People and Business

Giving Back

The Maine Credit Union League recently donated $25,000 for the second consecutive year to support the Good Shepherd Food Bank’s school backpack and school pantry programs. The contribution is part of the league’s three-year campaign to prevent childhood hunger in Maine. In 2013, the league raised more than $500,000 toward that goal. The Food Bank’s backpack and pantry programs distribute take-home food to needy students in dozens of schools.

Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation last week donated more than $16,000 of equipment to Region 10 Technical High School in Brunswick and to the Topsham Fire & Rescue Department. The school received a mechanical chair that will allow students to better practice rescue techniques, while the department received fire extinguishers and resuscitation equipment. The foundation is the charitable organization affiliated with Firehouse Subs, a chain of over 800 restaurants including a franchise on Topsham Fair Mall Road, Topsham.

Grants

Deering Pavilion, an independent living facility operated by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, has been awarded a federal grant of over $2 million. The grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will fund renovations including new flooring, an improved ventilation system, an expanded wellness room and ergonomic seating and tables. The facility, at 880 Forest Ave., Portland, houses more than 200 residents.

New Hires, Promotions and Appointments

Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co., of Cundy’s Harbor, recently hired Monique Coombs, of Orr’s Island, as wholesale account manager. In her new role, Coombs will direct all of the company’s wholesale accounts, including those with restaurants and retail stores, and also will be responsible for its partnership that provides distribution within Canada. Previously, Coombs worked as an independent contractor serving Maine’s lobster and fishing industries.

The Maine branch of the American Heart Association has named four individuals to new roles on its board of directors. Liz McGlinn, a Portland resident and L.L. Bean employee who has served on the board for eight years, has been named chairwoman; Dr. Christine Blake, a physician at Portland West Family Practice who recently joined the board, is its new president. In addition, the board has added two members: Dr. Sarah Grace Alvarez, of Mercy Hospital, and Kate Luneburg, of Portland-based marketing firm NL Partners.

Clark Insurance has added three new employees to its Portland office. Pamla Cyr, a Portland resident with more than 10 years experience in the insurance business, has joined as an account manager. Eric Driscoll, a graduate of the University of Southern Maine, is an associate account manager. Molly McVetty has joined the insurance agency’s reception staff and also supports other departments.

Maine Medical Partners has added two physicians to its practice. Dr. Gregory Sawyer will specialize in orthopedics and sports medicine. He recently completed a sports medicine fellowship at The Steadman Clinic, in Colorado, and previously, an orthopedic trauma fellowship at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where he also completed his residency. Dr. Caitlin Willard has joined MMP’s Scarborough Family Medicine. She completed her residency at Maine Medical Center, serving an additional year as chief resident. Affiliated with Maine Medical Center, MMP includes more than 300 physicians providing care in more than 40 locations throughout the Portland area.

Recognition

Pious Ali, a member of the Portland School Board and a prominent interfaith leader, has been named by the the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine as its 2014 Planetary Chaplain of the Year. Among his many public roles, Ali is youth and community engagement specialist at the Muskie School of the University of Southern Maine, as well as the founder and executive director of the Maine Interfaith Youth Alliance. He also serves as the director and co-founder of the King Fellows, a Portland-based youth group dedicated to youth leadership and civic engagement, based on the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Ryan Warren, of Portland-based accounting firm BerryDunn, has been named to the 2014 Leadership Academy of the American Institute of CPAs. This year’s academy is comprised of only 38 accounting professionals from throughout the country, all who are under age 36 and considered “rising stars” in the profession. Warren, a senior in BerryDunn’s Commercial Services Group, is the only representative from northern New England.

Next Level Church, a Christian church that holds services in Portland and three New Hampshire locations, has been named the fifth-fastest-growing church in the country. The church is also the No. 1 fastest-growing by percentage increase in attendance over the past year, according to data from 27,000 churches nationwide, compiled by Outreach Magazine. Next Level’s attendance grew 155 percent, making the church the first in New England ever to be listed in the top 100 fastest-growing.

Sidebar Elements