NEW HIRES

Junior Achievement of Maine has announced the addition of Caroline Blanchard and Abby Rioux to its organization.

Blanchard joins as a program coordinator, implementing and managing daily operations of program recruitment, implementation, retention, data management and evaluation. She has a background working in schools and with families specifically to improve educational systems and promote youth empowerment.

Rioux joins as a development coordinator, building partnerships and business relationships that ensure the strategic and funding goals of the organization are met. She comes on with a background in nonprofit development and youth experiential education. Rioux is passionate about providing unique learning opportunities for kids and young adults and working to develop their leadership skills.

Woodman Edmands Danylik Austin Smith & Jacques P.A. is pleased to announce that Jeffrey Zdunczyk has joined the firm as a partner, essentially merging his practice, Zdunczyk Law Office and Kennebunk Title Company, with the firm. Zdunczyk was in practice in Kennebunk for more than 20 years, focusing on real estate, estate planning and administration, as well as corporate and business law.

Nick Galanin of Portland has joined the law firm of Miller Law & Mediation as an associate, and will be based in its Portland office. Galanin is a graduate of the University of Maine School of Law and Colgate University, has been admitted to the bar in Maine and is a member of the Maine Bar Association. He is fluent in French and Spanish, and his multinational experience and talents will enable Miller Law & Mediation to expand its scope of practice to serve the firm’s international and foreign-speaking clients. Prior to joining the firm, Galanin worked as a trial assistant at a criminal defense firm in Portland covering a wide range of matters, from theft and OUI to arson and homicide.

Norm O’Reilly, a professor and former assistant dean at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, has been named dean of the University of Maine Graduate School of Business. O’Reilly is a leading scholar in the business of sports; in 2018, he founded the International Institute for Sport Business & Leadership, a global research center and think tank at the University of Guelph. As a professor and CPA, he teaches courses in sports management and accounting. O’Reilly has expertise in a range of business topics, including analytics, marketing, sponsorship, social media, sports finance, social marketing, physical activity and management education. He has authored or co-authored 16 books, including the 2020 second edition release of “Sports Business Management: Decision Making Around the Globe,” with George Foster and Tony Davila.

Portland-based affordable housing developer Avesta Housing has announced the following staff hires:

Andrew Altmaier has joined the property management team as a senior regional property manager. Altmaier most recently served as chief executive of Realty Resources Management in Rockport. Rod Harmon has joined the advancement team as communications manager. He most recently served as the communications and fundraising coordinator for Konbit Sante Cap-Haitien Health Partnership in Falmouth. Karissa Miller has joined the information system team as a technology support specialist. Miller most recently served as an IT help desk technician for Spaulding Academy & Family Services in Northfield, New Hampshire. Nick Ridley has joined the information system team as technology systems administrator. Ridley has 10 years of experience in information technology, specifically in the managed service provider field.

PROMOTIONS

Migis Hotel Group has promoted Landace Porta to director of operations. Porta has been the general manager of the Migis-operated Black Point Inn for more than 10 years, where she has been instrumental in the growth of the historic oceanfront property. Since 2011, she has held the positions of assistant general manager and sales & events manager at the Black Point Inn, having worked in the hospitality industry since 2007 after starting her career as an event planner at Pineland Farms in Gray.

The interfaith Chaplaincy Institute of Maine’s (ChIME’s) board of trustees is pleased to announce that Lisa Steele-Maley of Edgecomb will assume the role of dean. She joined ChIME’s staff as alumni affairs coordinator several months after completing her ChIME studies in 2019, and then served as director of programs and acting dean. In previous work, Steele-Maley has been a self-employed organizational consultant, advanced Kieve Wavus Education’s camp and leadership programs in numerous roles and helped manage a residential field science program, among other experiences.

Avesta Housing has announced the following staff promotions: Molly Duda has been promoted from senior property manager to regional property manager. Amanda Gilliam has been promoted from senior regional property manager/interim director of property management to director of property management. Amy Grant-Thurlow has been promoted from regional property manager to development and training manager. Jessica Hinze has been promoted from regional property manager to senior regional property manager.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Machias Savings Bank has announced seven new corporators at its annual meeting: Marci Booth of LIHC Investment Group in Portland, Seraphina Erhart of Maine Coast Sea Vegetables in Hancock, Luke Holden of Luke’s Lobster in Portland, Cathy Manchester of Keller Williams Realty in Portland, Paul Paradis of Paradis True Value in Bar Harbor, Hugh Reynolds of Greenhead Lobster in Stonington and Drew Sigfridson, SIOR of The Boulos Company in Portland. All seven were voted on and approved by Machias Savings Bank’s existing corporators.

COMPANY LAUNCH

Milestone Funeral Partners, the first private equity-backed funeral and cemetery acquisition company based in New England, was launched in late May by Michael Martel of Auburn and Timothy Smart of Oakland. The two founded the company after more than 25 years of managing funeral homes, cemeteries and crematories (for a large consolidator) across the Northeast, including the Portland area. Martel, Milestone’s CEO, is a Lewiston-Auburn native residing in Auburn with his wife, Jennifer, and having worked with area funeral homes. Smart, the company’s chief operating officer, is an Oakland resident with his wife, Kerry. They lived at and managed a Waterville-area funeral home for many years.

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