The Latest: Week of April 10, 2026

The Latest is a roundup of the comings and goings of the movers and shakers in NH's business community

1 hour ago

Amanda Andrews,

FINANCIAL SERVICES

Bangor Savings Bank has appointed Liz Kohler and John Stebbins to its board of directors. Kohler is managing director of strategy, operations and growth at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute, and Stebbins is CEO of PROCON, a fully integrated design and construction firm serving clients across the Northeast.

Meredith Village Savings Bank (MVSB) is launching its annual Community Photo Contest, open to the public from March 30 through June 6. Photographers are invited to capture the beauty, spirit and everyday moments that make New Hampshire a special place to live and explore. Winning images may be showcased in MVSB’s complimentary 2027 Community Calendar, or featured on the Bank’s website, social media channels and note cards. Visit mvsb.com/photo-contest to submit.

Michelle Huffman has joined Ledyard Wealth Management as a wealth advisor, bringing more than 25 years of experience in comprehensive financial planning and retirement plan consulting. She holds the CPFA and AIF designations, along with FINRA Series 7, 63 and 65 registrations. Huffman was previously with Cambridge Investment Research.

Robert Bonfiglio, CFP, ChFC, MBA, and Brent Kiley, CFP, ChFC, CRPC, private wealth advisors with Ameriprise Financial in Bedford, have been named to the list of “Barron’s Top 1,500 Financial Advisors,” which recognizes financial advisors who represent the highest levels of ethical standards, professionalism and success in the business. Bonfiglio and Kiley were chosen based on assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory record and quality of practice.

Kristen Ramsey, VP compliance officer for New Hampshire Mutual Bancorp (NHMB), has earned her Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM) accreditation. Ramsey has over 26 years’ experience in the banking industry, 15 of those in banking compliance. She started her career at NHMB in 2022 as AVP lending compliance officer, was promoted in 2023 to AVP compliance officer and then again in 2025 to VP compliance officer.

NBT Bank welcomed Joseph Horvath as senior commercial banking relationship manager to its New Hampshire Commercial Banking team. He previously served as commercial banking officer for Camden National Bank/Northway Bank and commercial loan officer for Cambridge Trust Company/Optima Bank and Trust.

LAW

Sheehan Phinney has expanded its Portsmouth presence with a new downtown office and the addition of four attorneys. The new office, located at 145 Maplewood Avenue, enhances the firm’s ability to serve clients in key industries including real estate, technology, health care and energy sectors.

Shaheen & Gordon, P.A., has welcomed attorneys Ivy Haase and Lena Neruk to the firm’s Business Group, based out of the Dover office. With a UNH School of Law degree, Haase worked at firms in D.C. and Baltimore, specializing in drafting and developing patent and IP strategies. Neruk has 23 years of law experience across the U.S. and Ukraine, where she ran her own practice focused on real estate transactions, business and estate planning.

ENERGY

Freedom Energy Logistics has been ranked No. 98 on Inc.’s sixth annual Inc. Regionals: Northeast list — a ranking of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the Northeast. The list is ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years.

TECHNOLOGY

On April 22, the NH Tech Alliance’s Tech-Women Awards will honor three women in the technology industry for their achievements and contributions in the field in 2025: Helen Saunders, Tech Student of the Year; Shannon McCracken-Barber, Tech Education of the Year; and Madhura Mitra, director of engineering at Hypertherm Associates’ Heavy Industrial Plasma business, Tech Professional of the Year. Each honoree was chosen for their commitment to supporting STEM/technology education and advancing the role of women and girls in technology.

ENVIRONMENT

The Warner River Local Advisory Committee (WRLAC) in Warner, NH, has been recognized with a Silver Trout Award for distinguished service to conservation by the Basil Woods chapter of Trout Unlimited (TU). The Warner River Corridor — which includes the towns of Bradford, Sutton, Warner, Webster and Hopkinton — is one of 19 recognized by the state legislature and the governor for its important natural resources, historical significance and contribution to quality of life.

Eversource is again partnering with the Arbor Day Foundation for the third year in a row to distribute more than 1,000 free trees to customers in select communities across its three-state service territory. This year, customers in Dover and Merrimack will be eligible to reserve a complimentary tree through the company’s Energy-Saving Trees program.

The Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) has announced the 2026 round of Conservation Opportunity Fund recipients: Gay Kimball Library, Jaffrey Public Library, the Hooper Institute, Laura Shim of Keene, Lenoir Law of Gilsum, Michael Scardina of Keene, Ken Kost at the Railroad Square Condominium in Keene and Sarah Greene-Sims of Rindge. The Conservation Opportunity Fund’s mission is to provide funding for owners and stewards of small tracts of land who are interested in improving the wildlife habitat on their property. The fund prioritizes projects which have a community education and engagement component.

NONPROFITS

The New Hampshire Children’s Health Foundation has appointed James Mitkonis, senior manager with Nathan Wechsler & Company; Nina Sand-Loud, MD, of Dartmouth Health; and Anna Thomas, director of Manchester’s Public Health Department, to its board of directors. The foundation is one of the leading private funders for children’s health in the state. Its mission is to improve the health and well-being of all New Hampshire children.

EDUCATION

The University System of New Hampshire (USNH) board of trustees unanimously extended the term of the Keene State College Interim President Donald L. Birx, Ph.D., through June 30, 2027, while he continues to serve as president of Plymouth State University. Since October 2025, when Birx was first appointed to the dual role, steps have been implemented to provide long-term leadership stability, including the permanent appointment of Kirsti Sandy to provost and vice president of Academic Affairs at Keene State College. The USNH board also unanimously approved the appointment of Nathalie Houder as interim executive vice president of finance for Plymouth State University. Houder currently serves as executive vice president, finance and administration, at Keene State College and will continue in that role while supporting Plymouth State (subject to approval from the New England Commission of Higher Education). The Marketing Association of Plymouth State University (MAPS), an official collegiate chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), won awards at the recent AMA International Collegiate Conference (ICC) in Chicago, Illinois. The AMA awarded MAPS with the Outstanding Collegiate Chapter Performance in Chapter Planning and Communication (2025-26) award for its dedication in planning notable club activities and excelling at communications through a variety of media (internal and external). ICC competition judges also awarded students Carissa Adams and Thomas Giessler third place in the Marketing Strategy Competition.

Plymouth State University (PSU) will welcome alumna Tina Schumacher and Richard “Dick” Ober, president and CEO of the NH Charitable Foundation, as keynote speakers for the university’s 2026 commencement ceremonies May 8–9. For the past 17 years, Schumacher has worked with Voices Against Violence, supporting victims of domestic and sexual violence and leading trauma-informed education and prevention programs for students and youth. Ober has led the Foundation since 2010, helping to expand its role as the largest private provider of nonprofit grants and student aid in northern New England.

HEALTH CARE

Riverbend Community Mental Health recently welcomed New Hampshire behavioral health care leader Kara Morse as the agency’s new chief administrative officer. She previously held leadership roles at Southern New Hampshire Health in Nashua, where she helped establish integrated behavioral health in primary care, Medication-Assisted Treatment and The Doorway of Greater Nashua program.

Granite VNA has introduced telehealth services to provide continuous support and monitoring for homecare patients managing chronic conditions such as congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, chronic kidney disease and others. Patients will receive extended support from Ibis Health, a family-owned digital medical company serving patients on Medicare, which provides daily vitals monitoring, medication reminders and support via a tablet device. Ibis Health monitors patients 24/7 and alerts their care teams to any changes in their condition. Even after patients are discharged from Granite VNA care, Ibis Health continues to support them via telehealth to ensure uninterrupted care.

Steven J. Finnegan, MHA, the current chief operating officer (COO) of Hampstead Hospital and Residential Treatment Facility, has been named COO of New London Hospital (NLH). Hampstead and NLH are both members of Dartmouth Health.

Julia Evans, director of programming for Benchmark at Rye, has been named the recipient of Benchmark’s 2025 Better Together Award, which recognizes a community leader who embodies the company’s values by fostering teamwork, trust and accountability.

Restore Women’s Wellness, a new women’s health clinic focused on comprehensive and individualized care, will open its doors in Concord on April 13. Founded by board-certified urogynecologist Veronica Triaca, MD, MBA, and board-certified family nurse practitioner Trisha Brooks, APRN, the clinic supports women through midlife health, hormonal changes and sexual wellness with a personalized, patient-centered approach.

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

Thomas Hartley, president of Hartley Transportation, LLC, has been named the National Coffee Association’s (NCA) Volunteer of the Year, honoring his contributions to the coffee industry and his dedication to volunteer service. In response to rising incidents of green coffee theft in the U.S., Hartley leveraged his industry expertise to identify key vulnerabilities and develop practical prevention strategies. As a dedicated volunteer with the NCA, Hartley contributed time and insight as part of a stakeholder group that produced the widely recognized guide, Combating Fraud & Coffee Theft within the Trade.

CGI Business Solutions announced the addition of Ryan Pothier to the newly created role as director of strategic growth initiatives. Previously with Anthem NH, he has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry in sales and executive strategy roles.

Montagne Powers, a full-service public relations and strategic communications firm serving New England, has hired Kelly Scargill as senior account director and Chloe Knuckles as senior account executive. Scargill previously served as executive director of public relations and communications for SolutionHealth (co-founded by Elliot Health System and Southern New Hampshire Health), and Knuckles spent five years at Cru of Two, a boutique public relations agency in Boston.

REAL ESTATE

Ashley MacPherson has joined Badger Peabody & Smith Realty as a real estate agent, serving clients throughout the Mount Washington Valley out of the company’s North Conway office. As a new agent, she will be mentored by fellow Badger Peabody & Smith agent Austin Hale.

Greenwich Hospitality Group has acquired a 57-year leasehold interest in the historic The Exeter Inn from Phillips Exeter Academy, with plans to enhance the property, such as guest room and public space upgrades and new food and beverage options, while preserving its historic character.

Portside Real Estate Group recently welcomed Jennifer Jackson, an experienced Seacoast real estate professional and a member of the Seacoast Board of REALTORS, to its team.

Josephine Moran awarded Woman of the Year

Ledyard Bank President and CEO Josephine Moran has been awarded Vermont Bankers Association’s Woman of the Year in recognition of her commitment to mentoring and supporting fellow women in the workplace. Moran serves on the board of governors for the University of New Haven, is the founder and chair of the university’s Women’s Leadership Council, and also serves on the board of directors for the Boston Federal Reserve. In addition, Moran serves on the board of New Hampshire’s BIA, chairs the Granite State United Way board of directors, represents New Hampshire on the American Bankers Association’s Government Relations Committee, and serves on the leadership team of the ABA Women’s CEO Peer Leadership Group.