AGRICULTURE
The Cheshire County Conservation District is now accepting applications through May 10 for a second round of $2,000 grants for farms looking to enhance their renewable energy and energy efficiency capabilities.
These stipend grants, open for specialty crop producers in Cheshire County, can be used to fund project costs, consulting with advisors, communicating with vendors and contractors, and farmer time. For full eligibility requirements and to apply, visit cheshireconservation.org/energy.
LAW
Shaheen & Gordon partner and attorney Benjamin Siracusa Hillman has been named a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel — an organization of trust and estate lawyers elected by their peers in recognition of their contributions to trust and estate law. Siracusa Hillman was only two elected Fellows in New England.
NONPROFITS
The M&T Charitable Foundation is commemorating its 30th anniversary with $900,000 in grants through its 30 & 30 Giving Initiative — where 30 organizations will receive $30,000 to support efforts in building affordable housing and fighting homelessness. Among the recipients is Webster House, an independent living program based in Manchester, along with seven other organizations from New England.
Plan NH — a nonprofit run by planners, designers and builders to improve and preserve NH’s communities — is seeking applications for its 2024 Merit Awards of Excellence, which recognize building projects in the community that reflect the nonprofit’s mission. Applications are due by May 10 at plannh.org.
Manchester nonprofit The Prospects Athletics Foundation has announced elections to its board of directors: president, Matt Bouchard, Manchester; secretary, Lauren Thibeault, Bedford; and Edmond Baker, Hooksett. Additionally, Travis Horne was named the nonprofit’s first executive director. Horne volunteered at the foundation since its establishment and is now the first paid employee.
The Mary Gale Foundation, working through Granite United Way, has invested $700,000 in local organizations to support housing, health and in-home services and programs across the state. Recipients of the grants were Amoskeag Health, Community Action Belknap Merrimack, Community Caregiving of Greater Derry, Easterseals NH, Future in Sight, Manchester Housing and Redevelopment, Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester, NH Catholic Charities, St. Joseph Community Services, Victory Women of Vision and Waypoint.
UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Goffstown is now offering a new program titled “Girls Rule,” a curriculum-based initiative that helps young girls ages 11 to 14 learn self-advocacy, build confidence and feel empowered as well as address mental health and wellness challenges. Its first program runs from May 6 to June 17.
NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire has been awarded a $6,000 grant from the American Land Title Association Good Deeds Foundation. NeighborWorks was one of 21 nonprofits across the country to receive grants from the foundation back in March. Carol Willoughby at First American Title Insurance Company in Manchester nominated the nonprofit to receive the grant.
CONSTRUCTION
The Huntington at Nashua, a Silverstone Living Community in Nashua, will start construction of its 16 new-build, luxury apartments in May. The two-story expansion will feature 1-bedroom units with a den and 2-bedroom apartment homes, with expected completion in spring 2025. EGA Architects is the project’s designer, and the general contractor is Harvey Construction.
Construction on a new Meredith Village Savings Bank location in Exeter is on track to be completed by July 2024, with construction managed by Conneston Construction and designed by Warrenstreet Architects. This full-service branch is the bank’s third Seacoast location, joining Portsmouth and Rochester, and fourteenth in the state.
North Branch Construction recently welcomed Becky Cannon and Audra Spaulding to the organization as project coordinator and human resources assistant, respectively.
TECHNOLOGY
Nancy Mather, of Exeter, was named the new chief operating officer for Uprise Partners, an IT, cybersecurity and technology solutions provider based in Maine. She brings to the role more than twenty years in the project management and tech solutions field, with certifications as a project management professional and in Agile Scrum methodologies. She was most recently the vice president of operations for a software-as-a-service company.
Jason Gay has been promoted to vice president and general manager of Mission Broadband, a broadband connectivity services provider for Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Gay was previously a network engineer and project management expert when joining the company in 2020, and has over 30 years’ experience in the industry.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
After 44 years at Sugar River Bank, vice president and head of operations Lynn Rodeschin will be retiring. She initially started her career in 1979 as a bank teller and eventually took on various roles at the bank. Upon Rodeschin’s retirement, Michelle Duford will be promoted to vice president of operations and e-banking. She has been with the bank since 1997.
Sara Custance has been promoted to assistance vice president, commercial loan portfolio manager at Meredith Village Savings Bank. She was most recently a commercial portfolio manager at the bank, where she’s worked for 18 years in roles such as a teller, retail supervisor and credit analyst.
Jacqueline Taylor has joined Lamb, Petersen & Mann Advisory Group, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, as a financial advisor in its Meredith office. She has 13 years of experience in the financial services industry.
St. Mary’s Bank has welcomed Marjorie Henderson to the company as a senior indirect business development officer. Prior to joining the bank, Henderson was the senior vice president of regional sales manager at Associated Bank in Green Bay, Wisconsin, an area sales manager at KeyBank in Buffalo, New York, and a regional sales manager at TD Bank in Portland, Maine, among other positions.
NH Mutual Bancorp (NHMB) was recently recognized as a 2024 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Champion by the Diversity Workforce Coalition. The award recognizes NHMB’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplace and community through its employee-led DEI Advisory Committed and welcoming culture. In addition, Tamara Richardson has been promoted to senior vice president, human resources diversity and inclusion officer for NHMB in the bank’s Walpole office.
HEALTH CARE
Family support center Community Partners has relocated its Spectrum Connections program operations from Rochester to the former High Street Appledore Primary Care building at 353 High Street in Somersworth, reopening its doors on March 20. The program provides intensive applied behavior analysis services to children ages 2 to 8 with autism spectrum disorder, behavioral challenges or other developmental needs.
Pleasant View Retirement, an independent living retirement community in Concord, was honored as a Best of Senior Living All Star 2024 award winner by A Place for Mom, an online platform and trusted advisory service for senior care in North America. The community, headed by director Cynthia Trombley, also received a Best of Senior Living 2024 award for the organization’s exemplary services for seniors.
Elliot Health System has elected seven new members to its board of directors: Todd Burdette, MD, Elliot Health System; Joyia Fazelat, MD, The Elliot; Richard Fisher, former president of Habitat for Humanity in Greater Manchester; Lara Hanlon, MD, staff president, The Elliot; Andy MacWilliam, senior partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers; Priscilla Marsicovetere, dean of the College of Health & Natural Sciences at Franklin Pierce University; and Selma Naccach-Hoff, teacher and department head emerita at Manchester High School Central.
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS
The Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors has named Donna Morris as the organization’s president. With a 20-year background in nonprofit management and chamber involvement, Morris will step into her role serving the Greater Derry/Londonderry area businesses and chamber members.
New Hampshire-based Greg West Photography was recognized by Architecture MasterPrize recently as a 2023 honorable mention in the exterior architectural photography category for “Passing Storm,” an image taken at dusk of the Zakim Bridge in Boston after a rainstorm. For over 25 years, the company has worked with commercial and residential architects, builders and interior designers to aid in their marketing efforts.
The CEO & Family Enterprise Center — which helps guide family businesses in all matters of succession planning and operations — recently added new members to its board of advisors: Tim Ford, president of Lodging Econometrics, Jonathan Huntington, co-general manager at Pleasant View Gardens; Chris Hussey, CPA, tax management director at Baker Newman and Noyes; Nancy Rainey, founder and president of Benuck and Rainey; and Bill Stowell, Sr., founder of the Collins Business Group.
EDUCATION
Kingston educator Brandie Bolduc has been chosen as the New Hampshire 2024 state finalist for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. Bolduc is a former math intervention teacher and is currently a kindergarten teacher at Daniel J. Bakie Elementary School in Kingston. She will move on to the national level, where recipients will receive a certificate signed by the U.S. president, a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation, and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the award ceremony.
REAL ESTATE
The Boulos Company recently shared that Seacoast Pathology has renewed its lease of 17,120 square feet of medical office space at 1 Hampton Road in Exeter. Last September, the entire 80,384-square-foot medical office building was acquired by Sendero Capital and Angelo Gordon for $13,500,000, with a goal of reaching 100% occupancy of medical tenants. Kent White and Caitlin Burke of the Boulos Company represented the landlord in this transaction, and are currently marketing the remaining 900 to 5,143 square feet of medical office space for lease.
Badger Peabody & Smith Realty recently welcomed seasoned real estate agent Sherri Mercurio to their North Conway office. Mercurio has been awarded a number of real estate designations over the years including graduate of the Real Estate Institute, accredited buyers representative, certified residential specialist, among others.
Kara LaSalle has returned to Lakes Region Community Developers (LRCD) as real estate development director. She previously worked at LRCD for six years in various roles, including as real estate development project manager from 2017-2019, and was most recently a senior community investments officer at Evernorth.
ENGINEERING
Nobis Group recently welcomed two new vice presidents to the firm: Brett Kay as vice president of operations, and Scott Harding as vice president of business development. Harding brings over 30 years of experience to his role, and Kay has over 20 years in the engineering industry, four of which he served as director of civil engineering at Nobis.
MANUFACTURING
Alene Candles — a contract manufacturer of candles and home fragrance products in Milford — has been honored with a 2023 Safety Award by Encova Insurance. Alene was recognized for its commitment to controlling and reducing losses and exposures, actively working safety and loss control service strategies, and implementing recommendations to reduce exposure in the facility.
NHPR podcast ‘13th Step’ host awarded Best Reporting
New Hampshire Public Radio senior reporter Lauren Chooljian was recently awarded Best Reporting at The Podcast Academy’s 2024 Awards for Excellence in Audio (the Ambies) for her reporting on the long-form investigative podcast, “The 13th Step.” The award-winning podcast chronicles allegations of sexual abuse by the founder of the state’s largest addiction treatment center. The podcast has received multiple honors since its release in June 2023, including a national Murrow Award and a duPont-Columbia Award. Chooljian was also the recipient of a First Amendment award from the Radio and Television Digital News Association.
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