Thank you for an amazing 2023- Watch this video to see the recap of the year! | |
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The Kenney Awards, named for the region we hail from, is an annual ceremony that recognizes the significant contributions and achievements of area businesses and local professionals. A thousand people, some of the most venerated in industries across the region, gather together with delicious food, drinks, and lively music to celebrate the Kennebec County business community.
Congratulations to all our Winners and Finalists!
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The Peter G. Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award
Charlie & Nancy Shuman
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Large Business of the Year
J.S. McCarthy
Packaging & Print
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Special Service Award
Kennebec Cabin Company/The Woodshed
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Community Service Award
Gallant Therapy Services
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Cynergy Professional Award
Dr. Kieran Kammerer
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Cynergy Professional Award
Heather Hemphill
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Save the date - 2025 Kenney Awards, Friday January 24th &
Secure your sponsorship now for 2025!
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February 14 | 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Kennebec Valley Chamber
105 Second Street, Hallowell, ME
Sandra Dwight Barris
Grey Goose Gourmet
The Journey of running a successful
in-home business
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February 28 | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Gagne & Son LLC,
Co-hosted with
Bangor Savings Bank
1583 Augusta Road, Belgrade ME
Join us for a night of networking and fun!
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Attend our SBRT webinar on Wednesday, February 6th, via zoom
Topic: Small Business Taxes- What Every Owner Should Know
You won’t want to miss this fantastic opportunity for small business owners to become better informed about their taxes before the tax deadline. Whether you are an LLC or a sole proprietorship, this webinar is for you. The session is designed to get you on the right path for your tax preparation and to minimize your tax liability. You will learn some steps to simplify your return preparation as well as some accounting approaches that you may wish to consider. You will even have the opportunity to ask questions of the tax expert!
Presented by Echo Palmer, IRS Enrolled Agent and CEO of Palmer Accounting, LLC
Sponsored by:
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Join Cynergy on Wednesday, February 7th, for Trivia for a Cause benefiting the Augusta Food Bank at 1-7-10 Bowling & Entertainment Center from 5:00 - 7:00 PM.
Per usual, the trivia host will be the hilarious Capital City Improv!
$10 per person to play
5:00 PM Team Registration & Social Hour
6:00 PM Trivia Starts
7:00 PM Winner Announced
We love to see new faces at our events. If you don't have
a team but would like to join us, email
info@kennebecvalleychamber.com and we will find you a team!
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Cynergy is pleased to announce the return of a one-day showdown tournament on March 30th at the Augusta Civic Center at 11 AM!
The price to play is $250 per team.
The team min is eight players, and the max is ten players.
Must be 18 years or older to play.
We only have space for 16 teams, so get your group together and be prepared to dive, dip, duck, and dodge your way to the top for your chance to win the golden wrench!
If you want to have a team in the tournament but aren't sure about your teammates or shirt sizes yet please email info@kennebecvalleychamber.com to secure your spot.
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The Maine Business Relief Fund was recently closed due to the overwhelming number or applications submitted. They are hoping to be able to open applications back up in the upcoming weeks. If you'd like to monitor this for when applications open back up, you can do so here: https://www.mainebusinessrelieffund.com
If your commercial business or private residence was damaged from the December storm/flood, you're encouraged to document and report the damage. Collecting this data provides an important tool to help our state unlock the maximum about of potential federal support available. Visit https://www.maine.gov/governor/mills/flood for more information.
Kennebec County has been declared under a disaster declaration. Click for more info for SBA aid. https://lending.sba.gov/search-disaster/?disaster=ME-20001
The State of Maine has provided us with some information about their Work Share program which is a Lay-off avoidance tool that can be used for a business to retain trained workers when economic times are strained. If you'd like that information, reach out to the KV Chamber.
We want to help our members as much as possible. Let us know what you need from us, and we'll do our best to get you the information you need. Keep us posted when you'll be opening back up and we will share that on our social platforms. In regard to your membership, we are working on a case-by-case plan for those effected.
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Preparing for Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) Program
This past summer, the Governor of the State of Maine signed a budget that included the creation of a Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. While the program begins in 2026, employers in Maine will need to decide between implementing the public or a private plan, in November 2024.
Learn more about this requirement, including details about the timeline, status, and what is currently known about the state-run and private plan options, in this blog post from Acadia Benefits. Preparing for Maine’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
Acadia Benefits has supported Maine businesses successfully manage their employee benefits for over 34 years. Our local team works with businesses of all sizes and across all industries at no cost to you. Please reach out today and we are happy to explore options available to your business and employees.
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Thomas College announces a new physical/health education K-12 undergraduate degree through its Peter and Paula Lunder School of Education to prepare preservice teachers in Health and Physical Education for grades K-12. This new program joins the College’s suite of teacher certification programs at the early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary levels.
“We are so excited to offer a program geared towards Health and Physical Education out of the Lunder School of Education. This program fills a need in the local and state community and responds to a request from our own students here at Thomas," said Lunder School of Education Chair Dr. Katie Rybakova. “We are excited to partner with faculty across our campus as well as stellar professionals out in the field to prepare future physical education and health educators.”
“There is a real need in Maine schools to focus on health and wellness,” said Thomas College Provost and Chief Academic Officer Dr. Thomas Edwards. “Students need opportunities to develop the skills and knowledge to lead healthy lives, to prepare them for the physical and mental challenges of school, inside and outside the classroom.”
Students in the program will complete courses ranging from Strength and Conditioning and Sports Psychology to Public Health and Disease Prevention. This content knowledge is then complemented with courses on effective classroom teaching and field experiences to gain hands-on knowledge in the field.
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Maine State Credit Union is pleased to announce that Elizabeth Jean has joined its organization as Senior Vice President of Mortgage Lending. In this newly created role, she will oversee the strategic direction of the mortgage team and will report to Brie-Anne Mellor, SVP and Chief Lending Officer.
"We are excited to have someone with Elizabeth's knowledge and experience join our team," said Mellor. "Having had her own mortgage business and having worked at one of the largest regional banks in Maine, she brings a lot of product and market knowledge to the organization, which will help to provide our members with a better experience and product selection."
Elizabeth Jean has spent her career in the mortgage industry; she worked at a large regional bank for over seven years and went on to operate Gold Star Mortgage in Augusta for three years.
"I was attracted to the culture and the people at Maine State Credit Union and am thrilled that I took the chance," said Jean. "I am excited to help provide real-life solutions to challenges that the mortgage and real estate industry faces. Buying a house, whether someone's first or third, is a big financial commitment, and I am excited to help build training and processes to make it as easy as possible."
Elizabeth Jean attended the University of Maine and is a board member of the Sexual Assault Crisis and Support Center. She is also an active volunteer within her children's sports communities. Jean lives in Central Maine with her husband, two kids, and three dogs.
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NEW MEMBERS, ANNIVERSARIES, & MORE! | |
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Michele Pelletier, Chair*
PERFORMANCE Foodservice - NorthCenter
Amy Marston, Chair-Elect*
Central Maine Power Company
Lori Dube, Vice Chair*
Sprague & Curtis Real Estate
Matthew Tardiff, Treasurer*
J.S. McCarthy Printers
Tim Walton, Past Chair
Walton External Affairs, LLC.
Cathy DeMerchant, Human Resources*
Capital Area Staffing Solutions, Inc.
Katie Doherty, President & CEO*^
Kennebec Valley Chamber of Commerce
* Executive Committee ^ Full-Time Executive
Randall Anderson
The Meadows Golf Club
Karen Boston
Lipman Katz & Boston, P.A
Nathan Cotnoir
Camden National Bank
Sue Grenier
G&E Roofing Co., Inc.
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Eric Jermyn
Cross Employee Benefits
Earl Kingsbury
City of Augusta
Robbi Lockhart
Team EJP
Steven Marson
Central Maine Pyrotechnics
Nicole McSweeney
MaineGeneral Health
Stacey L. Morrison
Ganneston Construction Corp.
Rebecca Pushard
MIKA
Lynn Quirion
Macomber, Farr & Whitten
Alec Rogers
Maine Evergreen Hotel & Maine Gallery of Art
Andrew Silsby
Kennebec Savings Bank
Special Counsel
Dennis Carrillo
Cloutier Carrillo, Capitol Law, PLLC
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KVCC Staff
Katie Doherty
President & CEO
Lindsay Corbett
Chief Operating Officer
Melissa Walden
Membership & Development Director
Shelly LaVerdiere
Event & Program Manager
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