Maine Family Business award finalists announced

Finalists for the annual Maine Family Business Awards will be recognized at a gala on June 5, when Maddy Corson will also be honored with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement award.

The Institute for Family-Owned Business has named 25 companies as finalists from 157 nominations received. Local businesses include: Michaud Accounting Solutions, Scarborough; Opus Consulting Group, Portland; SKORDO, Brunswick; The Sunrise Guide, Portland; and Wilbur’s of Maine Chocolate Confections, Freeport.

Other awards to recognize small and large family businesses, along with first-generation businesses, customer service and innovation and technology will also be presented.

To mark its 25th anniversary, IFOB will present its first Lifetime Achievement award to Corson for demonstrating sustained success, leadership and innovation in her family business, to the IFOB, and to the broader community.

Maine Family Business Awards was originally the idea of Corson, who was the fourth generation to serve her family’s business, Guy Gannett Communications.

Portland Landmarks names new leader

To mark the first day of national Preservation Month on May 1, Greater Portland Landmarks’ Board of Trustees announced Sarah Hansen has been appointed as the organization’s next executive director. Hansen will start on June 17 to allow her to overlap with the longtime outgoing executive director, Hilary Bassett, who retires on June 30.

After working in the field in Colorado, Washington and Arkansas, Hansen returned to Maine in 2017 to work at Maine Preservation. She serves on several boards, including Maine Downtown Center’s Main Street Advisory Board, The Economic Vitality Committee of Discover Downtown Westbrook and the Maine Alliance for Smart Growth.

Her new position will also mark a return to Landmarks for Hansen: her preservation career started with a summer internship at the Portland Observatory in 2000 before she earned her master’s degree in preservation studies from Boston University.

Giving Back

The “40 Cans for Lent” campaign set an ambitious goal for parishioners in Scarborough, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth: donate 3,000 pounds of food for a local food cupboard. They did one better. During the 40 days of Lent, parishioners doubled down to donate 6,683 pounds.

Granted

Maine Medical Center and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, New Hampshire, have been awarded a $3.9 million grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to increase access to cardiac surgery clinical trials among rural populations. The grant also provides funding to help train researchers at both hospitals.

KeyBank Foundation, the charitable nonprofit of KeyBank, recently awarded a $133,333 grant to Portland-based nonprofit Avesta Housing. The donation is designated for critical areas of need, including senior housing, resident services, and investing in Avesta properties. Funds will also go to counseling and education for first-time homebuyers and homeowners facing the threat of foreclosure.

Open for business

GoZone Fitness recently announced it has opened a third location at 360 US Route 1, Scarborough, joining locations in Gardiner and Lewiston. The company invests in members, schools, businesses and Get Fit Fundraisers by offering many services for free as a reward for a healthy lifestyle.

Transitions

Benchmark Residential & Investment Real Estate is now Benchmark Real Estate, offering the same client service with a brand-new look. The company also has a newly designed website.

CorsonThe Falmouth Hannaford was one of several local supermarkets that collectively donated $20,000 to area nonprofits. Falmouth also made a donation to The Locker Project. From left are Diana Darling, store manager; Nancy Lightbody, Falmouth Food Pantry; and Trina Forbes, associate relations manager. Portland Riverside, Gorham and Westbrook also participated.Greater Portland Landmarks new executive director, Sarah Hansen, with outgoing director Hilary Bassett, who is stepping down June 30. Copy the Story Link