PROMOTIONS

Beth Kelsch

Beth Kelsch has been promoted to general counsel at MaineHealth. Kelsch, a graduate of Yale Law School, was instrumental in the work supporting the unification of MaineHealth’s member health care providers into a single corporate entity. She left a career as a New Hampshire public defender in 2006 to join MaineHealth as legal counsel, then assumed the roles of corporate counsel in 2009 and deputy general counsel in 2017.

Patty Hersey

Katahdin Trust has promoted Patty Hersey to vice president, cash management and business development officer. Hersey will continue to be responsible for business development for small business, commercial and nonprofit entities in the Aroostook County area, and providing service for Katahdin’s cash management products. She has held several roles with the bank, beginning in 1999 as an electronic-banking clerk. Hersey is a graduate of Houlton High School and attained her supervisory leadership certificate from the University of Maine.

Jeannine Pendergast

Jeannine Pendergast has been promoted to principal at Spinnaker Trust. Since 2015, Pendergast has overseen the growth of the firm’s employee stock ownership plan – ESOP – practice into a central offering of the wealth management firm, a leader in ESOP trustee services. Under her leadership, Spinnaker Trust has assisted many companies in administering complicated, but rewarding, ESOP transactions as a trustee. Pendergast has raised Spinnaker’s profile in the ESOP world since her arrival.

Drummond Woodsum has promoted seven associate attorneys to shareholders, and elevated one consultant to senior consultant:

Adam Cote leads the firm’s energy and utilities practice group and is also a member of Drummond Woodsum strategic consulting. Adam is an expert in public policy, law and regulatory environment relating to public utilities and alternative energy generators, especially hydro and solar powered electricity generation.

Michael-Corey Hinton has represented Native American tribal governments and their enterprises for nearly a decade, with a focus of his work relating to natural resource-based economic development. He advises clients on the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, economic development, environmental regulatory issues, the protection of treaty fishing rights, governmental operations including ethics, employment policies and best practices, and the negotiation and administration of Public Law 93-638 programs.

Jeana McCormick is a member of the firm’s trial services group, representing clients in a range of civil litigation matters involving school law, employment law, civil rights, municipal liability and general commercial litigation. McCormick is a frequent speaker at conferences and trainings for clients on school law and employment law.

Kasia Park is a member of the firm’s trial services group, concentrating on civil rights and commercial litigation. Park specializes in defending police officers against claims brought under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, including claims of false arrest and excessive force. Her practice includes the defense of claims brought under the Maine Tort Claims Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title IX and other state and federal laws.

Meghan Glynn is a member of the school and education law group, where she assists New Hampshire school districts with school law, school employment and labor law, and school board governance. Glynn also provides training and advising on bullying, Title IX and effective employee investigations.

Matthew Decker is a member of the firm’s municipal law group. Decker provides litigation and counseling services to New Hampshire municipalities on a wide variety of issues, including code enforcement, tax appeals, land use, roads and contracts.

Agnieszka Dixon is a member of the firm’s school law and public finance groups, focusing on school borrowing and budgets, bond issuance, and school reorganization matters. She also represents landowners, environmental nonprofits and local governments in land use and conservation matters.

Toby McGrath is a non-lawyer senior consultant and serves as the firm’s government relations and campaigns practice group leader and managing director of Drummond Woodsum strategic consulting. With more than 15 years of experience in the legislative and electoral process, McGrath is a recognized leader in his field.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Ellen Belknap

Suzanne Watson

The Environmental & Energy Technology Council of Maine has announced the board appointments of Ellen Belknap and Suzanne Watson. Belknap, of Portland, is president of SMRT Architects & Engineers, a full-service architecture firm known for successfully completing complex health care projects. She also serves on the University of Maine Board of Visitors, the board of Maine & Company and the Portland Trails Advisory Board. Watson, of Freeport, works with the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy to promote energy-efficient solutions and consults on energy matters. She has previously held roles at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and in municipal government.

NEW HIRES

Perkins Thompson has hired Emily A. Arvizu as an associate attorney in the firm’s trust and estates practice group. Arvizu’s practice focuses on helping people create and build estate plans around their specific needs and goals. She also has a passion for immigration matters and assists clients in gaining and maintaining status in the United States through employment and family-based petitions. Arvizu graduated summa cum laude from the University of Maine School of Law and serves as a chair of the Multicultural Law Society.

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