Medical Center, was appointed to the state Emergency Medical Services Board by Gov. Paul LePage. Schmitz has served as the EMS coordinator of SMMC’s emergency department for the past two years.