Faces&Places

May 2005

Following the acquisition of the majority of outstanding shares of Banknorth by TD Bank Financial Group of Toronto, Ontario, announced in our October 2004 issue, Banknorth has changed its name to TD Banknorth Inc. and has reincorporated in Delaware. TD Banknorth's banking subsidiary, Banknorth N.A., operates divisions in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont. The Vermont operation continues as Banknorth Vermont.

Northeast Benefits Management LLC of South Burlington announced that Tina Wallis was promoted to the position of senior benefits administrator. She has been with the firm since its inception in 2002. The company has hired Patricia M. Dumont as an accounts manager.

Lang Associates added three sales professionals to its team. Husband and wife John K. Nelson and Christine Fraioli were operators of the Swift House Inn in Middlebury. Eileen Warner has 25 years' experience in marketing and sales for such organizations as the Stowe Area Association, Fletcher Allen Health Care and Place Creative Co.

Dufresne-Henry professional services firm has named Richard K. Allen, P.E., chief executive officer. Allen, a general partner at the Boston law firm of Gadsby Hannah LLP, worked for Dufresne-Henry as a civil engineer in the 1970s and has served on its board of directors for four years. He succeeds CEO and President Gerard Conklin. Allen is expected to also be elected president in May. Conklin will continue as chairman of the board of directors.

Hank Gintof, president of Signature Properties of Vermont, announced the addition of Sarah Cromie and Robin Stratton to the company's team. Cromie, a licensed real estate agent, was named manager of operations and agent support. Stratton, also a licensed agent, has joined the sales team. She was a sales executive with Vermont Document Co.

Beth Freeman was named building materials outreach coordinator at ReCycle North in Burlington. A trained furniture and cabinet maker, Freeman was at Autodesk in Manchester, N.H., in customer service and call center management.

Lang Associates real estate firm in South Burlington announced the following additions to its staff: sales professionals Nancy Warren Hart, Jill A.Z. Richardson and Denise Schaefer; Geri Cardinal, client care/transaction manager for the Trombley team; and Katherine Whalen, receptionist. Hart was with Brueggers Enterprises; Richardson was with SymQuest Group; Schaefer was with The Islander newspaper; Cardinal worked in the construction business; and Whalen was at Gourmet Art of Vermont.

After a five-year hiatus while Vermont courts determined who had the right to nominate members of its board, the Vermont Forestry Foundation is back in business. The reconstituted board elected the following officers: Robbo Holleran, president; Steve Hardy, vice president; Bruce Shields, secretary-treasurer; Art Young, assistant secretary-treasurer. Other board members include foresters, loggers and wood manufacturers Bill Sayre, Dennis Allard, Sean Barrows, Shaun Poczobut, Delwin Fielder,
Warren Hill and John Meyer. Returning to the foundation is the Vermont Professional Loggers Program.

Rachel Carter has been named director/public relations of Paul Kaza Associates marketing firm. She was a public relations account executive at the firm for three years.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce hired Tom Shampnois as director of advertising sales and marketing. Shampnois was group sales manager for the Best Western Windjammer Inn in South Burlington.

Jack McKernon, president of The McKernon Group in Brandon, is retiring. The announcement was made at the company's annual meeting in February. McKernon, who continues as chairman of the board of directors, will stay on through 2005 to effect a smooth transition of leadership. Kevin Birchmore will continue in his role as chief of operations. Carol Betz, chief financial officer, was promoted to president. Betz, who has been with the company since 1997, will also continue as CFO through the transition period.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters announced the appointment of T.J. Whalen as vice president of marketing. Whalen joined the company in 2002 as a consultant and subsequently held positions as director of brand and market development, and vice president of national foodservice and brand development.

Susanne P. Bair was named vice president of development at Fletcher Allen Health Care. She was vice president of the Indiana University Foundation in Bloomington. Barbara Guerard was named executive director of the faculty practice. She was at the Louisiana State University Healthcare Network in New Orleans.

Yankee Medical of Burlington announced the following additions to its staff. Claudine Deslandes, LPN, was hired in the sales department. She was with the Visiting Nurse Association. Heather St. Peter and Amy Stoll joined the finance department.

Vermont Country Properties in Manchester announced its affiliation with Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates Inc. and its subsequent name change to Vermont Country Properties Sotheby's International Realty. The firm has offices in Manchester, Stratton, Sugarbush and Stowe.

John E. Morgan was named chief financial officer of New England banking for Citizens Financial Group, based in Boston and responsible for Citizens' state banks Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Vermont.

Gary N. Farrell, owner of the Clarion Burlington Hotel and Suites, and general manager Rick Milliken have hired Cathy Farr as director of catering. Farr, who was a special events chef at the Winsor School in Boston, rejoins the hotel, having previously done market research and promotion.

Joseph L. Boutin, president and chief executive officer of Merchants Bank, announced the retirement of branch President Ardyce J. Cochran from the White Street branch after 42 years of service. Christine Auriemma will succeed Cochran, and Maryann Baker will be acting branch president until Auriemma returns from maternity leave. Boutin also announced the retirement of branch President Dick Duell after 37 years at the Fair Haven branch. Jill S. Miller succeeds Duell. Miller has been with the bank since 1989, when she joined First National Bank of Vermont, later acquired by Merchants.

Kenneth W. Robinson was named senior vice president and director of government relations, covering the 13-state area Citizens serves. He lives in Providence, R.I. Citizens Bank announced three additions to its business banking division in Vermont: Kenneth A. Davis in Brattleboro; Daniel S. Fontaine in Burlington; and James J. Derosia in Rutland.

Amy Johnson has joined Citizens Bank as vice president of its international banking group, responsible for sales of services throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. She was with the New Hampshire International Trade Resource Center and at State Street Bank.

Martha Lunbeck was named the Visiting Nurse Association's director of development and community relations. She was a freelance consultant to nonprofits.

SymQuest Group Inc. announced that Don Loreman has joined its document solutions team as an account executive in the Plattsburgh, N.Y., region. He has three years of industry experience. The company also hired Jay Currier as network engineer on the network services team. Currier was with the Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden County. Kent Saunders, MCP, RHCE, joined the network services team as network support engineer. Saunders will be supporting SymQuest's netowrking clients.

Charter One Bank hired Larry Phillips as a mortgage loan officer in the South Burlington branch office. He was a loan officer with Homebound Mortgage in Colchester. Charter One is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group Inc.

Topnotch Resort and Spa announced the appointment of Milan Kubala as tennis director for the Topnotch Tennis Academy, ranked by Tennis magazine in the top 10 U.S. academies and number one in the Northeast. Kubala was at a Midland, Mich., tennis center.

Joseph D. Lisaius, president of Lisaius Marketing, announced the appointment of Darryl Garland as designer. Garland worked as a designer in Boston and San Francisco.

Verizon Wireless announced the promotion of Daniel Arute to director of retail sales-northern New England.

Bread Loaf Corp., architects, planners and builders in Middlebury, announced the addition of Christopher Huston as architecture operations manager. Huston is LEED-accredited and a registered member of the American Institute of Architects. He was with a Melrose, Mass., firm.

Jeff Trombley was hired as installation manager at Advance System Design audio/video systems integrator in Burlington. He was with Geer Sound & Communications.

Planet Hardwood Flooring moved its business to an 18,000-square-foot facility in the St. George Industrial Park on Vermont 2A. The phone number is 482-4404. info@planethardwood.com.

Carolyn Green has joined Hampton Direct, a Williston importing and distribution firm, as IT administrator. She was with Harbor Industries in Shelburne.

Raina A. Mason has joined The Vermont Agency as an associate specializing in personal and business financial strategies. She was with Edward Jones Investments.

Banknorth Vermont announced the addition of David W. Blow Jr. as vice president, commercial banking. Blow has more than 10 years of financial service experience. He is based in St. Albans and covers Franklin County.

The northern Vermont chapter of the American Red Cross announced the appointment of Rob Levine as executive director following a nationwide search. The New England native, best known for his 23 years of executive service with the National Basketball Association, was CEO of a technology and software company in Nevada.

Hoyle, Tanner & Associates Inc. announced the appointment of Seth M. Shumway to the position of airport engineer in the aviation services group.

Eric A. Poehlmann of Burlington and Timothy E. Copeland Jr. of Brattleboro were named directors of the law firm Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC. Poehlmann's practice focuses on general commercial litigation, product liability and insurance defense; Copeland focuses on labor and employment law.

Ann Bradley was named executive director of Good Beginnings in Lebanon, N.H., a volunteer home visitor program for Vermont and New Hampshire families with newborn babies. She replaces Pat Martin, the founding director of the organization. Bradley is a nurse and educator.

Saffire Mortgage announced that Lynn Blodgett has taken on an ownership role in the company. Blodgett has been with Saffire since 2003 and joins Colin Schmidt, the company president and one of its founders.

DuBois & King Inc. consulting engineers announced that Barbara Evans, P.E., has joined the firm as senior structural engineer and manager of the structural engineering department. Evans has more than 17 years' experience. _·