This year, NH Business Review marks the 23rd anniversary of our Business Excellence Awards, which celebrate the initiative, creativity and tenacity of the Granite State’s business community.
In all of those years, the Business Excellence Awards have been presented to over 300 exceptional Granite Staters — people from across the state whose accomplishments can inspire others to make their own mark on New Hampshire’s future. This year, we recognize 15 businesspeople who embody the resilience and passion needed to defeat the odds and build a successful business.
Each of them has a unique story to tell, but what they all have in common is ambition, industriousness, the ability to cultivate innovative solutions, and respect for their employees, vendors, customers and clients. And each shares a commitment to serving their communities that will impact our state for generations to come.
And again this year, we celebrate the induction of another member of our Business Excellence Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame honors people whose entire careers have been devoted not just to the business community of New Hampshire, but the whole state, and often beyond our borders.
This year’s winner, Renee Plummer, is the embodiment of that description. We’re thrilled to honor and thank Plummer for her accomplishments and contributions to New Hampshire, and beyond.
Finally, we’d like to acknowledge all of the 2025 nominees, the people who have nominated business leaders over the past 23 years, the judges who have given their time to select our honorees and, of course, all of our past and present Business Excellence Award winners, who have set the standard for business success in New Hampshire.
Hall of Fame
Renee Plummer
Renee Plummer is vice president of marketing for Two International Group, a commercial real estate development company. Plummer has been a driving force in transforming the former Pease Air Force Base into the flourishing business complex that is Pease International Tradeport by helping over 250 businesses find homes there.
In addition to her business success, Plummer has a deep commitment to her community and has been a force for good in her work with numerous nonprofit groups and other organizations. In 2005, Sen. John Sununu, R-NH, appointed her to be one of the New Hampshire representatives at the Business and Professional Women’s Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.
Plummer's speaking engagements have included the 2005 commencement address at the University of New Hampshire’s Thompson School of Applied Science, the 2003 Business Women in Leadership Conference (also at UNH), and she was the 2016 commencement speaker at Great Bay Community College. She has also emceed countless other events, both business and charitable.
Business & Professional Services — Large
David Vicinanzo, Partner, Nixon Peabody LLP
David A. Vicinanzo is a trial lawyer representing clients from Fortune 100 companies to pro bono cases across New England, New York and Washington, D.C. He served as a federal prosecutor for many years, including as an advisor to the U.S. attorney general, a special prosecutor in Washington, D.C., acting U.S. attorney in New Jersey, and first assistant U.S. attorney in New Hampshire, prosecuting high-profile cases. Vicinanzo headed the national government investigations practice at Nixon Peabody LLP for more than a decade before assuming the role of lead counsel representing child abuse victims over a 50-year period at the NH Youth Development Center and other state child facilities. To date, he and his team have recovered over $100 million for the victims, not including a recent $38 million Rockingham jury verdict for victim David Meehan, the largest personal injury verdict in NH history.
Business & Professional Services — Small
Dirk Nadon, President & CEO, Lakes FM 101.5
Dirk Nadon started working in radio and media in Laconia 45 years ago while living in Gilford. Along the way, his career found him spending time in Boston, Manchester and Concord. He later returned to the Lakes Region to buy Lakes FM 101.5 in Meredith, a station he and his step-dad started together back in 1988. Lakes Media now owns six radio stations serving the Concord, Lakes Region, Littleton, Lancaster, Mount Washington, Conway and Ossipee Lake areas.
Consumer Services — Small
Carl Fimbel, President, Fimbel Garage Doors
Carl Fimbel is an ambitious leader who masterfully balances revenue-generating business strategy with a passion for serving others. When Fimbel joined the family business after graduating high school, the company had been operating for 53 years, with two generations coming before him. After years overseeing operations of the manufacturing plant, Fimbel led a transition to retail sales and technical services – a move that solidified Fimbel Garage Door’s presence in southern New Hampshire. Throughout his tenure leading this division, Fimbel has driven a team of experts to further the legacy of his family. As Fimbel Garage Doors celebrates 101 years in business, Fimbel’s own legacy as an individual is comprised of unmatched business acumen, selfless devotion to creating a thriving society, and a love for those friends and businesses who have supported him along the way.
Financial Services — Large
Marcus Weeks, President, Meredith Village Savings Bank
Marcus Weeks is the president of MVSB, a community-focused mutual savings bank that has been serving the essential banking needs of people, businesses, nonprofits and municipalities in New Hampshire for 156 years. Today, the Bank has 15 offices in 14 New Hampshire communities. Weeks has worked for MVSB since the start of his career as student teller in high school, later serving as mortgage loan officer, business development officer, branch and business development manager and senior vice president retail banking officer, before being promoted to president in 2022. He is an active volunteer for numerous nonprofits throughout his career. He is involved with various boards, including for the Boys & Girls Club of Central NH, Geneva Point Center, Spaulding Academy & Family Services, and is a Lakes Region Community College President’s Advisory Council member.
Financial Services — Small
Steve Saltzman, President & CEO, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund
Steve Saltzman joined the NH Community Loan Fund in April 2021. An 18-year veteran of the industry, Saltzman is passionate about connecting people with financing and protecting them from predatory lending. Under his leadership, the fund has grown both its balance sheet and scope, experiencing the highest impact and strongest financial sustainability of its 40-year history. Since June 2021, the organization’s portfolio of loans has grown from $147 million to $205 million. Because of his work, he was appointed to the national CDFI Coalition board in 2024. Saltzman was nominated by Gov. Kelly Ayotte and confirmed by the Executive Council as a member of the board of trustees of the NH Retirement System, beginning in March 2025. He also serves on the Center for Impact Advisory Board at UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy, the Policy Committee for the NH Center for Nonprofits, and the board of the Foundation for Healthy Communities.
Health Care — Large
Tom Mee, CEO, North Country Healthcare
Tom Mee, RN, BSN, MBA, has more than 36 years of experience in health care administration leadership, most recently as North Country Healthcare (NCH) CEO since 2019. Previously, Mee served as president and CEO of McLaren Greater Lansing in Flint, Michigan, a branch of McLaren Health Care, mid-Michigan’s largest health care system. He also held the positions of COO, VP of operations, and chief nursing officer at McLaren. He also served as the VP of physician services at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oaks, Michigan, and was an adjunct instructor at both Michigan State University and Oakland University. Mee earned his Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1985 from Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan, and his MBA in finance in 1990 from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Health Care — Small
Mark S. Morris, DDS, Merrimack Smiles
Dr. Mark S. Morris grew up in Rangely, Colorado, and later attended Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, where he received a B.S. degree in cellular and molecular biology while playing intercollegiate football and club rugby. Morris went on to work with children in a pediatric dental practice. In 2010, he graduated from the University of Colorado Denver, School of Dental Medicine, later completing a general practice residency in hospital dentistry at the University of Colorado in 2011. The residency provided advanced education and training in comprehensive dentistry including extractions, root canals, pediatrics, prosthodontics, emergencies and implant dentistry. He now lives with his wife, Maggie, and their children in Merrimack, NH.
Manufacturing — Small
Evan Behrens, Owner, White Mountain Paper Company
Evan Behrens has more than 25 years of experience operating and investing in businesses across market cycles and industries. Since acquiring the White Mountain Paper Company mill in Gorham out of bankruptcy in 2020, Behrens has dedicated himself to transforming a once-declining business into a thriving, sustainable operation that preserves jobs and bolsters regional development. His career includes leadership roles at SEACOR Holdings and chairing Trailer Bridge’s turnaround. He has also been involved in notable investments, including stakes in Penford Products, MGP Ingredients, and Illinois Corn Processing, often driving growth and strategic change. Previously, Behrens held senior positions at top hedge funds and was a founder and CEO of his own fund. He is currently the managing partner of Behrens Investment Group and serves on the boards of Oppenheimer Holdings (NYSE: OPY) and Hornbeck Offshore Services.
Nonprofit — Large
Maureen Beauregard, President & CEO, Easterseals NH and VT
Maureen Beauregard initially joined Easterseals in 2019, where she has led more than 1,600 employees in serving the diverse needs of nearly 19,500 children, families, adults, seniors and veterans each year. Beauregard has steered the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and overseen a successful strategic planning process, providing vision and momentum for the agency. She has also spearheaded several large-scale infrastructure projects that will benefit the organization’s clients and their families, including Champlin Place, Gammon Academy, and the Easterseals Military & Veterans Campus now open in Franklin. Previously, Beauregard founded Families in Transition–New Hampshire in 1991. Under her leadership, FIT grew to become one of the state’s largest organizations addressing homelessness. Additionally, Beauregard was appointed by Gov. Chris Sununu to serve on the University of New Hampshire’s board of trustees, a term that began in July 2024 and runs through June 2028.
Nonprofit — Small
Michael Apfelberg, President, United Way of Greater Nashua
In Mike Apfelberg's 10 years at United Way, the organization has been transformed in terms of its community impact, volunteer engagement and fundraising approaches. Prior to leading United Way, Apfelberg owned a local family business that specialized in screen printing and embroidery. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in various quality assurance and customer service roles in the printing and publishing industry. Apfelberg hails from the Central Coast of California, and has lived with his wife, Kerstin, in Rhode Island, Texas, Illinois and Germany, where he studied at the University of Heidelberg. Apfelberg serves as a governor-appointed commissioner on the NH Higher Education Commission, is a member of the Nashua Community College Advisory Board, and is a member of the Merrimack-Souhegan Valley Chamber of Commerce. He also helped support Ukrainian refugees in Romania and performed community development service in Honduras with the Rotary Club of Nashua-West, where Apfelberg is a Paul Harris Fellow.
Real Estate and Construction — Large
James Hasselbeck, Chief Operating Officer, ReVision Energy
With a focus on safety, quality and execution, James Hasselbeck leads ReVision Energy’s operational teams in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He joined ReVision Energy in 2012 after years in the Municipal Water and Wastewater design-build construction industry, including many renewable energy projects. Since then, he has supported the growth and expansion of the many teams involved in engineering, building and maintaining PV, EV, storage and thermal systems. An early advocate of long-term solar system performance and design, he joined the board of the Amicus Operations & Maintenance Cooperative in 2018 to help improve the quality, consistency and cost structure of large-scale system maintenance via a national cooperative model. Since 2019, he's been involved with the leadership committee of the ReVision Energy Electrical Apprenticeship Program.
Real Estate and Construction — Small
Michael Turcotte, Owner, Turn Cycle Solutions
Mike Turcotte is the founder of Turn Cycle Solutions, a company built on grit, persistence, and exactly $364 in the bank. What started as a pipe dream has grown into a 30+ person operation blending high-performance weatherization with full-scale design-build contracting, from cutting energy bills to transforming buildings inside and out. Turcotte's mission is to make every project functional and built to last. In 2023, Turcotte and his family launched Clean Up Your Mess Dumpsters, a roll-off rental company that brings the same all-in mentality of being clean, sharp and dependable organization.
Social Equity — Large
Josephine Moran, President & CEO, Ledyard Financial Group
Josephine Moran is a seasoned financial services executive with over 25 years of leadership experience across community banking, investment services, residential and consumer lending, business banking, and customer experience. At Ledyard National Bank, she leads the strategic direction of a trusted financial institution, and is a member of the board as well as the Executive Committee. Previously, she held several senior leadership roles at Provident Bank, Columbia Bank, Webster Bank, Santander Bank and Wells Fargo (Wachovia). She serves on the board of governors at the University of New Haven, and also chairs the Pompea College of Business Advisory Board, is the chair of the Student Affairs Committee, and is the founder of the University’s Women’s Leadership Council. Moran also serves on boards for the Boston Federal Reserve, the BIA of NH and Granite State United Way. Nationally, she represents NH on the American Bankers Association’s Government Relations Committee and serves on the ABA Women’s CEO Peer Leadership Group.
Social Equity — Small
Anthony Poore, President & CEO, NH Center for Justice & Equity
Anthony Poore has worked in support of equitable systems change and sustainable inclusive communities for more than 33 years as a community organizer, economic development practitioner, academic, housing advocate, policy analyst and executive. Prior to his current role, Poore managed AP Consulting Group, working with financial institutions and community-based organizations developing/leading public-private economic development projects across the Granite State. From 2018 to 2021, Poore served as the executive director of New Hampshire Humanities. From 2010 to 2018, he worked with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston in a variety of leadership roles, directing research and policy initiatives of the Boston Fed’s Regional and Community Outreach Department. Prior to that, he served as the assistant dean for SNHU’s School of Economic Development. Poore currently serves on the board of directors for the New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority.
Technology — Large
Paige Yeater, Chief Operations & Information Security Officer, Mainstay Technologies
Paige Yeater is a seasoned executive who currently holds dual roles at Mainstay Technologies, a NH-based managed service provider, where she leads the company’s business operations and cybersecurity strategy. With a career rooted in intentional growth and strategic decision-making, Yeater has always followed two guiding questions: How can I learn something new? and how can I positively impact what I touch? Whether launching a new initiative, stepping into a new leadership position, or tackling complex cross-functional challenges, Yeater brings a blend of operational rigor, systems thinking, and people-first leadership. Her work is marked by a belief in “failing forward”— creating space for experimentation, learning and authentic progress. She serves on the boards of Leveling the Fields and the NH Tech Alliance, both nonprofits dedicated to supporting women in technology. She was the 2021 NHTA Tech Professional of the Year, and is a 2022 graduate of Leadership NH.
