NEW FACES

• Day One made several hires:

Christie Whitten joined Day One as a substance abuse counselor at Mountain View Youth Development Center. Whitten is a PRIME for Life educator. Most recently, she worked at Acadia Hospital as a care coordinator in the outpatient department.

John Emerton was hired as a care associate for Day One’s residential treatment program. Emerton has worked at Long Creek as a corrections officer since 2007.

Jessica Meehan also was hired as a care associate for its residential treatment program.

• James Letteney joined Maine Advisory Associates as an associate. Letteney brings three years of experience in banking from The First, N.A. He will work out of the Brunswick office providing financial services to clients in the midcoast area.

• John Beckett has joined Varney Agency as director of alternative markets. Beckett brings 40 years of experience working in liability, workers’ comp, change management, compliance and marketing. He has over 30 years of experience working in the energy sector.

• Dr. Lynette Hamlin, an expert in nursing leadership and clinical practice, joined Saint Joseph’s College in Standish as its new associate dean for nursing. Hamlin will oversee the college’s on-campus and online nursing programs. Most recently, she was an educational consultant for the health care executive search firm B.E. Smith. Before that, she served as dean of the Mary Black School of Nursing at the University of South Carolina Upstate, chair of the Department of Nursing at the University of New Hampshire, and chair of the nurse-midwifery program at Yale University.

• Tonya Houde was hired at Mercy Hospital as director of business development. Houde, of Saco, was most recently a clinical integration project manager at MaineHealth. She also managed referral communications for Maine Medical Center.

• Patricia Bixel was named dean of Husson University’s School of Science and Humanities. Bixel was previously an associate academic dean and professor of history at Maine Maritime Academy. She was promoted to this position after serving three years as chair of the department of arts and sciences at MMA. Bixel has also taught history, geography and world politics at Maine Maritime Academy for the past 13 years.

PROMOTED

• Cheryl Daly was promoted to program manager at Day One’s Teen Center. Daly has been at Preble Street and with Day One since 2005.

• William Martel of Saco was promoted to senior vice president, head of integrations and conversions at TD Bank in its corporate department. Martel has 17 years of banking experience. He joined TD Bank in 1997 as a store manager in Rockland, before moving into technology management, where he has served as a senior technology manager in various capacities. Most recently, he served as vice president, core banking director.

• Joan Cohen of Portland was promoted to executive director of the Southern Maine Community College Foundation. Cohen has worked part time for the foundation for two years. A former state representative, she previously worked for the Maine Medical Association and the Maine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She is currently chairwoman of the Greater Portland Public Development Commission.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• Bill Binisklewitz, a relocation specialist for Allen and Coles Moving Systems, was recognized for being first in sales for the eastern region. He was also ranked third nationally for his production.

• Sharon Townshend, a ceramic artist from Pownal, was recognized as the Maine Crafts Association’s 2014 Master Craft Artist. Townshend was recognized for her own craft work, as well as her contributions to public art, arts education and nonprofit arts organizations in Maine. Her work has been exhibited throughout Maine, the United States, China and Chili since the early 1980s.

• Riding to the Top Therapeutic Riding Center recently recognized 20 people with its President’s Volunteer Service Award.

The Bronze Level Award for volunteering 100 to 249 hours was presented to Morgan Albair, Hillary Bowden, Grady Cameron, Janis Childs, Marena Dutremble, Cindy Elder, Robert Foley, Halee Jandreau, Jodi Peasley, Dan Morabito, Nancy Robinson, Kaylene Sutton and George Webber.

Volunteers who gave 250 to 499 hours were presented with a Silver Level Award. Those recognized include: Jo Blinick, Mark Fuller, Pat Niboli and Bryony Urquhart. The Gold Level Award, which recognizes volunteers who gave 500 or more hours, was presented to Jessica Morissette, Patty Shaw and Paulette Shepard.

• The Maine Department of Corrections Region 2 Adult Probation and Parole recognized 16 staffers with an Award of Excellence for their efforts to assist with the apprehension of several clients. The officers who were recognized include: Michelle Dubay, Mark Fortin, Ashley Gaboury, Mark Gozdecki, Jodie Johnson, Craig Ladd, Robert Lamarre, Robert Omiecinski, Mike Simoneau, Tiffany Simoneau and Don White.

Also recognized were a clerk typist, Dawn Casey; and regional correctional managers Robert LaPlante, John Lorenzen, Adam Silberman and Susan Gagnon.

• The Embassy Suites Portland was recognized with a Total Quality Score Award. The hotel was recognized for outstanding performance in the top 10 percent of the Embassy Suites brand.

• Larkspur Design, an ecological landscape design firm in Yarmouth, was awarded “Best Of Houzz” by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. The award is given in two categories: customer satisfaction and design. Customer satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013.

• Pulp+Wire, a Portland-based branding and design firm, was nominated for Best Green Website in the 18th Annual Webby Awards. Pulp+Wire was nominated in the green category for its work with FindaSpring.com, a local nonprofit resource for finding natural spring water sites all over the world. In 2013, the firm was nominated for its work with the SALT Institute for Documentary Studies’ website in the education category.

• Hona Longstaff-Lewis and Bruce Lewis, real estate agents with RE/MAX By The Bay, have earned its Platinum Club Award, a prestigious national recognition for outstanding real estate sales.

Longstaff-Lewis and Lewis were in the top percentage of real estate agents nationally recognized for exceptional sales in 2013. They are both members of the Portland Board of Realtors, and bring more than 30 years of experience to their clients. They specialize in the marketing of equestrian properties, residential real estate and new construction.

• The Hon. H. Sawin Millett was presented the Maine GOP Lifetime Achievement in Public Service Award at the 2014 Maine Republican Party Convention in April.

Millett is retiring this month with more than 55 years of public service at the federal, state and local level. He served six terms in the Maine House of Representatives, including three as a lead Republican on the budget-writing Appropriations Committee. He also served as the first executive director of the Maine School Management Association; served under five governors, including the Cabinets of four administrations, and oversaw numerous departments of state government.

At the local level, Millett has served as a selectman in two towns, Waterford and Dixmont, and is a veteran town meeting moderator.

• Verrill Dana ranks among the best law firms in U.S. for female partners, based on the results of a nationwide survey by Law 360 of nearly 400 law firms.

The report says Verrill Dana is among the 25 firms in the country with the highest concentration of female partners, earning 14th place among Law360’s 2014 class of Ceiling Smashers.

The Law360 announcement reports that although women make up 43 percent of all non-partners in U.S. law firms, only 21 percent of law firm partners are women. Verrill Dana’s female partners make up more than 32 percent of the firm’s attorneys.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

• John Marsh Jr., senior vice president of Bath Savings Institution, was appointed commissioner to the Maine State Housing Authority by Gov. Paul LePage. Marsh has served as a lender at Bath Savings Institution since 1975.

• Catherine York, co-founder of The Gilded Nut Snack Co. and member of Maine Angels, was named to the board of directors at Pika Energy. At Gilded Nut Snack Co., York directs growth strategy and investment. Previously, she was vice president of SunEdison, a global solar energy company.

CERTIFICATIONS

• Dr. Sarah Shubert has received the Certificate of Added Qualification in orthopedic sports medicine. The distinction is held by only a select group of surgeons in Maine, and is one of only two orthopaedic subspecialties recognized by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

GENERAL

• Wright-Ryan Construction recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

Since 1984, the construction firm has supported the vision of clients throughout Maine and parts of Northern New England with commercial, institutional, health care and residential construction, as well as high-end mill work.

• O’Reilly Auto Parts opened a new store at 51 Bath Road in Brunswick. O’Reilly Automotive Inc. is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment and accessories in the United States. Founded in 1957, the company operates more than 4,200 stores in 42 states.

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