School help travels from Portland to Panama

For over a decade, a Portland woman has crusaded to help needy residents of Panama pay for basic education, including necessities like books, bus rides and school uniforms. Sara Archbald, 70, first worked in the village of Ngabe-Bugle, in central Panama, as a Peace Corp volunteer in 2000. She vowed to return with more help, and has kept that vow each year since 2002. Her Basilio Perez Scholarship raises $20,000 annually, and Archbald travels to Panama each February to award the grants. The scholarship program is holding its annual fundraising event and silent auction on Sunday, Aug. 3, in Portland. Contact Archbald at sara.archbald22@gmail.com or 774-3143 for location and other details.

Giving Back

Norton Insurance Financial, a business insurance and employee benefits firm headquartered in Cumberland, has donated $40,000 to support the Mitchell Institute. The institute, named after former U.S. Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine, works to increase the opportunity for Maine young people to attend college. Each year, the institute awards a scholarship to one graduating senior from every public high school in the state.

The Maine Elks Association recently presented a check for $187,397 to the Maine Children’s Cancer Program, the result of a year-long, statewide fundraising drive. The MCCP is the major beneficiary of the fraternal organization’s work. Maine’s 22 Elks lodges have combined to donate more than $3 million to MCCP over the past 20 years.

Alpha One, a South Portland-based provider of technology and services for people with disabilities, has received a $10,000 grant from the Maine Developmental Disabilities Council. The funds will support a feasibility study around the creation of a self-directed virtual community for individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

New Hires, Promotions and Appointments

Gorham Savings Bank has promoted Rebecca Winslow to senior vice president and director of sales. Winslow, previously regional vice president and senior business officer, has more than 25 years of experience in retail banking. She will be responsible for the strategic management and performance of the bank’s branch network and direct sales teams.

Portland law firm Pierce Atwood has hired James Gorman and Leisa DuPuy as chief operating officer and director of finance, respectively. Gorman comes to Pierce Atwood from Woodard & Curran, an 800-person environmental consulting firm, where he held a variety of positions including vice president of finance. DuPuy was previously financial manager at the Stantec Consulting office in Scarborough, where she had worked since 2008.

Kellie Greenleaf has been named director of sales for the Hilton Garden Inn at Portland International Jetport. Greenleaf brings more than 25 years of customer service experience in the hospitality, insurance and retail industries. Most recently, she was director of sales for Homewood Suites in Scarborough

Recognition

Douglas W. Brown, a physician at OA Centers for Orthopaedics in Portland, was recently honored for the second time in two years for his dedication to treating athletes. Brown – who was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 – was named in June to the Athletic Hall of Fame of Phillips Academy Andover. Brown was recognized for his practice of sports medicine since 1977, including service as team physician for the U.S. men’s and women’s national soccer teams.

Laura Russell has earned her license as an associate real estate broker. Russell, a Cumberland resident, has worked in real estate since 2011, and has been a sales agent and team administrator for the Ann Cianchette Real Estate Group at RE/MAX By The Bay since 2013.

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