Bangor

Maine Bar Association

Meris J. Bickford of Bangor, president-elect of the Maine State Bar Association, is among some 300 other emerging leaders of lawyer organizations from across the country who attended the American Bar Association’s Bar Leadership Institute in Chicago last month.

The leadership institute is held annually in Chicago for incoming officials of local and state bars, special-focus lawyer organizations and bar foundations. The seminar provides the opportunity to confer with association officials, bar leader colleagues, executive staff and other experts on the operation of such associations.

Bickford, vice president and trust officer at Merrill Merchants Bank in Bangor, said the three-day session “proved of great value in preparing me to lead the 3,100-member Maine State Bar Association next year.

“Providing direction and vision to guide the MSBA in its constant efforts to promote Maine lawyers’ professionalism and advance their skills and knowledge, helping them meet the legal needs of all Maine people while advancing Maine’s system of justice, is a constant challenge,” Bickford added. She has long been active in the leadership of the Maine State Bar Association.

The American Bar Association – like the Maine State Bar Association – is a voluntary professional membership organization. It is the largest such organization in the world, with more than 400,000 members, and provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, and initiatives to improve the legal system for the public.

Ames A/E, AM

Brian Ames, president and chief executive officer of Ames A/E, Architects and Engineers, has announced the launch of Ames AM, Asset Management Solutions.

Ames AM, based in Portsmouth, N.H., was crafted to help companies better manage assets of all types, helping to reduce maintenance expenses.

“We see many clients spending too much money on breakdowns,” Ames said. “By using our software and working with in-house talent, we are able to cut emergency repair costs by as much as 30 percent.”

One key service provided by Ames AM is the distribution, implementation and training for Plannsoft Sofware, for which Ames AM is the exclusive New England distributor.

George Hanson, regional manager of AM Services, has extensive background in computerized maintenance managed systems and will work with Ames AM clients in Maine.

Vice President David de Sousa will work with clients in other New England states.

Business Excellence Award

Maine Gov. John Baldacci presented the Governor’s Award for Business Excellence to WCSH 6 Portland and WLBZ 2 Bangor at a reception held at Colby College in Waterville on March 24. The award is presented annually as part of the Colby College Institute for Leadership, a one-day event that draws businesses from throughout Maine.

The award is presented to companies that maintain a consistently high level of commitment to community, service excellence and employees.

WBRC Architects-Engineers

Paul Stevenson has been hired as marketing coordinator at WBRC Architects-Engineers. He assumed his new duties on March 22.

Stevenson is a native of Lubbock, Texas, where he received degrees from Lubbock Christian University and Sunset International Bible Institute. His career experience includes 10 years at Ford Motor Credit Co., three personal business ventures, 22 years in ministerial and pastoral leadership, and most recently in marketing and management within senior living and retirement communities.

Stevenson served as a committee member for the National Folk Festival and is a board member of his church.

Brewer

Bangor Federal Credit Union

Bangor Federal Credit Union announced its plan to build a 5,000-square-foot branch office on Dirigo Drive, currently under construction near the Parkway South intersection. Credit union officials said 12-15 jobs will be created when the branch office is fully staffed.

The credit union is the first of what is expected to be many facilities to be constructed along Dirigo Drive, a 1.6-mile road accessible from Wilson Street and I-395. The new road will include a wide right-of-way with a sidewalk, esplanade, pedestrian lighting, and underground utilities, said Drew Sachs, Brewer’s development director. The city of Brewer also created a new zoning district for the corridor to encourage and protect the area’s professional character as it develops, Sachs said.

Soy candles and products

Kimberly Severance has opened Mia Bella’s Soy Candles and Products at 39 Park Ave. East in Brewer. She is an independent distributor offering retail sales, fund raising and home shows.

For information, contact Severance at 989-6357, e-mail KSSoyCandles@adelphia.net, or check the Web at www.

BrewerMaine.Scent-Team.com.