Maine State Credit Union expands senior leadership

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Brie-Anne Mellor, left. Shane Abbott, right.

Maine State Credit Union has announced the promotions of Brie-Anne Mellor and Shane Abbott.

Ms. Mellor is now the Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer, and Mr. Abbott is the Senior Vice President, Chief Retail Officer. In their new roles, they will work with the other senior leadership team members to drive the organization’s continued growth. Both will be reporting to Stephen Wallace, incoming President, and Chief Executive Officer.

“Brie and Shane have been key players in the organization’s growth over the past several years,” said Wallace. “They have stepped up to lead without any hesitation and demonstrated the ability to inspire and grow their teams simultaneously.”

Ms. Mellor began her career on the teller line 20 years ago. During her tenure at Maine State Credit Union, she has continued to accept any challenge presented. In 2018, Ms. Mellor led the project team on the introduction of Meridian Link, an online direct-to-the-member lending tool. She created the first online lending team responsible for helping members access the credit union’s products through digital banking. In addition, Ms. Mellor has also been a financial services representative, loan officer, assistant branch manager, and loan servicing supervisor before being promoted to vice president of lending in 2021.

Mr. Abbott started his career as a summer teller in 2007 and joined the finance team as an accounting clerk. He continued to move through the organization and worked as an indirect loan officer and teller supervisor. In 2018, Mr. Abbott built a new internal call center, the eBranch, which takes over 300 calls a day. In 2021, he joined the operations team as vice president, where he led the project team to convert the credit union’s online and mobile banking system.

New Dimensions FCU awards two area high school students with scholarships

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Sage Clukey left, accepted her scholarship certificate on Wednesday, April 27. Thomas Dean received his scholarship certificate at the Skowhegan location on April 25. (contributed photo)

New Dimensions FCU has announced that Sage Clukey, from Winslow High School, and Thomas Dean, from Skowhegan Area High School, have been selected as New Dimensions FCU’s 2022 Scholarship Program winners who have earned $2,500 each for their first year in college.

New Dimensions FCU awards scholarships to deserving high school seniors that demonstrate strong character, community involvement, and academic success. This year we found two exceptional candidates who went above and beyond in their academics and community. They both came highly recommended by school officials, and their essays showed that their character and assessment of financial literacy aligned with our mission and values.

Sage Clukey plans on studying to be a nurse at Franklin Pierce University, while Thomas Dean will study finance at the University of Maine at Orono. The staff and directors of NDFCU wish them both the best of luck in all their educational endeavors.

Ryan Poulin, Chief Executive Officer, states, “Our scholarship program is just one of the many ways we support our community. We hear many times from students that financial education is an underdeveloped skill they feel they’d like to hone, so we try to give them the tools and resources at the local level by adding financial fitness into their curriculum as well as offering our Scholarship Program to show the importance of financial success.”

For more information, contact NDFCU at (800) 326-6190 or visit www.newdimensionsfcu.com.

Chamber names customer service specialist

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Katelyn Hood

Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce located in Waterville, Maine, welcomes Katelyn Hood as its new customer service specialist. Katelyn has been named to the position, replacing Patricia Michaud, who retired following nearly eight years with the Chamber.

Hood had served in various accounting, payroll, banking, and human resources positions in the area. Her most recent position was payroll administrator for Klein­schmidt Associates, Inc., where she was responsible for payroll functions and tax reporting.

A graduate of Nokomis Regional High School, in Newport, Katelyn graduated from Kennebec Valley Community College, in Fairfield, with an associate degree in business administration, with a concentration in accounting.

Included in her new duties as customer service specialist will be oversight of new member orientation and new member acquisition, website maintenance, member invoicing and customer service assistance. She will also participate in many of the Chamber’s signature events.

Mid-Maine Chamber President and CEO Kimberly Lindlof said of Hood: “I look forward to having Katelyn on our team. She has a wealth of experience that will prove beneficial in this role. Her understanding of financial programs and reporting, as well as her positive attitude will be welcomed by our board and committee members, as well as our membership in general. The Chamber is also hoping to capitalize on Katelyn’s knowledge of the area. Our team is pleased to welcome her aboard.”

Hood resides in Pittsfield with her son, Finn.

WATERVILLE: New president named at Inland Hospital

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Tricia Mercer

Northern Light Health has announced that Tricia Mercer will become the next president of Northern Light Inland Hospital and Northern Light Continuing Care, Lakewood. In this role, Mercer will also serve as a Northern Light senior vice president. She will succeed Terri Vieira, who retired earlier this month.

Tim Dentry, Northern Light Health’s president and CEO said, “Tricia has excellent healthcare experience and we’re excited that she is already part of the Northern Light team, having served as associate vice president of our Medical Group Operations since 2019. She has had great success with improving access to care, enhancing provider engagement, and she is a proud Mainer who is dedicated to community involvement.”

Dentry continued, “Tricia’s background shows her core commitment to helping people. Previously, she was executive director of the Medical Group at Saratoga Hospital, in New York, and division administrator at UPMC-Magee Women’s Hospital, in Pittsburgh. She was an adjunct professor of healthcare management, a president and CEO of a medical billing company, and is a proud Navy veteran.”

Mercer shared, “I look forward to joining the Inland/Lakewood family and continuing to help Northern Light meet its mission to improve the health of the people and communities we serve. I recognize and value the caring culture we have, and I’m proud of how staff go above and beyond to make healthcare work for our patients and residents every day. I can’t wait to be part of Inland and Lakewood’s bright future and help contribute to the vitality of the greater Waterville area.”

Mercer is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and earned an MBA in Healthcare Management. She is a graduate of Foxcroft Academy, in Dover-Foxcroft, where she grew up and her parents still live today. She and her fiancé have five children.

Mercer begins her new role on May 9.

Waterville Rotary Club donates money to improve high school challenges

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MSAD #49 (Lawrence) – from left to right, Dan Bowers, Lawrence HS Principal; Patricia Watts, Assistant Superintendent; Jeff Melanson, President, Waterville Rotary Club.

The Waterville Rotary Club recently donated $500 to four local high schools to provide support to youth who are experiencing homelessness or other challenges that impact their learning and/or engagement in school.  Members of the Club’s Community Services Committee delivered checks in person to each of the schools. These donations dovetail with the club’s focus the past two years on providing resources in the community to address food insecurity and/or lack of access to basic necessities, issues which have been exacerbated by the pandemic.

MSAD #49, in Fairfield, plans to use the funds specifically for food, clothing, or transportation. They may also use some of the funds to purchase sports equipment or materials for students that do not have means to purchase these items to participate in a sport or other activity.

Winslow High School – from left to right, Roger Krause, Waterville Rotary Club; Ms. Jones (JMG teacher) and some of the JMG students who help organize and stock the Raider Closet.  (JMG = Jobs for Maine’s graduates)

Winslow High School will use the funds to support their Raiders Closet.  Non-perishable food and clothes will be purchased, as needed.  In some cases, food-specific gift cards will be provided to families to purchase perishable items.

Messalonskee High School, in Oakland, has an initiative that provides food for families for the weekend and snacks during the school day.  They actively seek additional funds to provide for necessities that many of us take for granted in our daily lives, such as personal hygiene items, clothing, school supplies and food that can be prepared with minimal resources for those in temporary housing.

Messalonskee High School, from left to right, Keith Morin, Assistant Superintendent/Chief Academic Officer; Katelyn Pushard, Waterville Rotary Club; Carl Gartley, Superintendent.

Waterville High School will use the funds to support their school’s Food Pantry.  They may also use some funds to purchase other necessary items for students, such as seasonal clothing.

All the representatives from the various schools expressed a deep appreciation for this donation and the show of support for their most vulnerable students.  The committee members truly enjoyed the opportunity to visit the schools, meet with staff and students, and hear about the ways that our local schools are looking out for their students.

For more information about the Rotary, visit the website at watervillerotary.com.

Waterville High School, from left to right, Michele Prince, Waterville Rotary Club and the four class presidents,  Kate Rice, freshman, Emily Campbell, senior, Brianna Bates, junior, and Gabby St. Peter, sophomore. (contributed photo)

PHOTOS: Battle of Maine winners 2022

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Grand champion

Club NAHA Karate-Do Team Member Matthew Christen Captured 1st place in forms and 2nd place in weapons at the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships. He also won the Grand Championship Title for forms. (photo by Mark Huard)

Double winner

Huard’s Martial Arts Student Madalyn Taylor 7 of Fairfield captured 1st place in forms and 3rd place in fighting at the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships on March 26. (photo by Mark Huard)

Shakespeare group to observe 9th annual Bard’s Bash

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Recycled Shakespeare Company

by Lyn Rowden

Recycled Shakespeare Company proudly presents the 9th annual Bard’s Birthday Bash on Saturday, April 23.

This FREE event is open to all. You may join RSC and friends in dressing up and parading around Waterville reading sonnets, singing Shakespearean songs, and performing monologues and scenes. No memorizing, prior experience or costumes necessary.

Recycled Shakespeare Company members

Begin at 10 a.m., at Camden National Bank Lobby, on Main Street, for the first set of sonnet readings and songs. Parade to Yardgoods Center and The Villager Restaurant along the upper Concourse, cross over to Re-Books on the lower Concourse, and go to Cancun by 11 a.m., where there will be a sword fight demonstration and more sonnets read. Then parade up Main St. stopping at stores and restaurants along the way, including Madlyn’s Consignment Shop, Incense and Peppermint, The Framemakers, Holy Cannoli and Day’s Jeweler where shopkeepers will read sonnets. At about noon there will be a lunch stop at Jin Yuan Chinese Restaurant with live sonnets and music as well as performances from across the continent on Zoom. Then on to Selah Tea from 3 to 5 p.m., with flourish to finish readings of all 154 sonnets.

A Renaissance Masquerade Ball will take place 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Lutheran Church Hall, on Cool Street. Open to all ages, simple dances will be taught and led by Dancemistress Margaret May Lambert. No partner or experience necessary. Come costumed, with a masquerade mask, or just as you are.

Throughout the day we celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and times with sword demos, live Elizabethan music, and fun Renaissance fortune telling by Sarah Love. The entire day is free of charge! Open to all ages and skills!

If anyone in the community would like to read a sonnet or get involved, please call Lyn at 314-4730, or just show up and jump in. Each reader may introduce themselves, and briefly promote their business or organization.

BBBS to hold plane pull fundraiser

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Big Sister Paige Lilly and her “Little Brother” Hunter Stevens, came out to support the program that brought them together two years ago by participating in last year’s “Putt 4 Cass.” (Contributed photo)

Local businesses and organizations are lining up to see who can pull a CRJ-200 Jet Aircraft 20 feet in the fastest time, all to raise critical funding for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine youth mentoring programs.

The second annual Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mid-Maine Plane Pull, hosted by Elite Airways, will be held Saturday, May 14, starting at 10 a.m., at the Auburn-Lewiston Airport, located at 80 Airport Drive, in Auburn. Jason Levesque, mayor of Auburn, will serve as event co-emcee, along with event media sponsor WGME Sports Director David Eid.

Sponsoring organizations enter teams comprised of 8 to 10 people to compete for the fastest pull times. Independent teams may participate by fundraising a minimum of $500 per team entry. A trophy will be presented to the team with the fastest pull time, along with prizes for top fundraisers. The event is expected to host upwards of 20 teams with a goal of raising $40,000 to support Big Brothers Big Sisters youth mentoring programs.

“The pandemic has taken its toll on area children, who remain the most vulnerable and negatively impacted in our communities,” Executive Director Gwendolyn Hudson said.

Spectators are welcome to attend the event and cheer on their teams, including Big and Little matches, who will be treated to airport tours following the event.

BBBS of Mid-Maine will hold a second Plane Pull in the fall, hosted by C&L Aviation Group and Bangor International Airport, on September 10 in Bangor.

For more information about the BBBS of Mid-Maine Plane Pull, or to sponsor and register a team, visit bbbsmidmaine.org, email info@bbbsmidmaine.org or call 207.236.BBBS.

Hanson, Blaney big winners at Battle of Maine

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Crowd at the Battle of Maine in Waterville. (photo by Mark Huard)

by Mark Huard

WATERVILLE, ME — The 40th Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships took place at Champions Fitness Club, in Waterville, on Saturday March 26, and helped support the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals here in Central and Northern Maine.

Jackson Hanson, 9, of Clinton, captured first place in forms, first place in weapons and first place in fighting. Hanson also captured the overall 12 & under Weapons Grand Championship title. (photo by Mark Huard)

It was a packed Champions and Elm Plaza parking lot, with around 340 competitors and close to 1,000 spectators from around Maine and New England. The Battle kicked off at 8:30 a.m. with the full contact padded sword fighting competitions.

At 10:15 a.m. opening ceremonies began with an amazing National Anthem sung by Rebecca Pushard. This was a special day since the event hasn’t been able to be in person for the last couple of years. Everyone was in great spirits and happy to be back to in person competition.

After the National Anthem, hundreds of prizes were thrown into the crowd for all of the kids to catch! The tournament then proceeded a special demo by world champions and then with forms, weapons forms and fighting competitions throughout the day.

Special thank you to Central Maine Motors and Hammond Lumber for being a major sponsor of the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships.

Boston Blaney, 9, of Winslow, captured first place in fighting at the Battle of Maine Martial Arts Championships. (photo by Mark Huard)

State Rep. Bruce White announces re-election campaign

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Bruce White

Bruce White, Waterville-native and two-term incumbent State Representative, has announced his re-election campaign for the new House District 65, formally District 109, in Waterville.

State Rep. White has served two terms on the Trans­port­ation Com­mittee where he sponsored legislation to create a working group for Maine to offer electronic vehicle titles joining 20 other states. He also advocates to ensure the proper oversight and maintenance of Maine’s roads and bridges.

White has also co-sponsored legislation that has successfully advanced career and technical education opportunities for Maine’s students, increased municipal revenue sharing to 5% to keep state tax dollars locally to prevent property tax increases, and made good on the state’s commitment to fully fund school 55 percent of education costs since it was mandated by votes in 2004. If privileged to serve another term, he would continue to prioritize these issues as well as working to bring economic development to the region.

“I would love to continue to give back to the community where I grew up and raised my family. I am grateful for the support and encouragement I have already received as I seek another term,” stated Representative White.

Before running for the State House, White was a long-time employee at Scott Paper Co., in Winslow up until the mill’s closure, then went back to school thanks to state job training programs to become a computer technician in the Winslow, China and Vassalboro schools before retiring in 2019.

Bruce and his wife, Doreen, have two children and two grandchildren. Bruce is dedicated to public service and serves on the Waterville Planning Board, New Dimensions Credit Union Board of Directors, Mid-Maine Technical Center, as well as volunteering with the Mid-Maine Chamber of Commerce and Northern Light Inland Hospital. Bruce is a past-president of United Paperworkers International Union Local 911.

White has already qualified for the June Primary Election ballot by collecting the necessary number of signature petitions.