Mid-Coast woman to lead MaineCare, oversee Medicaid expansion

Michelle Probert of Brunswick has been hired to serve as director of MaineCare Services and will join the department on Feb. 19.

As director of the Office of MaineCare Services, Probert will oversee MaineCare, which provides affordable health care and long-term services and supports for over 255,000 people in Maine. She will help implement the Medicaid expansion, improve children’s behavioral health services, contribute to efforts to tackle the opioid crisis, and ensure seniors have quality choices for services and supports.

Probert, 41, holds a master’s in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley. She most recently worked at Bath Iron Works, where she has served as manager of Integrated Health Services and was responsible for employee health, wellness, and welfare-related benefits.

cPort opens new Portland location 

cPort Credit Union’s CEO Gene Ardito welcomed guests to a ribbon-cutting at its new location, 35 Middle St. in downtown Portland, on Jan. 23 by highlighting the history of the Middle and India Street neighborhood.

cPort was founded in 1931 as the Federal Employees Credit Union of Maine at the former Post Office and Courthouse at 169 Middle St., where Tommy’s Park is today.

“One hundred years ago, where you are standing tonight, Banco di Napoli provided banking services and loans to mostly Italian immigrants who settled in this Munjoy Hill neighborhood,” Ardito said. “I am the son of an Italian immigrant, I think it’s interesting that I’m welcoming you to our newest branch on the former site of an Italian bank. Banco di Napoli was established in 1463 and still exists today. cPort is and has always been a Portland-based financial institution providing support and banking services to our community, our members, including new Mainers – much like Banco di Napoli did 100 years ago.”

The newest branch is the credit union’s fifth, joining three locations in Portland, one in Scarborough and one in Augusta.

Acquisitions

Boutique hotel company Lark Hotels has added The Danforth to its list of East Coast inns. The Danforth, located in Portland’s West End near the Old Port, is Lark Hotels’ second property in the city, joining the Pomegranate Inn on Neal Street. Built in 1823 as a private mansion in a wealthy merchant neighborhood, the inn will undergo a full renovation and redesign under Lark Hotels in 2020.  

New Ventures

Eventective, an online event planning resource based in Scarborough, recently launched its first wedding website builder, offering brides and grooms designs that incorporate planning features that include registry management, RSVP tracking and an online guest book. Founded in 2003, the website provides a national search portal with a local focus, including a selection of more than 120,000 venues, 400,000 event spaces and 180,000 vendors nationwide. 

Open for Business

Giving Back

Scarborough-based Smith & Wilkinson, an executive search and leadership consulting organization, contributed $12,500 to The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital at Maine Medical Center in Portland. 

Hires, promotions, appointments

Jessica Nason of South Portland will serve as the president of the Junior League of Portland during the 2020-21 League year. She is the director of marketing and operations at Portside Real Estate Group, where she started the “Portside Gives Back” campaign that raised over $45,000 for four local nonprofits in the past year alone. 

Craig Lapine, executive director Cultivating Community, was on hand for HeartaRama, a benefit show for the nonprofit at the grand opening of Arta Custom Framing at 223 US Route 1, Falmouth on Jan. 18.

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