GARDINER, Maine — Savings Bank of Maine, building on its strong capital position, has increased its workforce by 20 percent.
“As our bank grows, we are searching for talented personnel at all levels to ensure we meet our commitment to providing our customers with the highest level of service,” said John Everets, chief executive officer and chairman of Savings Bank of Maine. “During the past year, we have created more than 50 new positions ranging from back-office processing to senior leadership. We now have more than 330 employees and 19 open positions throughout the state.”
“This is an exciting time for the bank,” said Everets. “We are committed to the citizens of Maine. Whether it’s helping our customers buy a house, grow a business or send a child to college, we are here to serve the needs of our local communities.”
With its long history in the state, Savings Bank of Maine is well-positioned to help the people of Maine take advantage of an improving economy.
TAMC welcomes Dr. Joyce Hebert
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The Aroostook Medical Center recently announced that obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Joyce Hebert will re-join TAMC’s OB/GYN/Midwifery Service in March. She will team with Dr. Quang Nguyen and Certified Nurse Midwives Nancy Escobar and Mary Hamilton to care for women of all ages in the service’s Presque Isle office.
Hebert, a board certified physician, originally joined TAMC in 2000, after earning her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School Of Medicine and completing her residency at Danbury Hospital. She continued working at TAMC’s OB/GYN/Midwifery practice until 2007. She is excited about the opportunity to return to central Aroostook County and reconnect with many of her former patients.
“It will be nice to see my old patients again, to see how their children have grown and how I can continue to help them,” she said. “I enjoy the educational services we can provide to our patients, as well as the interactions with them that help them lead healthier lives.”
An Aroostook County native, Hebert has spent her entire professional career working in the area. She speaks fluent French.
Hebert says she enjoys all aspects of obstetrics and gynecology, but helping women through the labor and delivery process when things don’t go smoothly is what fuels her passion.
“During labor and delivery, our role is usually more supportive. When things don’t go as planned, that’s when the real skills of the obstetrician come in and can make a real difference in how things turn out. That’s when you really feel like you make the most difference; where you can really change an outcome.”
Glenda Dwyer, vice president of physician services, is looking forward to Hebert’s return.
“We look forward to welcoming Joyce back,” said Dwyer. “She has built many connections with her patients and the staff at TAMC, so she will be able to step right in and see patients right away. We’re fortunate to have such a well-respected physician return to TAMC.”
Appointments are now being taken for Hebert’s return in March. For more information, call 768-5944.
NMDC seeks comments on Job Training Grant
CARIBOU, Maine — Northern Maine Development Commission (NMDC) is currently soliciting comments from employers and employees in the construction and transportation fields to ensure that Aroostook County’s needs and concerns are heard and included in a proposed United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Workforce Development Job Training Grant application. Potential funding would allow NMDC, the Local Workforce Investment Board, ACAP Employment and Training, and Northern Maine Community College to develop and implement a new and innovative certificate program to be offered for the first time in Aroostook County that focuses on environmental health and “green” job training opportunities in the Construction and Transportation sectors. These programs are designed to assist the unemployed and underemployed populations with gaining employment in construction and transportation industries.
The green economy is rapidly expanding and evolving nationwide and its potential to replace lost jobs is great. With over 17 percent of the population in Aroostook County living below the poverty levels and unemployment rates at approximately 9.1 percent, many who have worked in the transportation and construction fields have lost their jobs and are having a difficult time finding employment. These statistics highlight the need to apply for this grant program to educate, train and develop a workforce to help integrate new green technologies as it relates to the traditional construction and transportation sectors found in Aroostook County.
Despite the unemployment challenges found in Aroostook County, this is a great opportunity for employers and employees to provide meaningful input into the program development and curriculum for this project. If you would like to have more information about the Environmental Workforce Development Job Training Grant program or to comment on the grant application, please contact Ryan Pelletier, Workforce Development Director, at (207) 498-8736, toll free at 1-800-427-8736 or rpelletier@nmdc.org prior to March 15, 2011.
Established in 1967, Northern Maine Development Commission is a nonprofit organization that provides regional planning, economic and community development, business loans and packaging, geographic information system services, and small business counseling services to the northern Maine region. In addition, NMDC is the lead agency for the Aroostook County Empowerment Zone. For more information, please visit NMDC’s web site at http://www.nmdc.org.
