People and Business

Recognition

At a Nov. 20 gala, three Portland businesses were honored by the City of Portland and the Portland Development Corp. for their roles in expanding the city’s economic vitality.

Receiving the 2014 Economic Development Achievement Award was J.B. Brown & Sons, one of the largest property owners in Portland. Brown, which is held primarily by sixth-generation descendants of 19th-century entrepreneur John Bundy Brown, has been responsible for much of the city’s real estate development, including the recently opened Courtyard by Marriott hotel on Commercial Street.

Recipient of the 2014 Business of the Year Award was Apothecary by Design, a locally owned retail pharmacy that also provides specialized medications, neutraceuticals and case management services, and even operates a coffee shop at its Marginal Way headquarters. Since opening in 2008, ABD has served more than 45,000 patients, and grown from a staff of 12 employees to more than 65.

The 2014 Small Business of the Year is Rising Tide Brewing Co., a craft brewery founded in 2010 by Portland natives Heather and Nathan Sanborn. Starting with a tiny one-barrel brewing system in a small garage, Rising Tide has grown to include a 15-barrel brewhouse on Fox Street and a staff of 11. Production has more than tripled, and is expected to grow another 100 percent in 2015.

New Hires, Promotions and Appointments

Portland law firm Murray Plumb & Murray has added two attorneys to its staff, Caroline Y. Jova and Kaitlyn M. Wright. Jova, a resident of Portland, will specialize in litigation, and previously represented low-income parties in family law matters. She earned her law degree from George Washington University, and her undergraduate degree from New York University. Wright will devote much of her practice to representing individuals with disabilities. A resident of South Portland, she served as a legal intern at Advocates for Children in New York City, and holds a law degree from Cornell University.

Sebago Technics, a South Portland-based engineering and consulting firm, has hired Jessica Jamison as marketing coordinator and Devin Pike as a survey technician. Jamison, of Portland, is a graduate of the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics at the University of New Hampshire. She previously served as a marketing intern with S.W. Cole Engineering. Pike is a graduate of the University of Maine. He has worked for CES Inc., and most recently was an accuracy control surveyor at Bath Iron Works.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine has named the following to its board of directors: Doug Abbott, vice president of global finance, WEX Inc.; Kate Bachman, account executive, Kemp Goldberg Partners; Ed McKersie, founder and president, Pro Search Inc.; and Kathy Serunian, vice president of claims, Disability RMS.

Winxnet, a Portland-based IT solutions provider, has hired Patty Farmer as a report writer in its application and development team. Rebekah Michaud has joined the company as an executive assistant. Winxnet has also hired Ben Everett as a technical support specialist.

David Bernier has joined the Power & Energy Division of Stantec, one of Maine’s largest engineering and design firms, as a senior principal and discipline leader. Bernier has 27 years of experience with capital projects in the power industry, most recently while serving with Powerspan Corp. He will split his time between Stantec offices in Scarborough and in Auburn, New Hampshire.

Grants

The Southern Maine Agency on Aging has been awarded a $954,000 grant by the federal Administration for Community Living to support expand training and support for caregivers of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. The three-year grant is one of only 10 given nationwide by the federal agency. To develop the expanded network of services, SMAA will work with regional and national partners as well as researchers from Johns Hopkins University, Emory University and Thomas Jefferson University.

New Beginnings

Jessica Kaplan has begun teaching standardized-test preparation classes for Maine Prep at its new location, 299 Main St., Cumberland. Kaplan has taught with the Brunswick-based company for over 10 years, and is a faculty member of South Portland High School. She holds degrees from Bowdoin College and Stanford University Law School.

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