The Latest: Week of February 27, 2026

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

REAL ESTATE

Portside Real Estate Group welcomed Will Reardon to its Seacoast region agent team. He brings more than four years of real estate experience to his new role.

Erick Brunelle has joined Portside Real Estate Group as an agent dedicated to assisting clients across the Maine and New Hampshire seacoast. With more than 35 years in sales and sales leadership, Brunelle specializes in new construction.

NONPROFITS

Easterseals NH & VT has promoted Mike Leary to senior vice president of development. He initially joined the organization in September 2024, and previously had a career in education working as a middle and high school teacher, including spending close to a decade at The Derryfield School in Manchester. He also taught Latin and was an academic advisor at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, Virginia.

Candice Benson and Melissa Jurkoic, principals for Benson Consulting, have been appointed to the board of directors of AI in NH, a local nonprofit dedicated to advancing AI literacy, applied understanding and responsible use across New Hampshire. The organization brings accessible education and collaboration opportunities to communities through meetings and workshops designed to provide residents with access to knowledge, resources and engagement.

Plan NH is now accepting applications for the Plan NH Annual Scholarship and Fellowship Program for now until April 10. The program supports New Hampshire residents pursuing education in architecture, construction management, engineering, environmental studies and related fields. In 2025, Plan NH awarded $31,000 to 14 students from communities across the Granite State.

The Mayhew Program, a nonprofit that mentors at-risk New Hampshire boys, has received an anonymous financial gift for $1 million — the largest single donation in the history of the organization. The Mayhew Program is the only program in the state that provides a combined mentoring program and summer camp experience tuition free for the boys that they serve.

The Moore Center, which provides services to individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and acquired brain disorders, recently named five new members to its board of directors: Max Latona, executive director of the Office of Partnerships at Saint Anselm College; Deanna Zanella, associate vice president, ceremonies and protocol officer at SNHU; Michelle DeLois, chief financial officer, Denron Hall Plumbing & HVAC; Garrett Kelley, chief financial officer, Optiline Enterprises LLC; and Cherrie Murray, executive assistant and HR coordinator, Franklin VNA & Hospice.

Granite State Independent Living has recruited two new members to its board of directors to better achieve its mission of promoting independence for people with disabilities: Claire Gruenfelder, director of human resources at New England College, and Sara Timberlake, commercial lender for M&T Bank.

Aroma Joe’s announced that its AJ’s Cares Foundation has been officially approved as a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. The Foundation’s gift-giving strategy will focus on organizations that support children’s growth, fight childhood hunger, create educational opportunities, serve veterans and their families and care for the environment.

Monadnock Peer Support (MPS) has received $13,103.28 in funding from Revo Casino in Keene as part of their charitable gaming program. The funds raised will help to strengthen the organization’s services and expand support for individuals facing mental health challenges throughout the region.

The Lighthouse Credit Union Foundation has named Johanna Corcoran as its new executive director, leading the Foundation’s strategic direction through fundraising, partnerships and program development that focuses on affordable housing, food security and education. Corcoran was most recently the executive director of Feed RI.

Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack), in partnership with the NH Community Finance Authority, has once again supported Second Start in Concord by pledging $10,000 to help strengthen internal operations for Second Start employees. Second Start offers programs for early childhood education, substance misuse prevention for middle and high school students, adult education programs and services for New Americans.

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS

Best Choice Windows & Doors has been officially recognized as the only ProVia authorized retailer serving the New Hampshire Seacoast. To become authorized, Best Choice had to meet strict requirements for product knowledge, installation practices and customer service.

The New Hampshire Lottery broke its all-time, single-month record for revenue delivered to New Hampshire public education in December 2025, generating $28.6 million. In December 2025, traditional lottery products generated more than $16 million, sports betting contributed more than $5 million, charitable gaming added more than $4 million and iLottery games and products generated more than $3 million.

Lizzy Nichols has joined New Hampshire Life Sciences as director of operations, helping to develop NHLS membership and expand engagements and reach across the state. She will also help NHLS execute on programming and be an additional point of contact for NHLS members and partners.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

John Tuten has joined Merrimack County Savings Bank (The Merrimack) as VP commercial loan officer. Tuten has more than two decades of banking experience, with expertise in commercial lending and commercial credit management. He is a business graduate of Saint Mary’s College of California and holds an MBA from Daniel Webster College.

NBT Bank has promoted Richard Schoepke to chief trust officer. He first joined the Bank in 2025 as senior trust advisor in New Hampshire, with 15 years of experience working with high-net-worth individuals and families. Schoepke earned his juris doctor degree in law from the University of Memphis and a bachelor’s degree from Lambuth University.

St. Mary’s Bank has launched Silvur, a free resource designed to simplify retirement with personalized guidance for each member’s unique situation. Along with its financial planning platform Penny Finance, these educational resources are available at no cost to St. Mary’s Bank members.

Carson Hanrahan is the new chief transformation officer (CTO) for BerryDunn, an accounting, tax and consulting firm. Hanrahan has more than two decades of experience leading enterprise technology and business transformation across insurance, professional services, retail, manufacturing and consulting engineering organizations.

Service Credit Union has announced the rebrand of its Select Employer Group program to the Workplace Partner Program, a no-cost benefit for employers that provides employees with access to financial tools, education and workshops, and personalized guidance. Bank of New Hampshire has announced the recent promotions of Christopher Walkley to SVP, senior commercial banking manager; Tiffany Baert to SVP, marketing and public relations officer; Nicole Ceja to AVP, prestige plus officer; and Tarra Sorell to business development officer.

HOSPITALITY

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has opened at 125 S. Broadway in Salem Park Plaza, its second location in New Hampshire. The new restaurant is owned by Kevin Chauvette and John Hall, and features authentic Greek cuisine, including the popular made-to-order Feta Fries and desserts like Baklava ice cream and rice pudding.

The Common Man family has promoted Sean Brown to CEO, who has been an employee since 1995. Brown most recently served as the chief operations officer for The Common Man, overseeing operations of 17 restaurants, four inns, two stores, and The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center. Prior to that, he was district operations manager and the previous general manager for other Common Man Family brand locations.

The Mall at Rockingham Park in Salem is welcoming new retailers, including Gorjana, a family-owned jewelry brand founded by Gorjana and Jason Reidel, and Rowan, an earpiercing studio staffed by board-certified nurses using dermatologist-tested jewelry. The Mall will also see expanded Aerie and lululemon storefronts.

ENGINEERING

GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc. has promoted Andrew Blaisdell, P.E., G.E., to district office manager of the firm’s South Portland, Maine, office, which serves multiple clients in New Hampshire. A licensed professional engineer in several states, Blaisdell has more than 24 years of experience in geotechnical, seismic, infrastructure and rock slope engineering.

PROCON owner Jen Stebbins Thomas has been named the CelebrateHER Award recipient for Large Business Leader of the Year by The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth. The award recognizes women demonstrating exceptional leadership in organizations with more than 50 employees. As director and owner of PROCON and a partner at Tidemark and XSS, she also serves as chair of the board at Waypoint and holds advisory roles with M&T Bank and Bangor Savings Bank.

ARTS & CULTURE

The Currier Museum of Art announced the endowment of its senior curator position by philanthropists and collectors of 17th-century Dutch art, Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo — the first endowed position in the museum’s history. The endowment will support the leadership, research and programming essential to the museum’s curatorial vision and scholarly contributions that advance the field of art history.

HEALTH CARE

Southern New Hampshire Health has hired former WMUR-TV Assistant News Director Keith Baldi to serve as enterprise communications manager. With more than 25 years of communications experience across six states, Baldi has served as a television news reporter, anchor, producer and, most recently, assistant news director, and will oversee communications, media relations and public affairs efforts for Southern NH Health.

Two Manchester skilled nursing facilities, St. Teresa Rehabilitation & Nursing Center and St. Joseph Residence, were both named among the nation’s top providers of long-term care by U.S. News & World Report, earning the “High Performing” designation. Top-rated nursing homes have a 15% lower hospitalization rate for long-term residents than the national average.

MARKETING

Montagne Powers, a public relations and strategic communications firm, has recently promoted Taylor Toohey to senior account manager and hired Jessica True as office manager. Toohey has been with the firm since 2020, providing support to various clients. Prior to joining Montagne Powers, True served as an office administrator at DC Development and business manager at True Landscaping.

Portsmouth-based BridgeView Marketing, a digital agency integrating tech PR and marketing, has announced the launch of PR Rosetta Stone — an AI-enabled PR reporting and intelligence system designed to show executives how earned media drives website traffic, search visibility, AI discoverability and revenue-relevant engagement.

TECHNOLOGY

ChiefAI, a business management and AI advisory firm, has formally launched to help staffing and professional services organizations adopt artificial intelligence with discipline, governance and measurable business outcomes. The company also announced that Jason Alexander, a staffing and sales industry veteran with more than 18 years of experience, has been appointed CEO.

Two New Hampshire craft beer enthusiasts, Bridget Austin and Darren Hewson, have developed a mobile app designed to bring together drinkers and breweries via a genuine-feedback model. The app, I’d Tap That, provides a private space for drinkers to remember exactly what they liked, or didn’t, about a certain brewery through features such as personal ratings, overall taproom experience scoring, meaningful reviews, a history of visited breweries or taprooms, and more. I’d Tap That is available now for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

LAW

The law firm of McLane Middleton has hired attorneys Alex E. Intile and Katarina C. Overberg. Intile is counsel in the firm’s Cybersecurity and Privacy group based in the Woburn, Mass., office. He has spent the last decade advising clients on cybersecurity, data management and privacy issues. Overberg is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department and focuses on cybersecurity and data privacy matters and intellectual property.

Lucy Lange appointed new BEA commissioner

Lucy Lange, the president and general manager of Manchester Media Group (WZID, the Mill and WFEA), was appointed as NH’s next commissioner of the Department of Business and Economic Affairs (BEA) by Gov. Kelly Ayotte and the Executive Council.

Lange has more than 20 years of experience in business development and marketing. She has been at Manchester Media Group for more than five years and served as president since October 2023. She has worked in media her entire career, primarily in radio including serving as senior vice president of sales for NH for iHeartMedia for almost seven years and as vice president and general manager for Monadnock Broadcasting Group and Brattleboro Radio Group for a year before joining the leadership team at Manchester Radio Group. Before that she served as director of internet sales and new product development at the Union Leader Corporation for a year.

Lange serves as treasurer of the NH Association of Broadcasters, and is also a member of the ReGen Valley Tech Hub Consortium.

Please send items for possible publication in The Latest to AANDREWS@NHBR.COM Include a color photo if available.