Transitions

Maine College of Art President Don Tuski announced recently that he has accepted the presidency at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. Plans for a national MECA presidential search will soon be announced.

Over the last six years of Tuski’s leadership, MECA has increased revenue by 39 percent, advanced fundraising efforts by 52 percent annually, increased enrollment every year, and helped to navigate the institution through the acquisition of the Salt Institute. Most notably, Tuski was responsible for stewarding a $3 million gift from the Crewe Foundation, the largest in the history of the 134-year-old institution.

Recognition

Club Impac & Travel, owned by Cumberland resident Barry Somes, has been selected for the 2016 Best of Falmouth Awards for Online Travel Agency.

Falmouth residents Timothy J. Bryant, Sigmund D. Schutz, and Jeffrey D. Talbert; Cumberland resident Elizabeth A. Olivier; and Yarmouth resident David B. Van Slyke; all partners at the law firm of Preti Flaherty, were recently recognized by the legal directory, Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business.

The American Red Cross recently recognized SERVPRO, a cleanup and restoration company with offices in Bath/Brunswick and Portland, for participation in its Disaster Responder Program1. In its third year of partnering with the Red Cross, donations to the organization exceed $1 million.

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England recently honored its top 50 affiliated sales associates for their top sales achievements, including David Gleason, of Brunswick, and Bryce Hamilton, of Portland.

Hires, Promotions, Appointments

Promerica Health of Falmouth named Keri Seitz as the vice president of communications and compliance. Promerica Health visits sites across the country for Fortune 500 companies to conduct health screenings and employee wellness programs. Seitz also serves on the board of directors at the Bath Area Family YMCA and the Maine Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

Dominique Burnham of Scarborough has joined Macpage LLC, a Certified Public Accounting firm with an office in South Portland, as an audit associate.

Cole Smith of Scarborough has been hired as an associate at CBRE | The Boulos Company. Smith assists in brokerage duties for the company in the greater Portland region.

Broadreach Public Relations of Portland, announced South Portland resident Susan Tompkins has joined the firm as a senior account executive. Tompkins serves on the board of the Maine Public Relations Council and, in 2012, received the Edward L. Bernays award, the highest honor bestowed upon public relations professionals in Maine.

News from Nonprofits

The South Portland Food Cupboard is approaching its 20th year of sharing food with neighbors in need. What started as a small, local pantry has become a well-established community resource that, thanks to local support and a group of committed volunteers, now provides a wide range of services. The pantry now offers: deliveries to 20 home bound South Portland residents; “Motel Bags” containing supplies for families sheltered in a local motel; and “Snack Bags” filled with nutritious items that do not require refrigeration for families living below poverty level with children between the ages of 5 -12.

The Food Cupboard also partners with The Locker Project to provide food to pantries at Kaler Elementary, Memorial Middle School and South Portland High School, as well as a twice-weekly partnership with The Hub, providing items to residents of the Redbank neighborhood of South Portland. In addition, the pantry staffs a help desk during pantry hours to provide information and referrals for everything from food stamps to bus passes. Recently, Town and Country Federal Credit Union began sharing a loan officer to help with financial questions. As it has grown, The South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary has been a consistent and welcome partner that the pantry would like to thank and recognize.

Southern Maine Agency on Aging has received a $1,000 grant from Meals on Wheels America to support its client pet support program – the Best Friend Fund. The Best Friend Fund is a program designed to help low-income older adults in southern Maine pay for unexpected pet-related expenses.

Maine Access Immigrant Network has received a $9,960 grant from Maine Community Foundation to support MAIN’s Healthy YOU Community Support Project. MAIN is a nonprofit ethnic community-based organization serving the African and Middle Eastern refugee and asylum communities of the greater Portland area. The new project will strengthen MAIN’s Peer Support Group and Healthy YOU Workshops.

Giving Back

Twelve members of the Mid Coast–Parkview Health team took part in the 32nd Annual Trek Across Maine June 17-19. Now in its ninth year of participating, the 2016 cycling team raised more than $10,000 in support of the American Lung Association.

During the company’s annual day of service, held June 10 this year, more than 30 volunteers from Harvard Pilgrim, the American Heart Association, and Let’s Go! built container gardens and created “stuffed” animals at the Riverton Boys and Girls Club in Portland to be donated to local nonprofits.

Bristol Seafood, a seafood processor and distributor based in Portland, announced its partners made a $10,000 gift to the Center for Excellence in the Marine Sciences at the University of New England.

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