People and Business: Jan. 20

Recognition

Good Theater, the professional theater in residence at the St. Lawrence Arts Center in Portland, has won two Broadway World Awards: Laurel Casillo won Best Actress in a Play for her performance in “The Rainmaker,” and Best Play was awarded to “Mrs. Mannerly” written by Jeffrey Hatcher and directed by Stephen Underwood.

Maine children’s author Phillip Hoose of Portland was awarded the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Honor for his book, “The Boys who Challenged Hitler: Knud Pedersen and the Churchill Club” by the American Library Association.

Southern Midcoast Chamber announces the following annual awards presented Jan. 15 at the “Big Night Out,” held at Midcoast Campus at Brunswick Landing: Mark M. Waltz of Topsham, attorney, business owner and commander of Support Services for the Brunswick Police Department, Citizen of the Year; Joy Johnson, who created Embrace a Vet, Joshua L. Chamberlain Award; Bill Dodge Auto Group, Business of the Year; Now You’re Cooking, Small Business of the Year; Tech Place, New Business Venture of the Year; Kelly Dorsey, Young Professional of the Year; Liz Wyman, Chamber Volunteer of the Year; and Cathy A. Barter, Chairman’s Award.

Hires, Promotions, Appointments

Laura Hnatow has been promoted to vice president, marketing and E-commerce at Sea Bags, a Maine-based designer and manufacturer of handmade items from recycled sails in Portland.

Todd Zukowski of Portland has joined Northeast Bank as vice president commercial loan officer.

Dirigo Food Safety of Cumberland has hired Nathan Colello Gilmour as the team’s systems analyst. The consulting company specializing in training, written food safety plans and food safety audits.

The Maine Heritage Policy Center, a Maine think tank, has selected Krysta Lilly as the new director of communications.

Mechanics Savings Bank has appointed Bryan Campbell of Freeport as banking center manager at the Brunswick branch. Campbell will be responsible for retail/business development and retail lending.

Financial planning firm Cornerstone Financial Planning, has hired Taylor Aisenson as the office manager at the firm’s new Union Wharf location in Portland. Her responsibilities will include managing the payroll, accounting and tax preparation.

Portland-based legal firm Bernstein Shur elected Eben M. Albert of Portland and Steven R. Gerlach of North Yarmouth as shareholders. Albert is a member of the firm’s Business, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Technology, Outsourcing & Data Security Practice Groups, and Gerlach is a member of the firm’s Labor & Employment and Business Law Practice Groups.

David Hamilton, vice president of Employee Benefits at Clark Insurance in Portland, has been elected to the board of directors of the Maine Employee Benefits Council. The council’s mission is to provide unbiased information to Maine employers and employee benefits service providers in order to facilitate compliance with laws and regulations.

Mary Libby of Cape Elizabeth, Linda MacDonald and Elise Kiely, both of Falmouth, are new senior vice presidents at Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. All will be based in the Portland office.

Giving Back

People’s United Community Foundation provided $100,000 to DonorsChoose.org to fund classroom projects with a focus on STEM education. valued at $1,000 or less. More than $13,000 funded a total of 29 projects; recipients included Presumpscot Elementary School and East End Community School in Portland.

Maine Medical Center (MMC) has opened The Hannaford Team Training Facility for Safe Patient Care – a training facility outfitted with patient simulators at its Bramhall Campus. The facility will have a patient room where residents, nurses and therapists can practice emergency situations. Hannaford Charitable Foundation donated $250,000 for the new 1,600- square-foot facility.

A Maine Cancer Foundation grant will enhance collaboration between Maine Medical Center Research Institute and Eastern Maine Medical Center Cancer Care. Each organization will receive $200,000 to improve their biorepositories (also known as Biobanks), which are programs that distribute biospecimens (patient tissue samples) to researchers. These awards also fund a new web portal that streamlines the process researchers use to request and acquire samples.

Spurwink, a nonprofit in Portland that provides behavioral health and educational services, announces that its Treatment Foster Care program has been chosen by JetBlue Airways as a “Light Up A Life” campaign partner. The airline’s campaign provides resources and support to children in foster care. Working in conjunction with nonprofit foundation Together We Rise, JetBlue employees purchase, decorate, fill duffel bags—called “sweet cases”— with a coloring book, crayons, a blanket, a Pillow Pet and hygiene items.

New ventures

Adrian Reyes and Myrna Gonzalez, a local mother and son team, celebrated the start of their new business, Kings & Queens Hair Studio, with a ribbon cutting Jan. 21. The salon is located at 50 Maine St., Brunswick.