State hires long-time prison nurse for agency work: AUGUSTA — Holly Howieson, R.N. has joined Maine Department of Corrections Health Services.  In her new role, Howieson assists with medical contract auditing and oversight. She started this position Monday June 16.

Howieson holds a bachelor's degree in nursing and she worked at both the old Maine State Prison in Thomaston, and the new Maine State Prison in Warren, according to a news release from the Maine Department of Corrections. “Howieson's excellent clinical skills make her a valuable asset to the MDOC health services team,” the release said. “In coming weeks, she will accompany Kim Robbins on visits to each correctional facility, and be introduced at each location to administrative staff.”

Maine Media Workshops hires new program director

ROCKPORT — Maine Media Workshops + College has hired Ashley Craig as Photography Program Director. Craig plans to work with students and faculty to identify opportunities for expanding programs and ensuring experience-centered workshops, which support photographers at all levels. She will also connect and cultivate sponsors that supply the state-of-the-art equipment and expertise essential for the caliber of programs offered here.

"Ten years ago, I worked at Maine Media as a photo intern and teacher's assistant for two consecutive summers during college," said Craig. "I found many mentors here who helped me grow as an artist and who had a big influence on my career. Now I look forward to doing the same by offering aspiring and professional photographers alike the workshops they need to cultivate their craft, such as marketing classes to help artists reach new audiences. I also look forward to teaching during our nine-month Professional Certificate for Visual Storytelling. I'm already working on the curriculum and recruiting students for next fall."

Craig relocated to Rockport from Miami, where she was an adjunct professor of photography at Barry University. At Miami International University of Art and Design she taught and designed curriculum for digital photography. She is cofounder of TICKA ARTS, a nonprofit that offers a venue for emerging photographers to display and exhibit their work. She has a bachelors of media arts from the University of South Carolina and a master's of fine arts in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Camden National Bank Supports Rockland's Summer Solstice Celebration 

Connie Sawyer, branch manager in Rockland, presented a check to Gordon Page, executive director of Rockland Main Street Inc., in support of this year’s Summer Solstice Street Fair Celebration. The bank joined other businesses and Midcoast families on Rockland’s Main Street on Saturday to help celebrate the first day of summer. 

Camden National Corporation's Board Announces Quarterly Dividend

Camden National Bank Names Jennifer Mazurek Senior Vice President, Compliance Manager 

CAMDEN — Gregory A. Dufour, President and Chief Executive Officer of Camden National Bank, is pleased to announce the promotion of Jennifer Mazurek to Senior Vice President, Compliance Manager. Mazurek, who is based in Rockport, will continue to report to Joanne Campbell, Executive Vice President, Risk Management for Camden National Bank. 

“The regulatory environment has changed rapidly in recent years. My job is to ensure the bank meets all the necessary requirements while alleviating the impact the regulations may have on our customers’ and the way we serve their needs,” said Mazurek. 

Mazurek has been with Camden National for 20 years. Her career has included positions in a variety of roles including: Assistant Auditor, Mortgage Supervisor, Deposit Services Manager, Deposit Services and Electronic Banking Unit Manager.

 “Jenn’s many years of bank experience and wide array of roles, uniquely positions her to understand the various regulations and how they impact the Bank and most importantly our customers,” said Joanne Campbell, Executive Vice President, Risk Management.  Campbell continued, “Jenn is a true professional, who has earned her Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager “CRCM” designation, which demonstrates her commitment to being a compliance professional and understanding of the regulatory environment in which we operate.  Jenn works very closely with all areas of the Bank as new regulatory changes occur to ensure that there is a smooth and seamless, customer focused way to implement any necessary changes.  We are fortunate to have Jenn on the Camden National Team as she is a wonderful colleague committed to making the Bank a success.”

Mazurek is a Rockland native, a graduate from Husson College, and a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) from the Institute of Certified Bankers. She is the Chair of the Maine Bankers Association (MBA) Compliance Committee, an active member of the American Bankers Association, and serves on the Legislative Committee for the MBA. Mazurek also volunteers for the Make-A-Wish Fantasy Auction, and is a past President of Rockland Little League. Mazurek resides in Rockland with her husband, Richard; son, Nicholas; and daughter, Alexis.

GREG DUFOUR TO CHAIR MAINE BANKERS ASSOCIATION

BRUNSWICK -- Durning the 121ST Annual Meeting of the Maine Bankers Association, June 20 at the Brunswick Inn, the member banks elected Gregory A. Dufour, president and CEO of Camden National Bank, as association chairman for the upcoming year.  

An Old Town native, Greg Dufour was named president and chief executive officer of Camden National Bank in 2006 and in 2009 was additionally named president and chief executive officer of Camden National Corporation. He is on the board of directors of both organizations, and is also chair of the board of Acadia Trust, N.A. Before joining the bank he was managing director of finance at IBEX Capital Markets, and prior to that spent 13 years with Fleet/Boston Financial Group. 

Dufour holds a B.S. in finance from the University of Maine and MBA in finance from the University of North Texas. He is a board member, corporate secretary and chair of the Governance Committee at Pen Bay Healthcare system and has recently completed a term as a trustee of Saint Joseph’s College of Maine. 

Bradford C. Paige, president & CEO of Kennebunk Savings, was elected vice chairman of the association. 

Elected to the Executive Committee were: Scott D. Conant, president, Damariscotta Bank & Trust; Daniel R. Daigneault, president, The First, N.A.; Sterling Kozlowski, district president, Key Bank; Patricia Weigel, president, Norway Savings Bank; Lawrence Barter, president, Machias Savings Bank; Paul Andersen, president, Androscoggin Bank; Curtis C. Simard, president, Bar Harbor Bank & Trust; and Glenn L. Hutchinson, president, Bath Savings Institution.  Richard J. Vail, president, Mechanics Savings Bank, will serve on the committee as immediate past chairman.

Island Institute provides scholarships to Downeast students

ROCKLAND — The Island Institute recently announced scholarship awards to more than 100 students in year-round island communities from Down East to Casco Bay. Sixty-one students received awards totaling more than $110,000 through the Island Education Fund to attend colleges, universities and technical schools across the U.S. and Canada.

The 2014 Island Education Fund scholarships are made possible by the ERQ Foundation, Nancy and Robert Jordan, the McLane Fund for Maine Island Education, the Philip Conkling and Peter Ralston Fund for Island Education, the Bingham Trust, Harvey and Pam Geiger, the Grayce B. Kerr Foundation, the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, the Louis W. Cabot Island Education Fund, Nancy and George Putnam, the Otter Island Fund, the R. K. Mellon Family Foundation, People's United Community Foundation, the Shaw Fund for Mariners' Children, Bobbie and Cyrus Sweet, the Sumner Scholarship Endowment Foundation, the Wilson Family Foundation, the Niemann Charitable Foundation, Lawrence Howe, and the generosity of many other donors.

For additional information about the Island Education Fund's scholarship program, summer internships or the Island Sustainability through Leadership and Entrepreneurship program (ISLE), visit www.islandinstitute.org/ief or contact Ben Odgren, Island Education Fund associate, at (207) 594-9209 x128 or bodgren@islandinstitute.org.

West Bay Rotary awards scholarships to Camden graduates

CAMDEN — The Vocational Services Committee of West Bay Rotary recently awarded Camden Hills Regional High School graduates Nathan Catell, Neil Harrison ­Billiant, and Cade Patten with West Bay scholarships.

Catell is a senior at Wentworth Institute of Technology majoring electro­mechanical engineering. Harrison ­Billiant is a third year student at the University of Maine at Orono majoring in mechanical engineering. Patten is a second year student at Northern Maine Community College in solar technology.

West Bay's Vocational Services Committee also made scholarship awards to ten other CHRHS current year and post­graduates from private trusts the Committee administers on behalf of CHRHS: From the Francis Perry Trust: Anne Brady, Carrie Milner, Hanna Berke, Chris Bryant, Anna Grigo, Eliot Grigo, Adam Landwehr, and Stephanie Leclerc and from the R. Cynthia Gushee Trust: Trevor Fowles and Kathleen Pendleton.

West Bay Rotary Club meets from 7:15 a.m. to  8:30 a.m., Thursdays, at the Camden Congregational Church. The Club provides charitable support for local organizations, performs community service projects locally, and internationally, in conjunction with Rotary International with a membership of over 1.2 million men and women world­wide.

For more information visit www.westbayrotaryofmaine.org.

Funding to provide restorative intervention in local schools

BELFAST — The Restorative Justice Project of the Midcoast, promoting fundamental change in the justice system and the schools, has received a $4,000 grant from the Catawamteak Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.

The grant will provide restorative intervention services to at least one elementary, one middle and one high school. These interventions could include restorative circles, restorative mediation, and/or healing circles. Another goal is for at least two schools to pursue next steps for school-wide intervention.

"Restorative practices in the schools build on the power of community and relationship-building to address ever more pressing behavior and discipline issues. The link between suspensions and expulsions and criminal behavior is well-documented and there is growing evidence pointing to the effectiveness of restorative school practices," said Jay Davis, president of RJP's Board.

RJP is an nine-year old nonprofit which started in Belfast and now serves the four counties within Prosecutorial District Six: Waldo, Knox, Sagadahoc & Lincoln. Through services that encompass the spectrum of need from prevention, to intervention, to reintegration, RJP works with schools, juvenile courts and the Maine Coastal Regional Re-entry Center in Belfast. In RJP programs, offenders take responsibility for the harm they have caused and, with the participation of victims and others from the community, reach an agreement on repairing that harm. In RJP community-based programs, adult and juvenile offenders are linked with adult mentors in the community.

With offices in Ellsworth and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more about the Foundation, visit www.mainecf.org.

Support for the Restorative Justice Project is provided by state and local entities. In addition to the Maine Community Foundation, these include the Lerner Foundation, the Maine Department of Corrections, Volunteers of America, the Gorman Foundation, Bangor Savings Bank, and the Maine Community Foundation as well as individual donors.

For more information, contact the RJP office at (207) 338-2742, info@rjpmidcoast.org or go to www.rjpmidcoast.org

Sally Weymouth-Carlisle joins Allen Insurance and Financial

CAMDEN — Sally Weymouth-Carlisle has joined Allen Insurance and Financial as an outside sales producer.

A native of Belfast and graduate of the University of Maine in Orono (bachelor of science in business administration), Carlisle has nearly a decade of experience in the insurance industry, most recently for a large national insurance carrier. She is a licensed property & casualty and life & health insurance producer in Maine.

As an outside sales specialist, Carlisle will be working with business owners on their insurance needs as well as connecting them with other members of the Allen team who can assist with other services for their business, such as health insurance or financial planning.

"My work is about building partnerships in the business community — something I find incredibly rewarding," said Carlisle.

Outside of work, Carlisle enjoys exercising, hiking and spending time with family. She and her family live in Morrill.

Union native joins Allen Insurance and Financial

CAMDEN — Jennifer Wadsworth has joined Allen Insurance and Financial as a customer service representative based in the company's Chestnut Street office in Camden. 

Wadsworth, a Union native, is a graduate of South Hope Christian School. She has two years experience as an account manager for another local insurance agency working primarily with business insurance customers. She is studying for Maine certification for life and health insurance as part of Allen's in-house education program. 

Allen Insurance and Financial is an employee-owned insurance, employee benefits, and financial services company with offices in Rockland, Camden, Belfast and Southwest Harbor. Call 800-439-4311.Online: AllenIF.com

Hilt-Lash becomes Director of Quality and Safety for Pen Bay Healthcare

ROCKPORT –  Ali Hilt-Lash, BSN, CHPN, MBA, has joined Pen Bay Healthcare as Director of Quality & Safety.

“After completing a long search, we are thrilled to have someone with Hilt-Lash’s skills and experience join the organization and are excited about the leadership she will bring to our entire system,” said David T. Bachman, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Pen Bay Healthcare.

Hilt-Lash has a long history of working across the healthcare continuum and most recently was Health Services Supervisor – Acute Care Team for the state of Maine, Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services for almost nine years. The division is responsible for licensing medical and long term care facilities, assisted living, residential care, private non-medical institutions, mental health service providers, substance abuse agencies, and programs and services to children. The Division is also responsible for regulation of healthcare facilities and providers under the Certificate of Need Act, the Hospital Cooperation Act and laws pertaining to Continuing Care Retirement Communities. Her experience spans regulatory compliance, both state and federal, and has a proven track record of quality improvement.

Hilt-Lash began her professional career as a nurse working in oncology and nephrology in Bangor. Board-certified in hospice and palliative care, Hilt-Lash oversaw the development of the first hospice house in the state of Maine in Auburn. A member of the National Association for Healthcare Quality and the Academy of Management, she is actively pursuing her PhD in Business Management with a specialization in Leadership.

Hilt-Lash is “very excited to join the team at Pen Bay and to contribute to the system’s continuum of care.” Originally born in Midcoast Maine, she looks forward to her new position at Pen Bay. “Midcoast Maine is home for me,” she said. “I really love the people, the sense of community and the ocean.”