Maine State Credit Union appoints Abbott teller supervisor

Shane Abbott has been appointed teller supervisor at Maine State Credit Union’s Capitol Street branch in Augusta, according to a news release from the credit union.

Jill Michaud, the previous teller supervisor, retired after 30 years.

Abbott has worked at the credit union for more than eight years. He started his career there in the finance group and has spent the last five years processing loans in the indirect lending department.

Abbott is a graduate of the University of Maine and a board member of the Hall-Dale Youth Basketball program and the Hall-Dale Little League. He lives in Farmingdale with his wife, Amy, and two children.

Belair to rejoin medical staff at Franklin Memorial

After a year’s absence to provide obstetrical hospitalist services for OB Hospitalist Group in Mountain View and Salinas, California, Dr. Jacques Belair is rejoining the medical staff of Franklin Health Women’s Care and Franklin Memorial Hospital on May 2 in Farmington.

Belair is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist who first joined the women’s care practice and Franklin Memorial Hospital in 1999, working there for 16 years. Belair completed his residency at McGill University’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency Program in 1983 after receiving his medical degree from Sherbrooke University Faculty of Medicine, in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He has more than 35 years of experience in obstetrics and gynecology.

Belair’s specialized medical interests are colposcopy, ultrasound and menopause.

Human resources speaker to focus on workers’ compensation

Workers’ compensation and “the best and worst things an employer can do” will be the topics discussed at his month’s meeting of the Central Maine Human Resources Association

The program is scheduled for 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. April 19 at the Ramada Inn in Lewiston, with registration starting at 7:30 a.m. The cost of the program is included with CMHRA membership and is $25 for nonmembers, including a full breakfast.

The presenter, Lori Wharff, AIX of Cross Insurance TPA Inc., joined The Dunlap Corp. in 2000 as a senior workers’ compensation adjuster, specializing in self-insurance. She has over 20 years of experience in claims and has handled claims in all lines of insurance. She will talk about investigating injuries, filing the Employer’s First Report of Injury, lost time versus medical only, WCB Board Form deadlines and penalties, preferred provider, light duty work and more. Registration online is preferred and available at http://cmhra.shrm.org/events.

Sterling Inn’s 200th sparks variety of Upper Kennebec activities

A celebration of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of The Sterling Inn in Caratunk is planned for the weekend of May 13-15.

In cooperation with Maine Lakeside Cabins and other nearby businesses, the bicentennial also will showcase the range of summer activities available in the Upper Kennebec Valley. Activities are planned for all day May 14, culminating in a dinner with live entertainment.

Whitewater rafting will be offered on the Kennebec and Dead rivers that weekend. Other river activities include kayaking, canoeing, tubing, boating, and Jet-Skiing. There is also paintball, disc golf, rock-climbing, swimming. Hikes for hikers of all experience levels are available, from an easy three-quarter mile walk in to Moxie Falls, the tallest single-drop waterfall in Maine, to sections of the Appalachian Trail. Less strenuous activities include pontoon boat cruises and scenic float-plane tours.

Advance reservations are required for rafting trips, paintball, tubing, and aerial scenic tours, as well as for the bicentennial dinner and lodging. Call 672-3333 for reservations and additional information.

Nonprofits group to host Executive Leadership Forum on Thursday

The Maine Association of Nonprofits is hosting an Executive Leadership Forum on Thursday at Thomas College in Waterville.

The forum will feature keynote speaker Hez Norton, director of partnerships and leadership Initiatives at Third Sector New England in Boston. Norton runs Courage in Leading, a national program that supports leaders preparing for transition.

In 2015, MANP and Third Sector New England partnered to survey nonprofit executives and board members to discover the challenges and opportunities facing leaders and organizations. The findings reinforce the conclusion that building a leadership culture is critical to enhanced mission impact and sustainability, according to the association.

Within the next 20 years, at least 40 percent of Maine’s current workforce will be 65 or older. With thoughtful preparation, nonprofits can be better prepared to weather the departure of key leaders while keeping mission in the forefront and building organizational capacity and effectiveness.

Before the afternoon forum, MANP will host a luncheon focused on Executive Transitions: Managing Risks and Seizing Opportunity. This luncheon will feature a facilitated panel discussion that will include the perspectives of Maine nonprofit executive directors and board leaders on their successes and challenges in preparing for, managing, and moving beyond an executive transition.

For details about the event, call 871-1885.

Hannaford drive exceeds 500,000 meals, $100,000 for community groups

A Hannaford Supermarkets program designed to help both the environment and local people in need has surpassed two significant milestones: more than 500,000 meals provided to fight hunger and $100,000 raised to support local community groups, according to a news release from the grocery store chain.

In recognition of these accomplishments, Hannaford will donate $2 to a local charity for every Hannaford Helps bag and contribute the equivalent of two nutritious meals for each Fight Hunger bag purchased in April — a 100 percent match of the standard donations.

Hannaford’s cause-related shopping bag program has two parts:

• Fight Hunger bags — Hannaford contributes enough money to buy one meal to a food bank in our region when someone buys one of these reusable brown-and-yellow bags. The program began 22 months ago and has funded more than 566,000 meals at local food pantries, meals programs and food banks so far.

• Hannaford Helps bags — the grocer donates $1 to a nearby nonprofit group, chosen by that customer’s local supermarket, for every one of these blue bags sold. The initiative started five months ago and has raised more than $100,000 in donations for 561 community groups.

Causes benefiting from the Hannaford bag program in Maine include organizations as diverse as the Good Shepherd Food Bank, youth sports, disability-support agencies, community centers, arts organizations, humane societies, children’s programs and dozens of other local groups.

Coutts Bros. wins national association’s safety award

Coutts Bros., of Randolph, an electrical construction/maintenance contractor, was recognized recently by the Associated Builders and Contractors for its safety record, according to a news release from the company.

The contractor received a 2015 National Safety Merit Award after initiating a companywide commitment to safety by employing two safety personnel, undergoing a Safety Training and Evaluation Process through Associated Builders and Contractors, and investing in Unmanned Aerial Systems for high-voltage asset inspection, among other safety protocols and initiatives.

The 2015 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms that achieved Diamond, Platinum and Gold status in ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process. During the selection process, national safety winners were judged on self-evaluation scores, lost workday case rates, total recordable rates, leading indicator use, process and program innovations and video interviews conducted by members of ABC’s National Environment, Health & Safety Committee.

The National Safety Awards are presented in three major North American Industry Classification System code categories: NAICS 236 – Construction of Buildings; NAICS 237 – Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction; and NAICS 238 – Specialty Trade Contractors.

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