REAL ESTATE
Heidi Spencer has joined Coldwell Banker Realty in Portsmouth, NH, bringing with her more than 17 years of real estate experience as a sales agent in New Hampshire and an associate broker in Maine. Previously, she worked for Keller Williams Coastal Realty in Portsmouth for more than a decade. Spencer is a member of the National Association of REALTORS, New Hampshire Association of REALTORS, Maine Association of REALTORS, New Hampshire and Maine Multiple Listing Service and The Seacoast Board of REALTORS.
Kent White and Caitlin Burke of The Boulos Company have completed the sale of a commercial property located at 7 Lafayette Road in North Hampton. The property consists of two buildings totaling 20,645 square feet on 2.09 acres. The site was sold for $2,695,000.
HighBar Property Group and Nexthome Modern Realty recently brokered the sale of two car washes at 572 U.S. 4 in Enfield, NH, and 1049 North Main St. in White River Junction, Vt. Sam Obar, of HighBar, and Spenser Molloy, of Nexthome, represented the seller in the transaction. Both properties sold to one buyer in an as-is sale of both the business and the real estate including furniture, fixtures and equipment. The sale price is undisclosed.
ENVIRONMENT
James “Jamie” Durand — a professional wetland and soil scientist as well as an associate certified wildlife biologist — has joined GZA GeoEnvironmental as a senior consultant specializing in environmental assessment, licensing, permitting and compliance for the energy and facilities fields. Previously, he managed projects in the New England region including multiple electric transmission lines, pipelines, electric substations, submarine cable installations, and shore landing facilities for subsea cables for renewable energy projects.
The Resident Sustainability Committee at RiverWoods Durham has been honored with the Standing Ovation Award from LeadingAge Maine & New Hampshire, which recognizes the committee’s leadership in environmental advocacy, education and action. Thanks to their efforts, River-Woods Durham is now a chapter member of Senior Stewards Acting For the Environment (SSAFE), in which participating chapters work to achieve carbon neutrality by developing and implementing community-wide sustainability plans, with the goal of a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and net-zero emissions by 2050.
NONPROFITS
SpotOn GPS Fence, the New Hampshire-based pet tech company known for its award-winning GPS dog fence, has launched its second annual SpotOn Gives grant program, awarding four grants of $20,000 each to animal nonprofits across the U.S., with one category exclusively for animal organizations based in New Hampshire. Applications, open now through August 11, can be submitted at spotonfence.com/pages/spoton-gives.
Monadnock Peer Support (MPS), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting mental wellness through peer-led support, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with its new 30 for 30 campaign, which aims to raise $30,000 by asking 1,000 people to donate $30 each. Funds raised will help MPS create safe spaces for youth in the Monadnock Region.
The Nash Casino has removed maximum bet limits for all tables games, pursuant to a recent change in state law which eliminated a $50 maximum per wager. New wager limits will vary by game, but players will now have a chance to win higher payouts, and more revenue will be raised for charity, as a result.
According to state law, 35% of games of chance revenues, and 8.75% of historic horse racing (HHR) machine revenues are split evenly for two nonprofits assigned to each week of gaming. In addition, 10% of games of chance and 16.5% of HHR revenues are contributed to the state Education Trust Fund. In the first three months of operating, The Nash contributed $4.6 million to multiple New Hampshire nonprofits.
Squam Lakes Natural Science Center has been recognized with three “Best of” awards for 2025 as one of New Hampshire’s favorite destinations for family fun, outdoor adventure and nature discovery. Awards included Best Summer Outdoor Attraction in the Lakes Region (New Hampshire Magazine’s Best of NH 2025 Readers’ Poll); Best Family Attraction (Laconia Daily Sun’s Best of the Lakes Region 2025); and Best NH Family Attraction (2025 Union Leader Readers’ Choice Awards).
The board of directors of Haverhill Heritage and Court Street Arts welcomed its new executive director, Rachel Buchanan. After spending some time in the hospitality industry down in Washington, D.C., and Florida, Buchanan returned to her native New Hampshire to guide the nonprofit in its mission to bring arts and provide historic preservation to the Upper Valley.
The Bangor Savings Bank Foundation has awarded over $157,000 to 15 nonprofits across Northern New England, supporting food access, education and wellness, with a special focus on rural and underserved communities.
New Hampshire-based nonprofits awarded include Gather, which received a $7,500 grant, and the YMCA of Greater Nashua, which received a $6,000 grant. In June, Norway Savings Bank invited visitors at its North Conway branch to cast their vote for a local nonprofit to receive a $2,525 award. Recipients of the funds included: Jen’s Friends Cancer Foundation, Tin Mountain Conservation Center, Visiting Nurse Home Care & Hospice, Conway Humane Society and United Bikers of New Hampshire.
Gold Lion Insurance Agency awarded a $10,000 donation to with Salem Family Resources, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting education, health and well-being for children and families in the Salem area. The funding will cover half the annual cost of operating the space that hosts parent support groups and kids’ playgroups, while also providing essential items for families in need.
Nathan Wechsler & Company accounting professional Kim O’Connor has been appointed to the board of directors for the Baker Free Library Foundation. She will support the Foundation’s mission to strengthen and sustain the Baker Free Library through longterm financial planning and community engagement.
Monadnock Peer Support (MPS) recently received a $2,500 community grant from Eversource Energy, which will support programming that promotes independence and community connection for adults in the Monadnock region. Among the initiatives supported by the community grant is MPS’s Life Skills Group, which offers hands-on learning in essential areas such as cooking, cleaning, hygiene, budgeting, résumé writing and job interview preparation. The grant will also support field trips that promote social engagement and wellbeing among program participants.
The Aplomb Project recently announced the launch of its Art Café, Gallery + Healing Space, located at 262 Central Ave. in Dover, where visitors can enjoy an art gallery, restoration room, and an open area for sessions, workshops and events. Guests choose from drawing, painting and mixed-media materials, and rotating ideas for self-guided art-making at any level.
FINANCIAL SERVICES
Greg McConahey, SVP, senior wealth advisor, for NHTrust, has retired after four decades in the trust and wealth management field. McConahey co-founded New Hampshire Trust Company in 2002, which later merged with MillRiver Wealth Management in 2019 to become NHTrust. Michael St. Onge was hired to fill McConahey’s role as SVP, senior wealth advisor, joining the team that includes senior wealth advisor Toni Ciampaglione and wealth advisors Janelle Sartorio and Fabiana Periera.
Daniel Wandell has been named New Hampshire growth leader for Alera Group, a national independent financial and insurance services firm. Previously, Wandell was a broker consultant for Arthur J. Gallagher and Bruce Crohn Employee Benefits (now Hilb Group).
TSS Advisors, the largest professional advisory firm in the Upper Connecticut River Valley and a partner on the Ascend platform, announced that the accounting practice of Patricia H. Morse has been integrated into the firm. Morse and her team of eight financial services professionals will merge with TSS to offer tax planning and compliance services in New Hampshire and Vermont.
Merrimack County Savings Bank recently welcomed Dan Belliveau as vice president, commercial loan officer for the Greater Nashua region. Belliveau has accumulated more than 16 years of experience in credit and commercial lending, serving small and medium-sized businesses across southern New Hampshire.
Andrew Guyton of Forge Financial has been named as a President’s Council Club qualifier by the Guardian Life Insurance Company of America. This is the highest honor annually awarded by Guardian to financial professionals who demonstrate outstanding service and dedication to their clients.
Holy Rosary Credit Union (HRCU) recently announced 18 recipients of its 2025 HRCU Annual Scholarship: high school students Daniel Pack, Simon Grandmaison, Brooke Blaisdell, Olivia Annunziata-Blaisdell, and Abigail Baker; and college students Sebastian Gannon (Emory University), Katy Gregoire (UNH), Zoe Farrington (UNH), Ryan Hilliard (UNH), Jack Hatfield (Liberty University), Erick Angwenyi (UNH), Aidan Thompson (Fitchburg State University), Andersen Pickard (Rice University), Ruby Leonard (George Washington University), Anilise Brooks (UNH), Alayna Reeves (Keene State College), Zander Phachanh (Great Bay Community College) and Ethan Stokes (University of Maine Farmington).
Mike Crones, CIO for federal benefits administrator FedPoint, was named a finalist for the 2025 BostonCIO ORBIE Awards — a technology executive recognition program in New England, honoring CIOs who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership. Finalists and winners are selected based on leadership and management effectiveness, business value created by technology innovation, and engagement in industry and community endeavors.
LAW
Attorney Sandra F. O’Neill has joining Sheehan Phinney’s Boston office as a shareholder. She is a tax lawyer who is also a member of the firm’s Corporate Group. O’Neill received her juris doctorate and a B.A. in economics from Harvard Law School.
Chair of Shaheen & Gordon’s Immigration Practice, attorney Ron Abramson has been named to the 2025 Forbes Best-In-State Lawyers List, which debuted on June 25 this year. Abramson was one of six attorneys in New Hampshire recognized, and the only immigration lawyer named from New England in honor of his leadership in the immigration legal field. He began his career with the New Hampshire Public Defender in 1993 and joined Shaheen & Gordon in 2019.
New Hampshire Legal Assistance (NHLA) was recently awarded $1,010,000 from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation’s Interest on Lawyers Trust Accounts (IOLTA) Grants Program to provide civil legal aid to low-income Granite Staters. IOLTA grants are funded by interest from pooled trust accounts maintained by New Hampshire attorneys, which will go towards NHLA’s work that focuses on housing, domestic violence and public benefits access.
RETAIL
NH Liquor & Wine Outlets was named to Beverage Dynamics’ Top 100 Retailers List, ranked at No. 5. Since 2020, the Outlets has been ranked in the beverage industry journal’s top 10, rising to No. 6 in 2023 and 2024. New Hampshire remains the only control state featured in the top 10 among private companies. In addition, Joseph W. Mollica was reappointed as chairman of the NH Liquor Commission for a four-year term. His nomination by Governor Kelly Ayotte was confirmed at the New Hampshire Executive Council’s June 25 meeting.
LaBelle Winery has won multiple top placements in the Union Leader’s 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards: first place for Best NH chef (Justin Bernatchez), Best NH vineyard/winery and Best NH wine bar; and second place for Best NH banquet/event facility and Best NH wedding venue. LaBelle was also recognized as a top wedding venue in New Hampshire in the 2025 Couples’ Choice Award from WeddingWire and the 2025 Best of Weddings Award from The Knot, based on wedding-couple reviews.
ENGINEERING
Engineering and technical consulting firm Sanborn, Head & Associates has promoted Jennifer Sanborn to senior vice president of talent and Shawn Kelley to vice president. Sanborn has been with the firm for over 20 years, and is a current member of the company’s Executive Committee. Kelley joined the firm in 2018, and in his new role will focus on project success, sustaining client relationships and building networks while fostering a culture of learning and development.
Civil engineering firm Civilworks New England has opened its newest office at 20 Homestead Place, Suite B, in Alton, NH. Licensed in New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, Civilworks is a 100% employee stock ownership (ESOP) company that focuses on civil site design for private developers, corporate clients, architects, engineers and contractors.
Waypoint’s Keith Kuenning awarded
Waypoint’s recently retired advocacy director, Keith Kuenning, has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Sandi Van Scoyoc Legacy Award for championing policies and programs that improved the lives of vulnerable children and families over the course of his 13-year tenure. The award recognizes an individual working with a New Hampshire nonprofit who demonstrates commitment and/or innovation toward improving the health of New Hampshire’s children and families. Kuenning was presented the award by Children’s Health Foundation President Gail Garceau.
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