TELECOMMUNICATIONS
UScellular named Dallas Phillips the new retail area sales manager in its southern New England territory. He’ll be responsible for leading store associates at locations in Keene, Concord and Belmont, NH, as well as other locations in Maine. In addition, UScellular has honored William Skahan, of Keene, along with 15 others with its President’s Volunteer Service Award by the Office of the President of the United States for volunteering more than 200 hours in 2023. Skahan started volunteering at age 13, now 20, at the Grace Community Evangelical Free Church, and also donates regularly to the Brattleboro Pregnancy Resource Center.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
NH Mutual Bancorp recently announced its new corporators: Michael Bourbeau, VP of information systems, Northeast Delta Dental; William Gurney, owner and founder, Gurney’s Automotive Repair; Toutou Marsden, owner, Dell-Lea Weddings & Events; Jim McGrail, chief human resources officer, University System of NH; Scott Weden, Plymouth town manager and emergency management director; and Leigh Wiley, NH underwriting counsel for CATIC.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust has promoted Michael Woodbury to the role of vice president, treasury sales officer. He initially joined the bank in 2020 as assistant vice president, branch relationship manager for the Peterborough branch, and was later in the same role at the bank’s Bedford location.
Ledyard Financial Advisors welcomed Deanna Wilson to the organization as a senior financial advisor. Wilson has over 25 years of experience in wealth management, development and financial planning from firms in Vermont and New Hampshire, most recently at Cambridge Trust in Concord. She received the designation of Certified Financial Planner from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, as well as the Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisor designation from the Institute of Certified Bankers.
Ledyard National Bank recently welcomed Mark Heller to the organization as a business banking relationship manager. Most recently, he was a branch manager with a large regional bank and spent time as an enterprise account executive at Comcast as well as AT&T.
KeyBank Commercial Banking has hired New Hampshire native Graham Duck as senior relationship manager for Maine and New Hampshire. Graham brings 20 years of banking experience to the role that includes middle market relationship management, treasury management and payments solutions. He joins from TD Bank, where he spent the last 10 years serving commercial clients throughout Northern New England. Prior to that, Graham was with U.S. Bank in Southern California.
Dwight Berry has joined Meredith Village Savings Bank as branch and business development manager in the Moultonborough office. Dwight has more than 30 years of experience managing teams in several industries, including education, computer networking and law enforcement. In addition, Brian Chalmers, VP and commercial loan officer, will retire from MVSB in May after 34 years. He initially joined the bank in 1990 as the branch manager for MVSB’s Meredith Route 104 office, and transitioned to oversee the Ashland office in 1991, and later became the Bank’s first business development officer in 1998. Chalmers joined MVSB in 1990 as the Branch Manager for MVSB’s newly opened Meredith Route 104 office, and transitioned to oversee the Ashland office in 1991. He became the Bank’s first Business Development Officer in 1998, where he worked to develop relationships with business owners, municipalities and nonprofits. Brian eventually grew his one-man business development efforts into a larger team to cover MVSB’s expanding footprint, receiving a promotion to Vice President along the way. In 2009, he brought his talents to MVSB’s Commercial Lending Department, finishing his career with the bank as Vice President Commercial Loan Officer.
HEALTH CARE
Pleasant View Retirement (PVR), an independent living retirement community in Concord, has been honored as a Best of Senior Living All Star 2024 award winner by A Place for Mom, an online platform and advisory service for senior care in North America. PVR also received a Best of Senior Living 2024 award, which recognizes the top-rated senior living communities and in-home care providers across the country and in Canada, typically given to less than 1% of community partners.
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 New Hampshire Healthcare Heroes, which honor the dedication, courage and commitment of those working in the health care industry — including, but not limited to, medical and nursing staff, food service workers, environmental services, dentists and their staff, personal care attendants, health care workforce educators, among others. For more information and to submit a nomination, visit snhahec.org.
NONPROFITS
The Granite YMCA has named Lorrie Piper its new vice president of marketing and communications. Previously, she served a four-year term as division director/CMO for the NH Liquor Commission, and was also the digital marketing manager at FIRST.
Emily Thaden will be the new president of ROC USA, succeeding founding president Paul Bradley, starting July 1. Thaden has an extensive background in advancing housing and collective ownership models for racial and economic equity and community well-being. Previous roles include the VP of national strategy for Grounded Solutions Network and, most recently, the senior director of housing solutions for Habitat for Humanity International.
Fellowship Housing Opportunities, Inc. (FHO) has named Kamini Jorgensen its newest director of community engagement, events and donor services to build on the organization’s existing fundraising and grant work while increasing the donor and volunteer base. FHO’s mission is to promote recovery from mental illness as a provider of high-quality, affordable housing and client-centered behavioral services.
Point32Health Foundation gifted a $270,000 three-year grant to New Hampshire Hunger Solutions, so the group can support and build initiatives for food access and enroll more older adults in federal nutrition programs through the Elderly Simplified Application Project. This gift is part of Point32Health’s awarding 20 grants worth more than $2 million to nonprofit organizations across New England that advance equity in aging and social and racial justice initiatives. These grants are a part of a series of 20 grants announced today by the Point32Health Foundation totaling more than $2 million to nonprofit organizations advancing equity in aging and social and racial justice initiatives.
The Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Foundation received a $4,000 donation from the Fraternal Order of Eagles, Somersworth Aerie #1877, to support cancer patients at the Mass General Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass. The money was raised in collaboration with Grandview Campground in Rochester and First Class Auto Body in Boston. The funds raised will underwrite the cancer center’s supportive and wellness services, which offer integrative therapies and support that are often not covered by insurance.
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS
The Balsams Resort’s owner and lead developer, Leslie “Les” Otten, has been inducted to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame as a “titan in the winter sports industry.” Over the course of his career, Otten owned 13 resorts across the country. He’s been known as someone who revolutionized the ski industry through pioneering learn-to-ski programs, the adoption of parabolic skis, direct ticket-to-lift programs, and the “Ski America” pass to allow access to resorts nationwide. His resorts were the first in the nation to fully embrace shaped skis, purchase the first 18-foot Pipe Dragon groomer for snowboarding, and was among the first in the nation to open all trails to snowboarders.
Sanford Temperature Control has entered into a partnership with Bill Trombly Heating Cooling Electric, a residential plumbing and heating service company, now operating under the Sanford brand. Sanford will be moving its main offices to Allard Street in Manchester, the former home of Ray the Mover.
AUTOMOTIVE
McGovern Auto Group has acquired Toyota of Portsmouth and will be renamed McGovern Toyota of Portsmouth. This marks McGovern’s second Toyota dealership in New Hampshire and 30th dealership overall. The 50,000-square-foot dealership is now open for sales and service at 150 Greenleaf Avenue.
CONSTRUCTION
The Huntington at Nashua — a Silverstone Living Community in Nashua offering memory care, skilled rehabilitation, assisted living and nursing care — 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 and will welcome residents in Spring 2025. Design is being handled by EGA Architects, and the general contractor is Harvey Construction.
TECHNOLOGY
Nancy Mather has joined IT, cybersecurity and technology solutions provider Uprise Partners as its new chief operating officer. Most recently, she was the VP of operations for a SaaS company and hold certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP) and in Agile Scrum methodologies.
The NH Tech Alliance has announced the 2024 winners of their TechWomen Awards. Tech Student of the Year is Bhumika Prem, a sophomore at Phillips Exeter Academy. The Tech Educator of the Year for 2024 is Christina DiMicelli, director of edtech learning and growth at Pinkerton Academy. And the Tech Professional of the Year is Maureen Toohey, deputy executive director at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI). The recipients will be honored on May 16 in Fidelity’s Merrimack offices.
EDUCATION
The University of New Hampshire announced that Jennifer Griffith is one of 22 business school faculty honored by AACSB International (AACSB) — the world’s largest business-education alliance — as the 2024 Class of Influential Leaders, which recognizes notable alumni and faculty whose work inspires positive change in the business world and society at large. Griffith is currently an associate professor of organizational behavior and management and the Morrison Fellow of Diversity at UNH’s Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics.
The Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) has appointed Patrick Cate as president of Lakes Region Community College (LRCC) in Laconia, and Sarmad Saman as president of White Mountains Community College with campuses in Berlin and Littleton. Cate has over 20 years of experience in higher education, and has been with LRCC since 2018. Saman holds the academic rank of Professor in Microbiology and most recently served as chief of staff and deputy academic officer at Bristol Community College.
The NH Charitable Foundation recently named Bedford High School Physics Teacher Jennifer Baney the 2024 Christa McAuliffe Sabbatical recipient. The sabbatical, created in 1986 in honor of the Concord High School teacher and astronaut, gives a NH teacher a year off with pay and a materials budget to bring an educational idea to fruition. Her plan is to help students develop the teamwork, critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to excel in science (and life). Her plan includes producing four digital games in which students unravel a series of puzzles and challenges, each designed to represent specific science concepts in high school science classrooms, but they will be adaptable for a wide range of science topics and grade levels.
LAW
McLane Middleton attorney Vineesha Sow has been admitted to the NH State Bar. She focuses her practice on employment and education matters, with a storied background in representing education institutions in matters before the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and the Division of Administrative Law Appeals in Massachusetts. Vineesha also advises clients on a range of employment matters such as separation agreements, terminations, discrimination/harassment, and more.
NEW HAMPSHIRE 200
Editor’s note: NH Business Review is spotlighting selected 2024 New Hampshire 200 honorees from various industries. See the entire list and book at nhbr.com
Jeff Eisenberg, President & CEO, EVR Advertising
Education: Vanderbilt University (BS), University of Massachusetts at Amherst (MS) Career history: Jeff’s first job out of graduate school was with the Philadelphia Phillies for nine years. It launched 30 years in professional sports, including jobs as vice president with both the Milwaukee Brewers and Buffalo Sabres and as president of the Manchester Monarchs. In Jeff’s 10 years running the Monarchs, the team became an iconic statewide brand and attendance thrived. He was honored as the AHL Executive of the Year in 2004 and was inducted into the NH Hockey Hall of Fame in 2010. He bought EVR Advertising in 2010.
Most important business lesson: Transformational leaders share power and inspire others to lead.
Biggest challenge over the past 5 years: Pacing revenue growth with organizational growth.
Most excited about: Digital marketing has completely altered the landscape and it continues to evolve. Artificial intelligence is already making an impact on our everyday work. Marketing favors companies that are agile and adapt quickly.
Fun fact: At 12, I was the clubhouse boy for the AA Southern League Memphis Blues baseball team. Then in college, I interned with the athletic department. While in graduate school, I was in management with the AA Eastern League Holyoke Millers baseball team.
Industry advice: Constantly refine your skills, embrace innovation and measure results to drive continuous improvement. Harmoniously integrate your work into your life. Blend work and personal life seamlessly.
Please send items for possible publication in The Latest to EDITOR@NHBR.COM Include a color photo
