FINANCIAL SERVICES
The American Bankers Association (ABA) recently named Jim Carrigan, Meredith Village Savings Bank regional vice president, an Emerging Leader — one of only 12 bank leaders chosen from across the country. The ABA Emerging Leader Awards recognize the next generation of bank leaders who are committed to the highest standards of achievement and service to the industry and their communities.
TD Bank has named Don Baker commercial market president of Northern New England, leading the commercial and small business banking teams in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. He most recently served as TD’s commercial market president for Vermont.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has been recognized by Newsweek as one of “America’s Best Regional Banks.” The bank was selected from among 9,400 financial institutions based on financial performance and customer satisfaction metrics.
Claremont Savings Bank announced recent promotions for Carol Vivian, chief customer experience officer; Jim Lynch, chief lending officer; and Chrissy Fratzel, senior vice president of human resources and corporate training.
Jennifer Fontaine, of Manchester, was promoted to senior manager of office administration at accounting and advisory firm Baker Newman Noyes (BNN).
Originally from Maine, Fontaine joined BNN in 2011, and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a master’s degree in business administration from Husson University. Back in January, BNN also promoted Kory Reynolds and Matthew Vasil as principals of the firm.
St. Mary’s Bank has promoted Jake Powers to business banking relationship manager. Powers has over 12 years of experience in banking, nearly 10 of which have been at St. Mary’s Bank, holding numerous positions. He is also the current chair of the St. Mary’s Bank Young Professionals Group, previously holding co-chair and treasurer titles.
Cody Tibbets was promoted to branch and business development manager for Merrimack County Savings Bank. Tibbetts joined The Merrimack in 2019 as a branch services representative at the Hooksett branch before moving to NH Trust, an affiliate of The Merrimack, as a wealth management assistant. In 2022, he returned back to The Merrimack in Hooksett as a universal banker and was promoted in 2023 to his most recent role as branch services supervisor.
Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) promoted Susannah Perron to branch and business development manager to oversee the bank’s Meredith branch, having most recently served as the branch services supervisor at the same branch office. Perron currently serves as a board member for the Old Lakeshore Cooperative, and is also the chair of the MVSB’s Granite United Way Annual Campaign Committee.
NONPROFITS
Liberty House, a program of Catholic Charities NH, was awarded a $25,000 grant from Swim With A Mission (SWAM) to enhance critical support for veterans transitioning from financial instability, substance use recovery and housing insecurity. The grant will fund the creation of a new housing stability specialist position, part of Liberty House’s expanded focus on after-care support services for veterans moving from its transitional residential program into independent living.
The M&T Charitable Foundation announced $8.2 million in donations to 68 nonprofit organizations across New England and Long Island and Rockland County New York, as part of the company’s Amplify Fund grant. New Hampshire nonprofits receiving donations include Catholic Charities, Easterseals NH, Friends of Peterborough Recreation Projects, Waypoint, HAVEN Violence Prevention and Support Services, Keene Housing Kids Collaborative, Nashua Police Athletic League, Concord Area Trust for Community Housing, and Manchester Neighborhood Housing Services. The NH Coalition for the Support of Service Dogs recently received a $5,000 grant from the NH Charitable Foundation to provide financial assistance to those with service dogs in the state and to educate the public about service dogs and advocate for service dogs and their owners.
Adam Berezin, CEO and co-founder of Guide-Point Media, has joined the board of directors for the KEY Collective, a nonprofit that provides K-12 youth from low-income families on the Seacoast with access to sports and other youth activities for free or at a reduced cost.
Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) collected and donated 1,860 mittens, hats, gloves and scarves during the bank’s 2023 annual Mitten Tree Drive. In addition, MVSB presented a $2 donation match for each item collected for a total of $3,270 split between 10 local nonprofits addressing food insufficiency issues for local children, including End 68 Hours of Hunger in Alton, Portsmouth, Rochester and the Wolfeboro area; Got Lunch! in Gilford, Ashland and Holderness, Inter-Lakes, Laconia and Plymouth; and the Lakes Region Food Pantry.
MARKETING
SilverTech, a digital experience agency, has been awarded Partner of the Year by Progress Sitefinity for its achievements in delivering innovative, modern and impactful digital solutions for its clients. SilverTech is the only partner to achieve this distinction this year in North America.
HEALTH CARE
The Concord Hospital Trust Scholarship Fund for nursing and allied health students is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year, due April 21. On average, the Trust awards $45,000 annually, with scholarships ranging from $500 to $3,000 per recipient, based on financial need, academic merit and other criteria. For more information and to apply, visit giveto.concordhospital.org/stewardship/scholarship-fund. Rehabilitation service provider Center for Physical Therapy and Exercise (CPTE) is rebranding and renaming its senior therapy services division to Engage Senior Therapy, reflecting the company’s renewed focus on engagement, empowerment and holistic wellbeing for its patients.
The division provides on-site physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and fitness services to over 20 senior living communities throughout the New England area.
The West Central Behavioral Health Board of Directors has appointed Andrew Smith and Courtney Porter to its 16-member board, following the departure of Anne Page after nine years of board service. Smith is a faculty member at the Department of Psychiatry at Dartmouth Health and Geisel School of Medicine; Porter is a school social worker for the Claremont school system.
The NH Alcohol & Drug Abuse Counselors Association announced their newest program, the Credentialing Support Partnership, to expand the number of licensed substance use clinicians in New Hampshire. The program is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and will help address behavioral health care workforce challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes working to help reduce patient wait times and improve quality of care by expanding the behavioral health workforce capacity and access to evidence-based treatment from licensed clinicians.
EDUCATION
From July 8-26, UNH Tech Camp will be holding free, weeklong STEM programs for middle and high school students focused on regenerative medicine, bridge design, transportation engineering and data analytics. Applications are now being accepted. Day and residential options available; all STEM experience levels are welcome to apply. Visit ceps.unh.edu/outreach/tech-camp for more.
TECHNOLOGY
Dover-based N’ware Technologies, a provider of business software solutions, has launched its “Automate to Elevate” SMB Innovation Roadshow initiative — a series of half-day events starting in March for business owners and senior executives that features affordable automation solutions that address the challenges of manufacturers and distributors and drive profitable growth. To view this year’s locations and dates, visit nwaretech.com/automate-to-elevateroadshow.
Nashua-based Unified Office, Inc. — a managed services provider offering cloud-based business communications technology — recently welcomed Jeff Pulver to its Advisory Board of Directors. A serial entrepreneur who has invested in over 400 startups over 25 years, Pulver is known for his work as the co-founder of Vonage, the VON Coalition, Vivox, and Free World Dialup, as well as for his early investments in Twitter and Foursquare.
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS
The NH Liquor Commission (NHLC) and Bord Bia/The Irish Government Agency for Food and Drink have forged an international partnership. NH Liquor & Wine Outlets will be the first retailer in the nation to feature the brand’s collection of 20 ultrapremium Irish whiskeys, which includes products from Fercullen, The Irishman, Writers’ Tears, Drumshanbo, Waterford, Teeling, West Cork, Clonakilty and The Whistler.
Terracea, an outdoor apparel brand headquartered in Somersworth, has partnered with Tenney Mountain, a New Hampshire-based ski resort now under the ownership of the NorthCountry Development Group, to provide the resort’s staff with 260 Terracea jackets, branded with the resort’s logo in a number of different styles.
The Greater Manchester Chamber (GMC) added new members to its board of directors and reelected others. Reelected members include treasurer, Sheila McNeil, Wipfli; secretary, Ernesto Burden, Yankee Publishing New Hampshire Group; legal counsel, John Kacavas, Dartmouth Health. The newly appointed board members are Brian Bicknell, president, Manchester Community College; Jennifer Gilkie, chief communications and marketing officer, Dartmouth Health; Michael Licata, director of government affairs, Eversource Energy; and Ramey Sylvester, director of corporate, M&A and securities, McLane Middleton.
LAW
Bernstein Shur welcomed four new shareholders to the firm: attorney Rachael Becker McEntee, Energy & Environmental Law Practice Group; attorney Molly Barker Gilligan, Health Care and Labor & Employment Practice Groups; attorney Hilary Holmes Rheaume, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Auto & Equipment Dealers Practice Groups; and attorney James Monteleone, Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Real Estate Practice Groups.
Nixon Peabody LLP has promoted Manchester complex disputes attorney Nathan Warecki to partner as part of the law firm’s 2024 new partner class, representing businesses, academic institutions and individuals in complex state and federal litigation. As a member of the firm’s Class Actions and Aggregate Litigation and Non-Compete & Trade Secrets teams, Warecki advises clients on class actions and mass torts, restrictive covenants and commercial disputes.
REAL ESTATE
The Dow Group recently welcomed Billy Melone to the Wolfeboro-based real estate agency. Melone is a University of New Hampshire graduate, and previously raced mountain bikes at the professional level, traveling around the U.S. and Canada to compete in World Cup races.
UTILITIES
Eversource has again been named among America’s Most JUST Companies, as announced by JUST Capital and CNBC on their “JUST 100” list, which honors companies that focus on worker benefits and work-life balance, protecting customer privacy and minimizing pollution.
This marks the fifth consecutive year for Eversource to be named to the list, ranking as the No. 3 utility and No. 38 overall for 2024.
ENGINEERING
Katherine Kern has joined civil and environmental engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill as transportation business line manager, covering the north region of New England. Kern has more than 35 years of engineering experience in site development, environmental remediation and transportation projects.
WASTE MANAGEMENT
ReSource Waste Services LLC — a processor of construction and demolition debris with five locations in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine — has joined operations with Northeast Recycling LLC, a waste-hauling company based in Avon, Mass., established in 2016.
ARTS & CULTURE
The NH Business Committee for the Arts (NHBCA) is now seeking nominations for the 40th Annual Arts Awards, which honor individuals, businesses and organizations who make a significant contribution to the state’s arts and cultural scene. For a description of each award category and to submit an application, visit nhbca.com. The application period closes on Friday, March 1.
Jeanne D’Arc president/CEO to retire this summer
Jeanne D’Arc President and CEO Mark S. Cochran, has announced his retirement effective later this summer, after 17 years at the credit union.
Since becoming CEO, he has increased staffing by 48%, more than doubled the membership base, and has increased assets from $600 million to $2.1 billion. In 2022 he was named CEO of the Year by the Cooperative Credit Union Association. In 2009, he opened the company’s headquarters and is gearing up to open Acre Crossing, a new company operations center in partnership with adjacent affordable housing units in the spring.
The board is implementing a nationwide search for Jeanne D’Arc’s next CEO.
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