Good Deeds

Leonardo’s Pizza of Portland recently presented a check to Yarmouth Alternatives Ingraham as part of their “12 Months of Giving” program. Each month, Leonardo’s donates a portion of their sales to a different charitable organization in Portland; so far this year Leonardo’s has donated $2,836 to local charities.

Time Warner Cable recently made a $10,000 contribution to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI) to support the participation of 1,000 fifth and sixth grade students from Kennebec County in GMRI’s LabVenture! science education program. This donation was a part of Time Warner Cable’s “Connect a Million Minds” program which addresses the nation’s declining proficiency in science, technology, engineering, and math.

The Cancer Community Center in South Portland recently received a $11,560 donation from Auto Buying Assistant LLC. The company raised the money through a golf tournament benefiting The Cancer Community Center; this gift will continue to enable The Cancer Community Center to promote and support the well-being of all adults impacted by cancer through high quality, free programming.

Downeast Energy has announced that it is donating $25,000 to heat assistance programs in Maine and southern New Hampshire. The money will be allocated to more than 25 organizations that will help those who do not qualify for government assistance, but need extra help to get through the coldest time of the year.

Key4Women made a $3,000 donation to the McAuley Residence, a center that helps women recover from addiction, domestic violence, homelessness and other trauma. Sterling Kozlowski, president of KeyBank’s Maine district said, “One of our goals at Key is to promote economic self-sufficiency in our community. The McAuley Residence provides a way for women in need to move forward in their lives and get on track for reaching their dreams.”

Name Change

Investment Engineering, a strategic engineering consulting firm located at 81 Bridge St. in Yarmouth, has announced that it has officially changed its name to Sparhawk Group with the new tag line, “Building Performance…Engineered.” At the same time, the firm is launching a marketing campaign to expand its awareness and visibility under its new brand identity with targeted audiences in the hospital, real estate, school, environmental, and multi-user housing industry segments.

Presentations

Freeport resident Andrew Collins, a senior geology major at The College of Wooster, presented research he conducted this past summer at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis. The objective of his project, “The Use of Geophotography as a permanent Resource in Higher Education: A Case Study in the Documentation of Fluvial Landscapes in Northeast Ohio,” was to create an online database of photographs of the post-glacial fluvial landscape in northeast Ohio.

Dr. Cindy Asbjornsen was selected to address the American College of Phlebology’s 25th Annual Congress, held in Los Angeles. She was invited to speak after winning first place recognition for her informational abstract at the 2010 Congress. Asbjornsen was one of the first phlebologists in Maine to become certified by the American Board of Phlebology, and she has specialty training from leading phlebologists in caring for all levels of venous disease, including spider veins, varicose veins and venous stasis ulcers.

Paul Williamson, director and industry coordinator at the Maine Wind Industry Initiative (MWII), presented a keynote address at the first Washington State Ocean Energy conference: Deep Water Wind and an Ocean Energy Economy. He spoke about the state of Maine’s efforts to promote the growth in ocean energy as a model to replicate. MWII is a collaborative effort between leading wind industry partners, industry associations, state entities, and the University of Maine to promote the growth and organization of the wind industry supply chain in Maine.

Jennifer Barbour, chief engagement officer at Another Jennifer Writing Lab, recently presented on the topic of utilizing social media in behavioral healthcare at the New England School of Best Practices in Addiction Treatment in Waterville Valley, N.H. and at the 2011 Institute for Behavioral Health Informatics in Baltimore, Md. Based out of Brunswick, Another Jennifer Writing Lab helps nonprofits and small businesses engage and build their audience through compelling writing and innovative new media strategies.

Promotions

Willis of Northern New England Inc. recently promoted Judith M. Conley and William “Jeff” Lewis. Conley has been promoted to vice president, client advocacy, human capital practice. In this role, she will maintain her current client base while assisting with client service efforts on an overall agency basis, acting as a liaison between Willis’ regional and national resources and the local offices in the area of employee benefits. Lewis has been promoted to vice president, alternative markets and will be responsible for the management of the alternative markets department.

The Maine Army National Guard has promoted the following people: Barrett Strout of Portland, Staff Sargeant; Henry Bindbeutel of Portland, Specialist; Shawn Weaver of North Yarmouth, Private First Class; and Grace Miller of Portland, Private.

Website Launches

Opus Consulting Group, a management consulting firm in Portland, recently released its newly redesigned website, opuscg.com. The new website will outline consulting services offered by the firm and contains a blog where the company regularly posts new information, views and comments on the business life.

PossibilityU.com launched its new website in early October with the hope of helping students navigate the college admissions process. The website makes world-class college admissions counseling available to any student who has Internet access. The service combines an engaging, results-driven curriculum with practical exercises, online dashboards, and live support from expert college advisors to help college-bound families navigate the complex and high-stakes decisions related to choosing, getting into and paying for college.