ENGINEERING
Nobis Group, a 100% employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering and environmental solutions throughout the Northeast, has opened its new office in Lowell, Mass. The new office will provide a more accessible location for employees to collaborate, reflecting its commitment to growth and delivering high-quality solutions for clients.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
St. Mary’s Bank welcomed David Dearborn to the business development team. He was previously the assistant vice president at M&T Bank in Portsmouth and held roles at three of the largest banks in the country, helping commercial banking clients with fraud mitigation, business lending, cash management, payment acceptance solutions, and more.
Franklin Savings Bank recently granted $7,500 to 603 United to support the purchase of a special projector system to be used within their new theater stage and performance area. The projector will help enhance the daily activities of the nonprofit’s participants — adults with intellectual disabilities — including singing, dancing, Wii Fit and other interactive games, and movie showings for the local community.
Merrimack County Savings Bank welcomed Marissa McDaniel to its Business Development Team as a business development officer for Southern New Hampshire, based out of the bank’s Windham and Nashua branches. She started her career as a teller in 2001, and over the years has served as branch manager, business development manager and worked in mortgage lending.
Primary Bank has appointed New Hampshire native and NBA Star Duncan Robinson of the Miami Heat to its board of directors. Robinson received a double major in sport management and political science from the University of Michigan, and helped the men’s basketball team reach the National Championship in 2018. Robinson previously hosted a successful podcast, “The Long Shot Podcast,” where he explored a range of topics beyond basketball, including sports culture and personal development.
The NH Business Finance Authority (NHBFA) has announced the honorees of this year’s Granite State Awards in celebration of their contributions to helping New Hampshire businesses access capital. Honorees are: Bond Deal of the Year, Ike Papadopoulos of Stifel, for his work on Pennichuck Water; Community Impact Award, Peter Rayno of Enterprise Bank, for securing financing for Marguerite’s Place; Loan Participation of the Year, John Bortolotto of Mascoma Bank, for his role in supporting Lilly’s Fresh Pasta; CAP Lender of the Year, Katie Reid of Bank of New Hampshire, for closing the most CAP loans of any NH lender; and Veteran Deal of the Year, Meredith Village Savings Bank, for its support of Thresher Diver’s Surf Shop, a veteran-owned business.
St. Mary’s Bank recently welcomed Lisa Martin to the mortgage specialists’ team. She previously held the role of construction loan specialist at TD Bank in Derry. She holds affiliate memberships with the Granite State South Board of Realtors, the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation and the Greater Derry Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.
Machias Savings Bank has hired Ben Wheeler as regional market manager in New Hampshire. He worked most recently as senior vice president, commercial banking manager at Savings Bank of Walpole, and previously held commercial banking roles at NBT Bank and TD Bank.
R.M. Davis, a private wealth management firm in northern New England, recently welcomed new hires: Marianne Loew, CFA, joined as vice president and client advisor, and Erin McCrossin has been hired as a client relationship associate. Prior to joining R.M. Davis, McCrossin was an operations specialist at Empress Investment Group, and Loew was a senior portfolio manager at The Colony Group in Concord.
Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) announced that Nicole Ames, MVSB mortgage loan officer (NMLS# 2370119), was recently named a 2024-2025 New Hampshire Housing Homeownership Fellow. Eleven New Hampshire professionals who work with homebuyers were accepted to the program, which allows participants to explore the mortgage finance system and participate in workshops about housing and public policy, housing and economic development, state government issues and New Hampshire Housing’s homeownership programs. Nicole joined MVSB in 2022 and serves customers throughout Strafford County with their mortgage lending needs.
Franklin Savings Bank has promoted Aimee Messer to AVP, senior credit analyst, and Jenn Prince to AVP, marketing and community engagement officer. Messer joined the bank in 2004 as a teller, advancing into several positions before gaining her current role. Prince joined the bank in 2020 as a digital marketing manager and was later promoted to marketing and community engagement officer in 2023.
REAL ESTATE
Brian Dano, CCIM, has joined SVN The Masiello Group, as its new managing director. Dano has been part of SVN The Masiello Group since December 2020 when he joined as a senior commercial real estate advisor.
RETAIL
Carhartt, a family-owned workwear brand since 1889, has opened a new retail store in Salem, NH, in the Tuscan Village. The store will feature Carhartt’s gear for men, women and children, as well as footwear and accessories. Additionally, the store will participate in Carhartt Reworked, the workwear brand’s resale program designed to give previously worn or slightly imperfect gear to those who need it most.
ENERGY
New England Women in Energy and the Environment (NEWIEE) — a community of more than 1,200 active members dedicated to diversifying the energy and environmental fields — has appointed several new members to its board of directors: president, Catherine Finneran, vice president of transmission project development for siting and project services at Eversource Energy; vice president, Sarah Adams state policy advisor for ISO New England; treasurer, Kristin Dupre, vice president of strategy and development for Adobe Energy Management; clerk, Kelly Smith, onshore package manager at Ocean Winds; Janel Granum, program director of student and young adult initiatives for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center; and Laurel Boivin, owner of professional coaching firm Flux+Flow.
AUTOMOTIVE
Daniel Dagesse, co-owner and chairman of Nucar Automall of Tilton, a Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Kia, Nissan, Ram and Volkswagen dealership in Tilton, NH, has been nominated for the 2025 TIME Dealer of the Year award. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a commitment to community service. Dagesse was chosen to represent the NH Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 56th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.
EDUCATION
Aaron Howell is the University of New Hampshire’s new executive vice president for finance and administration, pending approval by the University System of New Hampshire board of trustees later this month. In this role, Howell will oversee the university’s $750 million budget, including over $200 million in competitive external research funding, as well as a workforce of more than 500 employees, including finance, facilities, hospitality and campus services, human resources and the UNH Police Department.
NONPROFITS
Meghan Douglas Hanson has been honored with a Spirit of NH Award by Volunteer NH for her outstanding volunteer work on the One Credit Union board of directors. Meghan’s dedication to her community and her advocacy for financial literacy and economic development is evident in her role as the only women-certified credit union board director in New Hampshire and Vermont, placing her in a select group nationwide. She and her husband, Andrew, own and operate multiple businesses, offering housing and vacation rentals throughout the state, as well as providing mentorship and support to fellow entrepreneurs.
The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation announced over $34,000 in grants to strengthen New Hampshire communities. A $2,500 grant went to Waypoint, a nonprofit that supports New Hampshire’s most vulnerable youth, to help bolster shelter and services as well as provide essentials like food, transportation and clothing.
Other grants include $5,000 to Southeastern New Hampshire Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services and $5,000 to The Front Door Agency, Inc.
Great Bay Community College (GBCC) received a $60,000 grant from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to support college access and completion for residents of Dover and Portsmouth Housing Authorities. This funding will help individuals in the community who face financial barriers to gain access to postsecondary education opportunities.
Home health and hospice agency Granite VNA recently promoted three senior leaders to new roles in the organization. Sarah DeFalco, previously chief human resource officer, is now chief administrative officer; Julie Stone, formerly vice president of strategy, becomes chief strategy officer; and Angela Arria, who served as vice president of home care, was promoted to vice president of home care and hospice.
HEALTH CARE
Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine has hired Dr. Abigail Boduch, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and trauma, who will be the practice’s first female surgeon. Her previous roles included time spent working with high school and collegiate athletes as well as the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins.
St. Teresa Rehabilitation and Nursing Center has appointed Rory Blinn as its new administrator, managing the daily operations, personnel and resident care experience for the 51-bed facility in Manchester. Previously, Blinn was the administrator for Berkeley Retirement Home, a 44-bed nursing center in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and held administrator roles at three Genesis Healthcare facilities in Massachusetts.
Anne Jamieson has been named chair of the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital board of trustees. She initially started her career as a registered nurse, ascending to multiple executive roles, and has been a lecturer in the Health Management and Policy department at the University of New Hampshire.
LAW
McLane Middleton was recently recognized in the 2024 Benchmark Litigation rankings as “highly recommended” in New Hampshire for Dispute Resolution, the highest-level rank given out by Benchmark Litigation. Firm attorneys Bruce W. Felmly, Wilbur A. Glahn III, Scott H. Harris, Jennifer L. Parent and Mark C. Rouvalis were all recognized individually as “Litigation Star(s).” Parent was also recognized as a “2024 Top 250 Women in Litigation.” Alexandra S. Cote was recognized on the “40 and Under List,” Alexandra and Steven J. Dutton were both recognized in the “Future Star(s)” list.
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
Jessyca Keeler, President Ski New Hampshire
Education: St. Lawrence University
Career history: Jessyca started in the ski industry at Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid as a snow reporter, then worked for the Olympic Regional Development Authority’s corporate sponsorships department. That landed her at American Skiing Company, where she was director of partnership marketing. She worked with companies on sponsorships, PR, and marketing campaigns before joining Ski NH.
She’s worked with people from all over the state and across different industries on numerous issues. She is most passionate about advocacy that will steer us towards a low-carbon future and hopefully the preservation of winter for generations to come.
Most important business lesson: Strong relationships, the willingness to listen to others, and working with the right people are critical for success.
Most excited about: The ski industry has proven to be very resilient in the face of climate change and other challenges. I see continued innovation and diversification as helping our industry weather these challenges into the future.
What keeps you up at night? Despite our ability to adapt to more erratic winter weather, increasingly warm temperatures during the winter season can make it more challenging to make snow and lead to people adopting other activities during the winter months.
Fun fact: When I have the time, I love to dance Argentine tango.
Industry advice: We’re stronger and can accomplish so much more when we work together, both within the industry and with partners outside of the industry.
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