Rotarians practice ‘service above self’ with local, state projects 

Two local chapters of Rotary International have been making a difference in their communities and the state. The South Portland/Cape Elizabeth Rotary Club, with an emphasis on helping Maine’s homeless veterans, has extended its commitment to a sixth year in cooperation with Maine’s Department of Veteran Affairs in Augusta. The Club is again working with the VA to assist with some of the VA’s unmet needs, which include: a generator to help a veteran heat a home; gas and retail gift cards; bedding; more than 70 small appliances and more than 50 sets of dishes/cookware; the cost of temporary transportation, and more, for a total thus far of donations worth more than $8,000.  The Rotary Club welcomes help from non-Rotarians; donations may be coordinated with Dan Davidson at 767-4682.

Portland Rotary Club has made an annual donation to Portland schools in honor of one of the club’s volunteer readers. On May 21, the Portland Club presented Lyseth Elementary School with a check for $500 on behalf of Rotarian volunteerism and service to Lyseth School. For the past four years, Bob Traill of Portland has helped with literacy in the second grade by volunteering twice a week to listen and guide students while they read to him. Traill said he is passionate about many things, but especially about encouraging young students to embrace the love of reading. The Portland Rotary Club acknowledges the gift of his time by donating $500 a year to Lyseth in his honor.

Portland Rotarians continue to donate their time and resources to improving childhood literacy by reading to K-3 students at Lyseth. In the past year alone, the Club has successfully donated 2,100 scholastic books and benefited more than 350 young readers.

News from nonprofits

The John T. Gorman Foundation added two new staff positions as part of its ongoing commitment to support Maine’s underserved children, older youth, families and seniors.

Joy Engel was the foundation’s first director of communications. Kaylene Mitchell becomes the Foundation’s newest senior program associate. Mitchell was previously the dean of enrollment and student success at Southern Maine Community College and special assistant to the Maine Speaker of the House and the president and executive director of Emerge Maine.

Recognition

Four credit unions with branches in Cumberland County were recognized with the Maine CU League’s Annual State Awards during the League’s Annual Meeting May 18. Town & Country FCU, which is headquartered in Scarborough, received a first-place Dora Maxwell Community Service Award and a first-place Desjardins Adult Financial Education Award; Five County CU, based in Bath, received a first-place Louise Herring Member Education Award and a first place Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award; and Cumberland County FCU of Falmouth received a second-place Desjardins Youth Financial Education Award and an Honorable Mention Dora Maxwell Community Service Award. All first-place winners will now move on to compete in the national competition, coordinated by the Credit Union National Association, in the fall.

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Verrill Dana Intellectual Property litigation attorney James G. Goggin has been recognized for his superior client service in BTI Client Service All-Stars 2018. Goggin was one of fewer than 330 attorneys from 149 law firms nationwide to be identified by corporate counsel as a “Client Service All-Star.”

Piper Shores CEO Jim Adamowicz has won the 2018 Eli Pick Facility Leadership Award from the American College of Health Care Administrators. Adamowicz has been CEO of Piper Shores since February 2013. Under his leadership the organization has added a $14 million memory care and assisted living residence and a 2,800-square-foot Arts Center.

Hires, promotions, appointments

Sebago Technics, an employee-owned engineering consulting firm, has welcomed Bradley Van Damm as senior CAD designer; Stefanie Nichols is the new permitting specialist/project coordinator; and Bridget Cullen joins as a civil engineer. 

R. M. Davis wealth management firm has added Jill Hibyan, a Yarmouth native, as vice president and portfolio manager and Natalie Solotoff of Portland as trust and wealth management services counsel at the city-based business.

Milestones

This June will mark the 25th birthday for Camp POSTCARD, a week-long program for Maine kids, operated by Brunswick-based Volunteers of America Northern New England. On May 17, volunteers celebrated  25 years and honored the leaders who’ve made Camp possible for thousands of Maine kids.

Granted

KeyBank Foundation has awarded a $420,000 grant to The Foundation for Maine’s Community Colleges to help new initiatives to lead students from on-the-job and short-term training to college credit and credentials.

GogginThree recent projects by Scott Simons Architects were recognized at the AIA Maine Design Awards Banquet on May 16, including the Patrons Oxford Insurance Building Portland Technology Park, whose team is shown here.Hibyan AdamowiczFrom left, Don Zillman, president of the Portland Rotary Club and Rotarian Bob Traill present a check for $500 to Lenore Williams, principal of Lyseth Elementary School in Portland.


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