Yarmouth admiral new director of air warfare

Rear Adm. Gregory “Hyfi” Harris, a Yarmouth native, has been assigned to Washington, D.C., where he will serve as director, Air Warfare, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Harris relinquished command as Chief of Naval Air Training during a ceremony aboard Naval Air Station Corpus Christi on July 26. The aerial change of command took place with both Harris and his successor flying jet aircraft in Kingsville, Texas. He had been in command since July 2018.

Harris has logged more than 4,200 flight hours, 1,045 landings, and has flown more than 100 combat missions in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Hires, promotions, appointments

WordLab, a communications apprenticeship program in Portland, announced its first two client associates have been hired. Katherine Hulit has international public relations experience in the fields of public service, activism and entertainment. Brian Lee joined WordLab as a client associate in February and has a master’s in journalism from Boston University.

Mary Ottolini joined MaineHealth as the George W. Hallett MD Chair of Pediatrics at Maine Medical Center on June 1. She oversees The Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital and the MaineHealth pediatric service line.  She spent more than 26 years at Children’s National Medical Center, where, as CNMC’s Division Chief of Hospital Medicine, she developed one of the largest Pediatric Hospitalist programs in the country.

The Board of Directors of Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance has named Gibson Fay-LeBlanc as the executive director of the organization. Fay-LeBlanc, who joined MWPA as the associate director last September, was serving as the interim executive director following the departure of Joshua Bodwell. Bodwell left in May to become the editorial director at David R. Godine, Publisher.

Good Theater in Portland announced that Lynne McGhee stepped into the position of development and Special events director and Hannah Daly is the new public relations director; both part-time positions were made possible by a grant from the Davis Family Foundation.

Katelyn Syphers of South Portland, (formerly Katelyn Estes), has rejoined the staff at Hobbs Funeral Homes as a licensed funeral director. At Hobbs, which has locations in South Portland and Scarborough, Syphers will be making funeral arrangements, working with pre-arrangements and mortuary trusts, and using her skills in restorative arts and cosmetics.

Evelyn Wong has joined Scott Simons Architects as a part-time marketing assistant. Wong exhibited work as a botanical artist for 10 years before moving to Portland for her MFA degree. She is also an instructor at Maine College of Art for the Continuing Studies program.

Open for business

On the heels of its recent merger with Illinois-based Vibrant Credit Union, Infinity Federal Credit Union will host a groundbreaking ceremony at noon Aug. 14 to celebrate a new Scarborough branch, located at 35 Plaza Drive, just off Route 1. Expected to cost $2.9 million, the full-service branch will include two drive-up lanes, a 24-hour ATM and technological amenities.

According to Elizabeth Hayes, president and CEO of Federal FCU, the new branch will feature a “distinctly Maine look and feel,” with exposed wood and stone, a coffee bar, comfortable seating and artistic lighting.  The branch will be Infinity FCU’s fifth, adding to a network that includes locations in Westbrook, Portland, Bangor and Arundel.

Under the ownership of Rachel Sagiroglu, Experience Maine, a new full-service travel concierge and event planning company, will curate, design and plan unique travel experiences for both corporate and individual clients. Sagiroglu, who lives in Cumberland, has 20 years’ experience, including stints at Time Warner Cable in Portland, Vreeland Marketing & Design in Yarmouth and, most recently, as marketing manager at WEX in Portland.

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