Celebrating excellence:
Chamber awards honor community leaders LEADERSHIP The much heralded rev ita lization of t he L ew i ston-Aubu r n community is being led by an ever more robust business communit y that has been c re at i ng a nd pre ser v i ng jobs, nu r t u r i ng fel low entrepreneurs, supporting the civic infrastructure of L-A, and helping make the A nd roscog g i n Cha mber the most dynamic business organization in Maine. T he R a y G eiger Aw a rd , n a me d i n honor of t he brother who first brought Geiger Brothers to Lewiston and who became a tireless communit y advocate, has of ten been conferred on people who have had close con nect ions to t he Chamber and have ser ved the organization in various capacities. Few people have demonstrated longer or more substantive support of the Chamber t han t his year’s recipient of this prestigious award, Larry Raymond of the law firm of Isaacson and Raymond. Engaged in active
ser vice w ith the Chamber for nea rly ha lf a centur y, Raymond first served as chair of the Chamber board from 1967-1969, t hen aga in for three more terms between 19 9 9 -2 0 0 5 , f o l l o w e d b y cont inued ser v ice on t he Regional Image Committee. The Business Leadership Award for a larger company w i l l be presented to Ca rbonite. Ra n ked 51st Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte’s 2 01 2 Te c h n o l o g y F a s t 500(TM), an international leader in providing backup prote c t ion for c omputer data, Carbonite has r e c o v e r e d m or e t h a n 7 billion potentially lost files. Less than two years ago, the compa ny chose Lew iston as home for its customer service center, bringing back to America scores of jobs that had previously been filled in India. The company employs more than 350 people and has been t he recipient of numerous regional, national, a nd inter nat iona l honors since its founding in 2010.
Congratulations to all award winners of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce.
There will be two Business L e a d e r s h i p Aw a r d s f o r smaller companies. The first w ill be presented to Next Level Business Coaching and Kurk Lalemand. Dedicated to helping clients grow and prosper, Lalemand has twice been declared “Coach of the Year,” by t he Professiona l Business Coaches Alliance of Ca nton Ohio, t he on ly i nd i v idu a l e v er to h av e been a mu lt iple recipient of h is i ndust r y ’s h ig hest recognition. Lalemand has been a stau nch advocate for t he Cha mber a nd has served as board chair. The second will be conferred on Katahdin Studio Furniture a nd Joh n Sta ss. Si nc e 19 97, t he y h ave c re ate d ha ndcra f ted ha rdwood f u r n it u r e for t he mu sic room, the home, churches, museu ms, l ibra r ies, etc., for some of America's best k now n musicia ns a nd celebrities including such notable figures as Melissa Etheridge and the late Andy Grif f it h. Since 2000, t hey have been located at the top of the historic Hill Mill, in Lewiston.
Submitted photo
Daryn Slover/Sun Journal Kurk Lalemand, from NEXT Level John Stass, the owner of Katahdin Business Coaching, Auburn. Studio Furniture, Lewiston. Two Communit y Ser v ice Leadership Awards will be presented again this year, further ref lecting the scope of exceptional contributions to the quality of life in L-A. The first will be given to Rita Dube for her extraordinary e f f or t s t o e s t a bl i s h t he Franco American Heritage Center as a prem iere per for ma nce venue i n Lewiston-Auburn and as a great place for functions of all kinds. Dube retired as the Center’s first and only d i rector i n December, i n the process having helped save the historic St. Mary’s Church from the wrecking
4
www.patrons.com
CHAMBER AWARDS
T he s e c ond C om mu n it y S e r v i c e Aw a r d w i l l b e presented to Tree Street Yo ut h a n d f o u n d e r s Ju l i a S l e e p e r a n d K i m Pelletier. A program which bega n a s a homework help program in 2005 has grown geometrically into a comprehensive center for
downtown young people to get help with their studies, apply for post-seconda r y schools, a nd genera l ly ma i nta i n a nu r t u r i ng environment. Located in the heart of downtown Lewiston at 144 Howe Street, it serves as a v ibra nt hub of da i ly yout h-d r iven act iv it y for 120-150 students in grades K-12 and is the only center solely focused on meeting the educational and social needs of at-risk youth.
Award Winners
page 5 ‰
CONGRATULATIONS To all the award winners at the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet from your friends at the Employee Benefit Programs | Estate Planning Personal/Business Insurance Programs Profit Sharing Plans | Pension Plans | 401(k) Plans Qualified Retirement Plan Administration
For all the things you value. Auburn, Maine
ball and facilitating millions of dol la rs of renovat ions and improvements. But the Franco Center was just the latest in a long line of civic engagements by one of the community’s most treasured leaders.
SJ file photo
Dick Roy of Mechanics Savings Bank.
14 Great Falls Plaza • Auburn, ME • (207) 784-4433 www.auburnriverwatch.hgi.com
10 Free Street | PO Box 599 | Portland, Maine 04112-0599 T: 207.775.6177 | F: 207.775.5688 www.healeyassociates.com ADVISORY SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH INVESTMENT ADVISORS,A DIVISION OF PROEQUITIES,INC.,A REGISTERED INVESTMENT ADVISOR.SECURITIES OFFERED THROUGH PROEQUITIES,INC., A REGISTERED BROKER-DEALER,MEMBER FINRA & SIPC.HEALEY & ASSOCIATES IS INDEPENDENT OF PROEQUITIES,INC.
Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Sunday, January 20, 2013