NONPROFITS
Liberty House was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Service Credit Union Impact Foundation and Robert Irvine Foundation to support the nonprofit’s transitional housing program for veterans facing homelessness, post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury and other challenges. Liberty House also operates a community pantry that provides food, clothing, transportation, and other forms of basic needs assistance for veterans in the community.
The Granite YMCA welcomed Danielle Tellier as its vice president of operations, overseeing the Y’s health intervention programs and services and collaborations with other YMCAs, local hospitals, the federal government and CDC. She has served in management and leadership roles throughout her career, most recently serving as regional director of sales and operations for Live Fit Gym and Wellness Club out of San Francisco, California.
Friends Forever International, a pioneer in global youth empowerment based in Durham, NH, has welcomed three new members to its board of directors, who joined in 2024: Jessica Maye, a registered nurse at Tayside Hospital in Scotland; Kate Friedrich, vice president of government affairs at Thomson Reuters; and Jeff Fahey, an actor and dedicated humanitarian. In addition, Tim Allison, executive director of the Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges, will serve as chair; Christine Dwyer, senior vice president at RMC Research, is vice chair; Darcy Peyser, an attorney at Durbin Law Offices, is secretary; and Robert Gibson, enterprise sales director at Toast, is treasurer.
Catholic Charities NH has named Andrea Hechavarria, president and CEO of NH Life Sciences, and Andrew MacWilliam, retired as senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, to its board of trustees.
Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) is helping empower local youth with a $25,000 investment to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua. Funded through the NH Community Development Finance Authority (CDFA), the contribution will go toward the organization’s Power of YOUth capital campaign focused on renovations that will increase access to affordable child care and address the need for greater mental health support.
The New Hampshire Community Loan Fund has announced two new hires: Abby Bronson, director of policy and advocacy, and Mark Cheever, director of investor relations. Bronson is a former legislative aide to Senator Maggie Hassan, and Cheever is a former partnerships director for the President’s Society for the Appalachian Mountain Club.
Quirk Chevrolet purchased nine vehicles for Farmsteads of New England to help enhance transportation services for individuals with developmental disabilities and acquired brain disorders. The 2024 Chevy Equinox models are equipped with advanced safety features and ample space, making them ideal for transporting people of all abilities in comfort and safety. These new vehicles will allow Farmsteads to expand its service offerings and improve operational efficiency.
RETAIL
IT’SUGAR, one of the largest specialty candy retailers in the U.S., has opened a 2,000-square-foot candy store in the Mall at Rockingham in Salem. IT’SUGAR guests can choose from over 300 pick n’ mix candy bins with fillable options that range from private-label items to international favorites.
SoClean, a leader in sleep equipment hygiene, announced the planned discontinuation of filter kits for the SoClean 2 and SoClean 3 devices effective February 28, 2025. The vast majority of units in the field exceed five years of age, beyond their useful-life expectation. The company reminds consumers that filters should not be used for longer than six months, and only genuine SoClean filter kits should be used with SoClean products. For more information, visit SoClean.com.
REAL ESTATE
New Hampshire company Elm Brook Capital, LLC has announced the successful arrangement of $15 million in construction financing for a real estate developer on Martha’s Vineyard. The funding will support the construction of three new residential homes on the island, contributing to the area’s growing residential development. With offices in Hopkinton and Portsmouth, NH, Elm Brook Capital is a private lending broker with over 20 years of experience specializing in short-term loans for real estate investors with a variety of loan options.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp (NHMB) recently welcomed Jonathan Dowst as executive vice president and chief strategy officer, based in Concord at NHMB’s Foundry St. operations facility. Previously, Dowst was president and CEO of Pentucket Bank and president of River Run Bancorp MHC in Haverhill, Mass. He also had a 30-year history in a variety of executive-level positions at Bank of America in Manchester, Boston and New York.
Franklin Savings Bank recently purchased $2,500 in CDFA tax credits to assist the Newfound Lake Region Association with the development of a conservation center at the Grey Rocks Conservation Area in Hebron.
The Grey Rocks center will serve the growing needs of the watershed, the community, and Newfound Lake Region Association as a hub for watershed science, a community gathering place, an educational center and an example of sustainable development.
Baker Newman Noyes has announced some leadership changes. Kimberly Pecora is the new principal-in-charge of the firm’s Manchester office; Lauren Hale has been promoted to senior manager in the business and technology advisory practice; Alex Patnode, CPA, MSA, has been promoted to manager in the tax practice; and Paige Ricci, MHA, has been promoted to senior manager in the business and technology advisory practice. The following employees were also promoted: Abigail Cook has been promoted to senior in the assurance practice; Jonas Eichenlaub has been promoted to senior in the information systems and risk assurance practice; Emma Rogers has been promoted to senior marketing coordinator, marketing and branding in the marketing department; and Elsa Vinacco has been promoted to senior in the business and technology advisory practice.
Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently announced the 12 winners of the Bank’s Brand Behavior Awards, a biannual recognition of employees who demonstrate behavior that exemplifies the Bank’s core values. Jeanne Canty, assistant vice president consumer collections manager, and Wren Newenham, dispute analyst, are the recipients of the Communication Award. Kylee Beaucage, branch relationship manager, and Rachel Flanagan, assistant branch manager, are the recipients of the Initiative Award. Nichole England, branch relationship manager, and MyMy Nguyen, VP portfolio manager, are the recipients of the Positivity Award. Heidi Grindle, accounts payable manager, and Sharon Mahoney, personal banker, are the recipients of the Professionalism Award. Nikos Kalampalikis, AVP branch relationship manager, and Maggie Swett, personal banker, are the recipients of the Quality Award. And Colleen Paquette, AVP branch relationship manager, and Janis Wells, administrative coordinator, are the recipients of the Teamwork Award.
Samantha Riggas has been promoted to VP of technology at Granite State Credit Union. Riggas spent 14 years working in various branch positions at the credit union, including branch management, prior to expanding her credit union expertise in HR and training and business solutions.
Back in December, Northwestern Mutual named Jason (Jay) Kalil to managing partner of its Manchester location. Kalil has been working at Northwestern Mutual for 21 years, first starting as a financial representative and progressing his way up to managing director in Boston. Throughout his career, Kalil has earned distinction in his field, earning recognition as an advisor as a three-time Lives Leader Summit Qualifier, a six-time OARS award winner, and consistently leading his district to top-10 rankings for its college internship programs.
With the support of local community members, Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) collected 1,933 mittens, hats, gloves and scarves during their annual Mitten Tree drive, which took place around the holidays. The Bank has matched the contribution with $2 per item – a total of $3,866 that will be split between 11 local nonprofits addressing childhood food insufficiency. The recipients for this year’s matching donation included End 68 Hours of Hunger programs serving Alton, Exeter, North Conway, Portsmouth, Rochester and Wolfeboro, along with local Got Lunch! programs serving Gilford, Ashland and Holderness, Inter-Lakes, Laconia and Plymouth.
CONSTRUCTION
Insurcomm, a provider of restoration and construction services across the United States, has appointed Kelly Brewer as the new CEO, succeeding Doug Indelicato, who will step into another role leading Insurcomm’s sales and marketing efforts. Most recently, Brewer served as senior vice president of network strategy and technology at Crown Castle, where she led the network team responsible for engineering, innovation and new product development. Before that, she was the COO at Tilson, a nationwide telecommunications services firm, where she achieved impressive growth and led the company to be named to the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies for 11 consecutive years.
Chris Oldham has joined DECCO’s leadership team as vice president of planning and development. Previously, he served as executive vice president at JM Coull and director of project management at DPS/Arcadis. In his new role, Oldham will help drive DECCO’s expansion, focusing on areas such as constructability consulting, national service alliances and process systems validation.
GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc. (GZA) — a multi-disciplinary firm providing geotechnical, environmental, ecological, water, and construction management services — has been retained by the NH Department of Transportation (NHDOT) to provide final design and environmental permitting services for repairing and reconstructing 14 seawalls stretching 3.2 miles alongside NH Route 1A in North Hampton and Rye that were damaged during storms in March 2018 and authorized for federal disaster assistance. GZA will serve as prime consultant on the seven-year project, leading a team that also includes HNTB Corp.; Surveying and Mapping, LLC.; Independent Archaeological Consulting, LLC; and Preservation Company.
AGRICULTURE
The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation (NE-DBIC) announced a $1.1 million investment in regional dairy processing through the Dairy Co-Packing Grant, which supports the development of new and expanded copacking capabilities for processors. The grant is eligible for dairy processors who are starting new co-packing partnerships; dairy processors with existing co-packing services who want to scale up, add new products or expand partnerships; and dairy brands that use or plan to use co-packing services. Award amounts will range from $15,000 to $150,000, with a 25% in-kind and/or cash match. Applications are open now through April 10. Visit nedairyinnovation.com/processor-copacking-startup-grant/ for more information.
ARTS & CULTURE
The New Hampshire Music Festival has named Erin Brooker-Miller as executive director. She was brought on as festival director in March 2024 to assist co-executive directors and festival musicians Joe Higgins and Tido Janssen with the planning and execution of the 2024 summer season. Higgins and Janssen will both remain involved in the artistic leadership of the festival and maintain their positions on the board of directors. Artistic decision-making will stay within the realm of the musicians of the Festival.
HEALTH CARE
Concord Hospital Health System (CHHS) has added the da Vinci 5 surgical robot, the latest in robotic-assisted surgical technology, to its rotation of services. The da Vinci 5 is designed to improve treatment outcomes, enhance efficiency and provide actionable insights for the future of minimally invasive surgery. It is used for procedures in urology, gynecology, thoracic and general surgery, offering patients several benefits, including reduced pain and discomfort; less blood loss; lower risk of complications and infections; minimal scarring; and faster recovery times. The robot also features enhanced control for intricate procedures, gentler surgery with reduced tissue impact, and realistic 3D imaging with improved resolution and color accuracy.
ENGINEERING
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has named Dr. Ivan Beckman director of the Engineer and Research Development Center’s (ERDC) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). As director, Dr. Beckman will provide strategic guidance and policy direction for the laboratory’s operations, and spearheads its comprehensive research, development, technology, and program management initiatives. The Hanover, NH, laboratory is one of seven that comprise ERDC, and a global leader in research and technical solutions that meet operational difficulties encountered in the Earth’s cold regions. Dr. Beckman previously served as CRREL’s deputy director and prior to that as a research mechanical engineer within the Computational Analysis Branch at ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Dr. Beckman retired as a Colonel after 30 years of active-duty U.S. Army service and leadership, holding command and staff positions in Korea, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Colorado, and deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
COMMUNICATIONS
Montagne Powers, a full-service public relations and strategic communications firm, recently hired Charlie Sebastyn as an account executive, and Gabriella Pais as an assistant account executive. Sebastyn was recently employed by a Boston-based communications firm specializing in business, health care and climate technology. Pais recently worked at a Los Angeles-based public relations and social media firm specializing in luxury real estate.
Susan Geier new exec. dir. of Loeb School
The Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications has named Susan Geier its new executive director, succeeding Laura Simoes, who served in the role since January 2020.
Geier is the former communication director for AgeSpan, a human services organization in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Additionally, she has worked for Shaheen & Gordon, PA, Citizens Count, Community Action Partnership of Strafford County, and in public health communications roles.
She is a freelance consultant and writer, and an award-winning journalist for the Granite State News Collaborative and other New Hampshire-based publications. Geier is on the board of directors for Dismas Home of NH and was previously on the board of directors for Leadership Seacoast (class of 2016), where she served as chair, and the Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
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