Divine insulation?

Brackett Memorial United Methodist Church on Peaks Island was recognized last month by Interfaith Power & Light, a nationwide religious coalition combating global warming, for the church’s work to reduce the island’s carbon footprint. Brackett is one of the first 20 across the country to be named “Certified Cool Congregations” by the coalition.

By sealing and insulating its building, the church reduced its 2013-2014 heating bill by 24 percent from the previous year. The church also has cosponsored “community builds” of energy-efficient storm window inserts, helping more than 50 island homeowners save heating costs.

New Hires, Promotions and Appointments

The Portland law firm of Verrill Dana has hired Taylor R. Neff as an associate. Neff, who previously served in a Boston firm and holds a degree from Vermont Law School, will practice with Verrill Dana’s trial team.

Mercy Health Care System has named John Lowery as a primary care physician at Mercy Yarmouth Primary Care. Lowery specializes in osteopathic manipulative medicine, sports medicine and pediatrics. He earned his medical degree from the University of New England’s College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Maine Medical Center has added surgeons Elizabeth Blazick and Lee Hallagan to its physician practice. Blazick completed both her residency and a fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and holds a degree from Harvard Medical School. Hallagan completed a fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and his residency at MMC. He received his medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine.

The Portland Museum of Art has hired Andrea S. Reising as production coordinator and project assistant. Reising holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and writing from Columbia University, and a master’s degree in new media and photography from Pratt Institute. She was recently employed as an operations manager at the School of Visual Arts in New York.

Macpage LLC, a certified public accounting firm with offices in Portland and South Portland, has hired Artur V. Kuznetsov as a staff consultant. He is a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, and recently interned with the firm.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland has promoted Chris Clemens to construction site supervisor. Clemens was previously a driver and associate with ReStore, Habitat’s discount retailer of building supplies and home goods. In his new role, he will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day construction of Habitat homes for people in need. The volunteer organization is currently building an eight-unit complex in Freeport, and a 13-unit project is planned for Scarborough.

Jacob Day, of Portland, was promoted to senior in the audit practice of Baker Newman Noyes, an accounting and consulting firm based in Portland, Boston and Portsmouth, N.H. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration, summa cum laude, from the University of Maine.

State Sen. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, was recently elected vice chairwoman of the New England Board of Higher Education’s Legislative Advisory Committee. The committee was formed to encourage a regional approach by policymakers to guiding higher education in each New England state.

Recognition

Susan Raatikainen, a nurse with Falmouth Schools, has been named School Nurse of the Year by the Maine School Nurse Association. The award recognizes a nurse with outstanding leadership skills and who demonstrates excellence in practice. Raatikainen, who has been a school nurse for 26 years, has worked to encourage physical activity and healthy eating habits in Falmouth students. A graduate of Deering High School and the University of Maine, she earned a master’s degree in health education at Pennsylvania State University.

James Oshetski, a general dentist in Brunswick, recently received diplomate certification from the American Board of Oral Implantology/Implant Dentistry. Certification signifies that a dentist has demonstrated expertise in implant dentistry. Since 1969, the board has inducted only 436 diplomates from general dentistry, oral surgery and periodontics.

The Validation Institute has certified Linda K. Riddell, of Cape Elizabeth-based Health Economy LLC, to evaluate wellness and other impacts of health intervention programs. The Institute promotes proper use of population health science and metrics to measure health improvement initiatives.

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