Appointments

Bob Flynn has been named president of the South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club for the 2012-2013 year. Flynn assumed presidential responsibilities recently and will serve for one year, succeeding Marge Barker. Flynn has lived in Cape Elizabeth with his family for 40 years.

Awards

Georges Budagu Makoko has been selected by USDA Rural Development as the 2012 Site Manager of the Year for Housing for the Elderly in Maine. A leader among the property managers at Avesta, Makoko cares deeply for the residents he serves at Village Square Apartments, as well as other properties within his portfolio.

Moving

GrowSmart Maine has moved its offices to 415 Congress St, Suite 204 in Portland. The  organization will continue to promote sustainable prosperity for all Mainers by advocating and acting in support of land conservation, statewide economic growth and community revitalization.

Good Deeds

ecomaine has announced the purchase of 100 recycling containers for use by nonprofit organizations during their events. ecomaine is a municipally owned and operated single-sort recycling and waste-to-energy facility.

The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation has announced an award of a three-year, $1.5 million grant to MaineHealth to bolster efforts to stem the epidemic of childhood obesity by expanding promising campaigns that promote healthier environments and lifestyles for young people. The foundation has also committed consultation services to the Daniel Hanley Leadership Center to define and address health disparities in Maine. The center will work with the Harvard Pilgrim Foundation’s Culture InSight program which provides consulting, training and educational programs to healthcare organizations and professionals to improve care provided to populations and communities affected by health disparities.

Merger

Recently, the Maine Artist Collective became the owner of Constellation Gallery. The collective bought the Constellation Gallery from David A. Marshall, Portland city councilor and founder of both organizations.

Opening

Greener Postures Yoga recently leased retail space at 65 West Gray Road located at Falmouth Crossing. Greener Postures Yoga is a locally-owned studio, teaching in the vinyasa style of yoga and welcomes all skill levels. This is their second location.

LUSH Handmade Cosmetics, recently made its debut at the Maine Mall. The  brand is known for cruelty-free “naked” products with cheeky names, effective ingredients, and environmental conscience.

New Hires and Promotions

Brett Davis Real Estate recently announced that two real estate agents have joined the company.  Laura Russell just earned her sales agent license and  Kathryn Wallingford is an associate broker and independent agent.

Norton Insurance Financial, recently announced three new hires. Emily Getchell, a Portland resident, joined Norton Financial Services as a securities account manager. Getchell has more than 10 years of experience in the financial industry. She most recently served as assistant portfolio manager at Ram Trust Services. Anne Waloven, a Yarmouth resident, has joined as a human resources generalist. Waloven has more than 12 years of experience in the human resources industry and has been a certified Professional in Human Resources since 2007. She most recently served as payroll and benefits administrator at Maine Center for Cancer Medicine. Brandon Cohen, a Portland native, has joined Norton Financial Services as employee benefits producer. Cohen will be responsible for new business sales. Cohen most recently worked with Assurant Employee Benefits in New York City as a group sales representative.

People’s United Bank announced recently that John Lescure was promoted to senior vice president and wealth management market leader. Lescure will be responsible for leading and growing the Southern Maine territory for People’s United Bank. The bank also announced that Edward Powell was hired as vice president and business banker for Portland.  Powell will be responsible for providing his commercial lending expertise to his clients as well as the many other business services People’s United Bank offers. Also, Melanie Chapman was promoted to customer service associate for the Peaks Island branch in southern Maine. Chapman will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the branch.

William R. Campbell, president of Cheverus High School, recently announced that Lauren A. Scribner has joined the school staff. Scribner will be joining the  school treasurer’s office as a part-time employee.

Austin Hamann recently joined Winxnet, a Portland-based IT solutions provider, as a help desk technician. Most recently, he worked as customer service representative for ACS Inc.

The Gulf of Maine Research Institute announced the recent appointment of Jonathan Labaree as its director of community initiatives. In this role he will work closely with stakeholders of the Gulf of Maine to develop and enhance programs that support economic viability while ensuring sustainable marine management practices.

Michael R. Baumann, has been recently named chief of emergency medicine at Maine Medical Center. In this role, Baumann oversees the state’s largest emergency department, which treats 90,000 patients annually at the hospital’s Bramhall Campus and Brighton FirstCare location. Baumann joined Maine Medical Center in 2000 as an attending physician in the emergency department and became its medical director in 2002. He was named associate chief of emergency medicine in 2003. He is currently the president-elect of the Maine Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians and serves on the finance committee of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Baumann is also professor of emergency medicine at the Tufts University School of Medicine, and has been widely published in a number of peer-reviewed journals.

Designations

The American Board of Opticianry recently announced that Chris Bennett, Whitney Hodgdon, Kelsey Parker, and Alison Smart, opticians at Smart EyeCare Centers, have recently passed the National Opticianry Competency Exam. The NOCE is a job-related exam, which accurately measures technical optical dispensing knowledge, and is administered nationwide twice a year.

Sidebar Elements

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From left, Community Financial Literacy Executive Director Claude Rwaganje, cPort Assistant Manager Patty Gratto, Portland Mayor Michael Brennan, cPort CEO Gene Ardito and cPort Branch Manager Russ Lumley celebrate the opening of the new cPort Credit Union branch at 285 Forest Ave. The ceremony was attended by Brennan and Greg Mitchell and Nell Hanig of the city’s economic development division. cPort management and its board of directors, cPort’s community partners, and the architects and building team for the branch’s construction were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony and an after-hours reception.