$2.1 million awarded
to seven Maine companies

GARDINER — The Maine Technology Institute has awarded a total of $2.1 million to seven Maine companies that are pioneering innovations in targeted technology areas.

Local businesses to receive the awards include Pondera Pharmaceuticals, Inc, of Pownal, which received an award for $50,000 along with a $50,000 match in the sector of biotechnology.

In the field of composite manufacturing, Harbor Technologies, LLC, of Brunswick was awarded $405,498 with a match of $556,664.

ORPC Maine, LLC, of Portland, a subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Company, was awarded $285,000, with a match of $1,784,535 in the field of environmental technology.

Kepware Technologies of  Portland, received an award of $500,000 with a match of $525,000 in the information technology targeted area.

MTI, a publicly financed nonprofit created by the Legislature in 1999, offers Development Awards of up to $500,000 three times a year on a competitive basis to stimulate research and development of new products, processes and services in the state’s seven targeted technology sectors.  The seven targeted areas are aquaculture and marine technology, biotechnology, composite technology, environmental technology, information technology and precision manufacturing.

Each award requires a minimum 1:1 dollar match attached to the proposed project.

The application deadline for the next round of awards is June 7, 2010.

MMC offers workplace
wellness trainings

PORTLAND — Maine Medical Center’s Lifeline Workplace Wellness Program is offering worksite wellness workshops for employers in March.

“Workplace Wellness Strategies to Optimize Employee Engagement and Health Outcomes,” will be presented by Ellie Edeh, manager of Hannaford Brothers employee wellness program, from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., Thursday, March 18, at the Abromson Center, USM Portland campus. Fees are $40 for Southern Maine Wellness Council and Wellness Council of Maine members, $65 for non members. Deadline for registration is Monday, March 15.

A 6-week professional training course, “Certificate in the Fundamentals for Worksite Wellness”  will begin on Tuesday, March 30 from 1-3 p.m. at the MMC Falmouth campus, 5 Bucknam Road. The cost is $289 for Southern Maine Wellness Council and Wellness Council of Maine members, $315 for non members. Registration deadline is Friday, March 26.

For more information or to register, contact Tom Downing, Lifeline Workplace Wellness  Program director at 781-1545 or downit@mmc.org.

New hires, promotions

Eric J. Wycoff has been named a partner at Portland law firm Pierce Atwood, LLC. Wycoff joined the firm as an associate in the litigation group in 2004.

Cape Elizabeth-based Total Community Manager, a relationship management software product for non profits, has hired Mark “Griff” Orlando of Portland as an East Coast associate responsible for new sales and training and Marlin Jase Yazzie of Portland, Ore., as a West Coast associate responsible for new sales and training.

Keith Carson has joined the News Center weather team at WCSH 6 of Portland and WLBZ 2 of Bangor.

Robert Staab of Gorham has joined the Northeast Bank team of mortgage officers in Brunswick as a senior mortgage loan officer. Northeast Bank has created 10 new positions to handle the increase in demand for mortgages.

Todd Goodwin of South Portland was hired as chief executive officer of Mid-Coast Mental Health Center in Rockland. Goodwin was formerly the vice president of administration and project management for the Community Counseling Center in Portland.

Jeffrey T. Piampiano of Brunswick has been elected as a shareholder of the Drummond Woodsum law firm.

Portland-based nonprofit, Crossroads for Women, has hired six new staff members to its clinical team: Nicole Oliver of Saco, program manager of Crossroads for Women’s halfway house in Portland; Kelley MacKenzie of Gorham, Randi Sheehan of South Portland, and Tracy Riggins of Mechanic Falls, were hired as counselors at Crossroads for Women’s Residential Rehabilitation program in Windham; and Katie Bloom of Cape Elizabeth, and Jessica Hopkins of Portland, were hired as counselors at Crossroads for Women’s outpatient office in Portland.

Yarmouth-based Maine Rivers, a statewide environmental advocacy organization, has promoted Landis Hudson of Yarmouth from program director to executive director.

Brunswick law firm McTeague Higbee has recently named attorney Jeffrey Cohen of Brunswick as president and managing partner of the firm.

Appointments

David Backer of Cape Elizabeth, head of Drummond Woodsum’s estate planning practice, was appointed to the newly-formed Probate and Trust Law Advisory Commission by the Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.

Avesta Housing, non-profit developer and manager of affordable housing, has appointed three new members to its board of directors: Catherine Reilly, director of external relations at the Maine School of Science and Mathematics; Gren Blackall, chief deposit officer at Gorham Savings Bank; and Maine State Senator Justin Alfond.

Dr. Mylan C. Cohen of Cape Elizabeth was named president of the national medical organization, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

The Maine Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council elected the following board members to its executive committee: Naomi Mermin of Portland-based Naomi Mermin Consulting, board chair; Jenifer Richard, WBRC Architects in Bangor, vice chair; Steven Konstantino, owner of Maine Green Building Supply in Portland, treasurer; Andrew Hyland, president of Port City Architecture, secretary. 

The Southern Maine Community College Foundation Board has elected two new board members, Michael Bourque, vice president for corporate marketing and communications of Maine Employer’s Mutual Insurance Company; and Robert Hillman, Chief Executive Officer of Medical Network, Inc.

The Southern Midcoast Maine Chamber elected the following as new officers of the board of directors: Gilbert Buthlay of BEK Inc., chairman; Ed Kenyon of Bath Iron Works,  first vice-chairman and treasurer; Don Spann of RE/MAX Riverside,  second vice-chairman and secretary. Newly elected board of directors includes Cathy Barter  of Key Bank, Jim Bouchard of United Way of Mid Coast Maine, Gordon Clark of Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Angela Chute of Down East Insurance Agency, Ted Eames of Downeast Energy & Building Supply, Maureen Hassett of Custom Composite Technologies, Mike L’abbe of Mid Coast Hospital, Patti Lawton of Welcome Home Realty, Steve Levesque of Midcoast Regional Redevelopment Authority, Jeffrey Sneddon of Midcoast Council of Governments and Dennis Unger of University College/Bath-Brunswick. Stacey Chenevert of Down East Insurance Agency was re-elected to a second three-year term on the board of directors.

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Brunswick school department teachers, pictured here from left, Joanne McMahon, Pricilla Vaughn, and Joan Iuzzolino, recently attended the Go Red! event at Mid Coast Hospital.  School staff from RSU 1, RSU 75 and Brunswick joined hospital staff for a heart-healthy meal and a presentation on the prevention of heart disease by ACCESS Health staff member Linda Christie and Nurse Practitioner Donna Guenther.