Members of The Neighborhood United Church of Christ, which received a national award for helping to address global heating. Contributed / Interfaith Power & Light

Bath church wins ‘cool’ national award

The Neighborhood United Church of Christ is one of the six national Interfaith Power & Light 2022 Cool Congregations Challenge winners.

The annual contest accepts applications from faith communities nationwide that are working to address global heating by getting off of fossil fuels and creating models of sustainability within their communities. The church took first place in the Community Inspiration category for successfully persuading the city to update the land use code to allow solar installations visible from the street in Bath’s historic district and for offering a five-part virtual series called “Bath Cares for Its Climate Future,” which focuses on sustainability topics.

Transitions

Krebs

Mary Jane Krebs will retire as president of Spring Harbor Hospital in December. Krebs has held several leadership roles at Spring Harbor Hospital, Maine Behavioral Healthcare and New York-based hospitals in her 50 years of treating and supporting people with behavioral health needs.

 Lisa Pohlmann will be retiring as CEO of the Natural Resources Council of Maine by the end of 2022. Pohlmann was NRCM’s first female CEO and has dedicated her career to issues from environmental conservation and economic justice to women’s rights.

Hires, promotions, appointments

Leete

Arianna A. Efstathiou is a new associate attorney at Perkins Thompson’s real estate practice group, William H. Leete, Jr. is an of-counsel attorney in the Business and Real Estate practice group, and David C. Johnson and Adam Nyhan have become shareholders of the firm.

Dr. Julia Redding, a DO at Maine Medical Center, is the new chairperson of the board of trustees at 75 State Street, a nonprofit residential community in downtown Portland, and Megan Walton, the CEO of Southern Maine Agency on Aging, is the new vice chairperson.

Maya Odlin of Scarborough has joined Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty.

Stacy Olsen is a new agent with The Ranello Group at the RE/MAX Shoreline Portland office.

Kanter

Jillian Kanter has been promoted to director of Marketing & Business Development and Jane Rankin to director of Finance at Verrill, a Portland-based law firm.

Peters

Sebago Technics has hired Cole Peters as an environmental services manager.

Granted

KeyBank Foundation will give a $100,000 grant to the American Red Cross to support its efforts to provide food, water and other essential items and services to the people of Ukraine.

Arts & Cultural Alliance of Freeport has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Maine Community Foundation’s Maine Theater Fund to produce Thornton Wilder’s classic play “Our Town.”

Hope Acts, which provides housing, English classes and other resources to immigrants, received over $42,000 in grants from Maine Initiatives, Maine Community Foundation, Maine Health Access Foundation and Morton-Kelly Charitable Trust.

Cultivating Community, a Portland-based food justice nonprofit that works in partnership with Portland Public Schools, is developing culturally relevant meals with a $26,563 grant from Full Plates Full Potential. Bath Area Family YMCA will invest its $18,000 grant to build a Y Community Garden and greenhouse for its after school and summer food service programs.

Saco & Biddeford Savings Institution is donating $23,990 to provide meals for students in Scarborough, South Portland, Westbrook, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach and Saco.

Town & Country Federal Credit Union contributed $2,000 to the South Portland School Department to help support nearly 350 students who do not have permanent housing.