NEW FACES

• Todd Gibson was hired as a retirement plan administration specialist at Norton Financial Services.

Gibson was previously a record keeper and administrator for the Retirement Plan Group in the private client services division of TD Wealth Management. 

• Samantha Gifford joined Gifford’s as a sales representative focusing on Maine. A recent graduate of Husson University, she is the sixth generation to join the family-owned company. 

• Michael Niles joined Albin, Randall & Bennett as a tax director.

Niles is primarily a tax accountant and serves the automotive, manufacturing and construction industries by providing creative tax planning strategies.

• Matthew Libby joined Monaghan Leahy as an associate attorney and will practice primarily in the area of civil litigation and criminal defense.

Libby graduated cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law, where he served as a comment and case note editor on the Maine Law Review and as a teaching assistant in legal-writing, civil procedure, and criminal law.

• Christopher Carland joined Simensky, Engstrom and Associates P.A.

Carland, of Gorham, was formerly an associate for LaPlante & Carland P.A.

• Janani Natarajamurthi joined Bernstein Shur as an associate in the firm’s Portland office.

Natarajamurthi, of Portland, joined the firm’s business law practice group. Natarajamurthi was previously an associate with Pabian & Russell LLC, in Boston.

• Craig Bossie rejoined Winxnet as an application developer.

Bossie has more than 13 years of experience in software engineering and application development. 

• Baron Becker of Harpswell was hired as vice president, financial adviser at Baird in Portland.

Becker served as a vice president and financial adviser for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney since 1999.

He began his career as a principal trader at Murphy & Durieu in 1991 and then moved to Paine Webber, where he was a principal trader and investment executive.

• Douglas Porter was hired as executive director of the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce.

Porter has experience as executive director for the York chamber, where he tripled the membership and implemented the Right Direction Campaign.

• Lissa Bittermann was named business development manager for ecomaine.

Bittermann, of South Portland, was previously with Boston’s GreenFest.

• Michael McCullum joined Rich Exterior Solutions Inc. as director of sales. McCullum previously served as athletic director of Portland High School.

• Erin Lally joined People’s United Bank as vice president and commercial relationship manager.

Lally has been in the industry for seven years as an analyst and an account manager.

• Tom Woods and Eben Perkins were hired at Tilson as consultants.

Woods previously managed Community WISP in Waltham.

Perkins was hired as a senior consultant and project analyst. Perkins previously worked as a project analyst at Energy Market Innovations in Seattle.

• Daniel Bazemore joined Catholic Charities Maine as its chief financial officer.

He has more than 20 years’ experience as an executive manager. He was most previously employed by Interim Healthcare.

• Benjamin Dudley joined Moose Ridge Associates.

Dudley is a public affairs professional with 20 years’ experience in and around Maine politics and state government. He is a former state legislator, and served as chairman and chief executive officer of the Maine Democratic Party in 2006 and 2007. Most recently, he directed Engage Maine.

• Carla Ramos joined Diversified Business Communications as a conference coordinator.

Ramos was previously employed with Co-Occuring Collaborative Serving Maine.

• Ryan Driscoll joined People’s United Bank as vice president and wealth management adviser.

Driscoll, of Scarborough, spent the past 12 years in banking and financial services. Most recently, he was a financial adviser with Merrill Lynch.

• Steve Bedell joined Winxnet as a technical support specialist.

Bedell was an affiliate member of the Maine Computer Crimes Task Force. He worked for various technology companies during his time as a police officer before becoming a systems engineer for the local municipality’s technology department.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

• Marty Macisso was appointed to the South Portland Economic Development Board to represent District 3, which includes the Knightville/Millcreek areas.

Macisso is a Realtor with Regency Realty Group in South Portland.

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS

• The Alzheimer’s Association, Maine Chapter recognized the following volunteers and supporters during a recent reception at the Governor Hill Mansion.

Those being honored include:

Cathy Walters of Hollis Center, who received the Marilyn Paige Award for Volunteerism.

Gwen Basinger of Portland received the Collaborative Spirit Award.

Joshua Sawyer of Springvale received the Young Advocate Award.

Woodlands Senior Living was recognized, receiving the Corporate Champion Award

Dr. Laurel Coleman of Manchester received the Marion Bennett Award for Top Individual Fundraiser.

Richardson Family & Friends of Bar Harbor received the Top Family Fundraising Team Award.

Home Instead Senior Care of Gorham received the Top Business Fundraising Team Award

• DMM Inc. in Scarborough received a 2012 Award for Creative Excellence by the New England Direct Marketing Association.

The company was recognized for its integrated Media — Self-Promotion Campaign created by McCabe Duval + Associates of Portland.

• Avesta Housing received the U.S. Green Building Council’s 2012 LEED for Homes Outstanding Affordable Developer Award for Oak Street Lofts.

The Oak Street Lofts have energy-efficient features including a solar water heating system that provides up to 60 percent of the annual hot water usage; condensing boilers that provide up to 93 percent efficiency; and an air recovery ventilation system that recovers 76 percent of the energy in the air exhaust and transfers it to the air supply stream.

• The first annual USM School of Social Work Community Celebration was held earlier this month on USM’s Portland campus.

The following four members of the social work community were honored:

Tonya DiMillo received the Outstanding Bachelor’s of Social Work Alumni Award.

Patricia Huffman-Oh received the Outstanding Master’s of Social Work Alumni Award.

Jackie Oliveri received the Outstanding Field Supervisor Award.

Elizabeth Szatkowski received the Outstanding Community Advisor Award.

• St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion recently received the Maine Health Care Association’s Celebrating Excellence in Quality Award.

St. Mary’s d’Youville Pavilion was recognized for its pressure ulcer prevention program.

• Dr. Cindy Asbjornsen of the Vein Healthcare Center was named a fellow by the American College of Phlebology.

Asbjornsen is the founder of the Maine Phlebology Association and the Vein Healthcare Center in Maine.

She joins only 42 other ACP Fellows, including pioneers such as Drs. Steven Elias, Helane Fronek, Robert Min and Melvin Rosenblatt.

• Janet Hodgdon and Dianne Rodrigue of Baker Newman Noyes recently received a ICD-10 Instructor Designation.

Hodgdon is director of healthcare development and Rodrigue is a senior in healthcare consulting.

• Mid Coast Hospital’s comprehensive cancer care program was granted a three-year accreditation with commendation.

Mid Coast is among 30 percent of hospitals in the U.S. and nine other Maine cancer programs that have achieved this status. The commendation level of compliance indicates its program not only met, but exceeded benchmarks that represent the full scope and quality of cancer care available.

GENERAL

• South Berwick Pharmacy has new ownership, and a new name to reflect expanded pharmaceutical offerings.

New owner and head pharmacist is Matthew Kenney, 35, a lifelong South Berwick resident. He added pharmaceutical compounding for both humans and animals to the pharmacy’s offerings. He renamed the business, South Berwick Pharmacy Seacoast Compounding Inc. He retained the part-time services of its former owner and pharmacist, Richard Currier.