NEW HIRES

M. Nasir Shir

James W. Sewall Co. has named M. Nasir Shir the company’s new director of geospatial services. Shir will lead and work with Sewall’s geospatial team to diversify its clientele and acquire new projects involving geospatial technology, as well as participate in the quality assurance/quality control of geospatial data along with other members of the team. Shir brings with him over two decades of geographic information systems (GIS) experience, with his most recent position being the GIS manager for the city of Portland, which involved setting up, maintaining and upgrading GIS enterprise, hardware, software and servers, and building GIS applications. In his spare time, Shir volunteers with a wide variety of community and professional organizations and provides support to various immigrant community groups.

Barbara McDonald

Barbara McDonald has been named the client services manager at the Scott & Sunny Townsend Team of Keller Williams. Hailing from Connecticut, McDonald joins Scott & Sunny Townsend with exceptional customer service skills, a solid work ethic and a commitment to community. In her new role, McDonald will act as a liaison connecting the agency’s clients and agents together to form rewarding, long-lasting relationships, and she has a passion for all things creative, having devoted the past 15 years to partnering with local businesses throughout southern Maine creating multi-media marketing plans. McDonald has happily resided in Scarborough for the past 12 years.

Amanda Murray

Amanda Murray has been hired by Chase Custom Homes & Finance as its new marketing manager. Murray will help to develop and implement the marketing strategy in her new role. She is a recent graduate of the University of Southern Maine and comes to Chase Custom Homes & Finance after two years working with Townsquare Media in Portland.

Dr. Marc L. Demers

St. Mary’s Health System has welcomed Dr. Marc L. Demers to its general surgery team. After receiving his medical degree from Boston University School of Medicine, he completed his residency at Maine Medical Center and then completed his surgical oncology fellowship at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He is board certified in surgery, a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, and a member of the American Society of Breast Surgeons.

Maine Savings Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce the first step in its succession plan that will lead to the retirement of longtime President and CEO John Reed. Maine Savings has announced the promotion of Vanessa Madore, current chief operations officer, to president, at the end of the year 2020. Reed, president and CEO since 1990, will remain as CEO until his retirement in January 2023, at which time Madore will assume the role as president and CEO. Madore grew up in Hampden and has been with Maine Savings for 16 years, in which she has served in a variety of positions.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Claudette Ndayininahaze

Kate Rush

Good Shepherd Food Bank, Maine’s largest hunger-relief organization, has added Claudette Ndayininahaze and Kate Rush to its board of directors. Ndayininahaze is a business development consultant and cultural broker with extensive intercultural communication experience for both for-profit and nonprofit sectors. As executive director of In her Presence, she sits on multiple boards in Portland and is deeply connected to community-based initiatives across the city. In her most recent role, Rush was senior vice president and director of community relations at Bangor Saving Bank. Over six years with Bangor Savings, she led the technology and project management teams, as well as working in mergers and acquisitions and strategic planning. Before joining Bangor Savings, Rush worked in the construction, renewable energy and aerospace sectors.

Christopher Lynch

Christopher Lynch has been selected to join the board of directors for Lee Auto Malls. Lynch is the president and founder of Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty, which has grown into one of the largest real estate companies in Maine. Prior to entering the real estate business, Lynch ran a global bond brokerage business on Wall Street where he worked for more than 15 years. Founded in 1936, Lee Auto Malls has grown to become the No. 1 volume auto dealer in Maine, with 15 new car franchises and 13 used car franchises spread across the state.

AWARDS AND HONORS

Catherine Lamson

Million Women Mentors, an initiative of STEMconnector, has recognized Catherine Lamson and The MEMIC Group for exemplifying leadership in advancing the cause of attracting young women to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Lamson, MEMIC’s senior vice president and chief administrative officer, receives the very first Trail Blazer Award for state and corporate partnership. The work of Lamson and MEMIC also inspired a specialty for women in insurance within Million Women Mentors that focuses on increasing diversity and inclusion for women in the field of insurance, a career that is full of STEM opportunities. Lamson also recruited Gov. Janet Mills to be the honorary chair of Million Women Mentors initiatives in 2020.