Our monthly newsletter is sponsored by:

Cross Insurance & Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

THE LATEST INSIDE SCOOP

Thank you for an amazing 2025 Kenney Awards

The 2025 Kenney Awards were hosted on January 24, 2025 at the Augusta Civic Center. It was a fantastic evening recognizing local businesses and professionals for their contributions to their community and the Kennebec Valley Region.

Meet your 2025 Kenney Award Winners!

Lifetime Achievement Award

Roger Pomerleau

Large Business of the Year

Hancock Lumber

Small Business of the Year

College Carry-Out

Community Service Award

Anne Valle-Lachance

President's Circle Award

Capitol Area Recreation Association (CARA)

CYNERGY Professional Award

Emily Theriault

Congratulations to the finalists of our three live-voting categories!

Community Service: Merry St. Pierre, Corey Vose

President's Circle: Kents Hill School, United Way of Kennebec Valley

CYNERGY Professional: David Farago, Ryan Hill

Thank you to our 2025 Kenney Award Sponsors!

Door Prize Sponsors

Cape Air

Union Office Interiors

Bar Sponsor

Rocky's Stove Shoppe & Chimney Service

Cocktail Hour Sponsor

Northeast Bank

Reception Sponsors

Gardiner Federal Credit Union

KeyBank

Lipman Katz & Boston LLC

Statewide Towing

Wipfli, LLP

Table Sponsors

Better Business Bureau Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT

Charter Communications

O&P Glass

Sprague & Curtis Real Estate

Woodlands Senior Living

OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED

CYNERGY NEWS & EVENTS

CYNERGY's Annual Dodgeball Tournament is back on April 25th from

5:00-8:30PM at the Augusta Civic Center!

Put a team of co-workers or friends together for this evening of friendly competition! Registration begins at 5PM and the first game begins at 5:30PM.

Each team is guaranteed four games in the round-robin style tournament!

$250 per team (includes league t-shirt)

Minimum of 8 players, Maximum of 10

Limited spots available!

Applications for Kennebec Leadership Institute 2.0 are now open!

This program is designed as an extension of the Kennebec Leadership Institute. The goal is to continue the conversations that began during KLI and expand upon them through insights from top leadership studies and trends.

This program tackles the challenges of modern work environments, from fostering trust and camaraderie to navigating complexity and ambiguity. 

Take the next step in your leadership journey by applying to this influential two-day workshop! Applications will be accepted through February 28th, 2025.

To submit your application, email info@kennebecvalleychamber.com

YOUR ADS

MEMBER NEWS

Get ready for an unforgettable night of excitement and basketball fun! The world-famous Harlem Globetrotters are returning to the Augusta Civic Center on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, for an action-packed performance that will leave you on the edge of your seat!

WHEN: Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Doors: 6:00PM | Show: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM | Autograph Session: 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM

WHERE: Augusta Civic Center

76 Community Drive, Augusta, ME, 04330

TICKETS: The general public can purchase tickets by visiting the onsite Box Office, by calling 207-626-2400 (M-F, 8 AM - 4 PM), or online through Ticketmaster.com.

Thomas College Announces New Online Bachelor's Degree for Working Professionals

Thomas College is excited to announce a new 100% online Bachelor of Science in business management program designed for working professionals with some college credit who haven’t yet completed their degree. Classes begin Fall 2025.

“Nearly forty percent of students in the United States start college but do not complete their degree. Thomas College wants to give these people an opportunity to complete their degree while removing some of the barriers they may have as working adults with families and other responsibilities,” said Thomas College Provost Thomas Edwards. “Thomas College believes in access to education to help build and educate the Maine workforce. This program is a great example of that work.”

The new Bachelor of Business Management program will be delivered in 100% online 8-week modules with 6-terms per year. It is designed to help those with prior college credits looking to complete their bachelor's degree. Courses are crafted to help students build the skills employers are looking for in today’s business world.

To learn more information, visit their website. Students can apply at any time. Classes begin Fall 2025.

NEW MEMBERS

WELCOME:

Blue Seal Augusta

Sara Knight-Doughty (207) 626-5715

augustastore@kentww.com

Augusta

Dasch Seltzer

Nick Aschauer (207) 837-3066

nick@daschseltzer.com

Brunswick

Dump Guy

Garrett Gordon (207) 450-5858

info@thedumpguy.com

Sidney

GRILLA BOWL

Thomas Villegas (207) 530-1155

grillabowl@gmail.com

Gardiner

Kennebec Storage

Christian Berger (207) 215-8000

chrisbberger@gmail.com

Augusta

Maine Greyhound Placement Service

Sheila Axell (207) 626-2893

greyhoundkennel@roadrunner.com

Augusta

MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

40 YEARS

Dead River Company, G & E Roofing Co., Inc., Gosline Insurance Group, Hammond Lumber Co., J.S. McCarthy Packaging and Print, Knowlton Hewins Roberts Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Le Club Calumet, Inc., Macomber, Farr & Whitten, Maine Evergreen Hotel and Gallery of Maine Art, Maine Instrument Flight, Meadow Park Development Corp., N.R.F. Distributors, Inc., Plummer Funeral Home, Senator Inn & Spa, Sprague & Curtis Real Estate, Staples Funeral Home and Cremation Care

30 YEARS

MaineGeneral Health, Marketplace at Augusta, Thayer Engineering Co., Inc., Windsor Fair, Wipfli, LLP

20 YEARS

Kennebec Valley Council of Governments, Kristie Rowell Insurance Agency, Lawson Property Services, Inc., Quirion Insurance Agency, Readfield Insurance Agency, LLC, Richmond Insurance Agency, Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center

10 YEARS

Cornerstone Insurance Agency, Inc., Erickson Bonding & Insurance Associates, Inc., Gardiner Federal Credit Union, Gosline Retirement Planning, Karen Johnson CPA, LLC, Kennebec Valley Tennis Association, Kennebec Wealth Management, Minuteman Signs, Sportsman's Alliance of Maine, Zardus Holistic Wellness Center

5 YEARS

AARP Maine, Andwell Health Partners, Day's Jewelers, Kennebec Valley Tourism Council, Maine Dental Association, Union Office Interiors

RENEW

1-7-10 Bowling & Entertainment Center, Airtime Cellular, Asset Real Estate Management, Brickyard Hollow Brewing Company, Capital City Chiropractic, Capitol Area Recreation Association, Casella Waste Systems, Central Maine Title Company, City Drawers, Cloud 9 Restaurant, Everest Recovery Centers, Gilbert Group Real Estate and Property Management, Hancock Lumber, James Leasing & Management, JRG Signs and Design, K&A Engineering Consulting, P.C., Keller Insurance Agency Inc., Kennebec Clay Works, Kennebec Storage, Lifetime Storage, Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine, Mariner Construction, Michael Roderigue Financial Services, Planet Fitness, Weathervane Restaurant & Lounge, Western View Golf and Pub

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

KVCC Board of Directors

Andrew Silsby, Chair*

Kennebec Savings Bank

Amy Marston, Chair-Elect*

Central Maine Power Company

Lori Dube, Vice Chair*

Sprague & Curtis Real Estate

Matthew Tardiff, Treasurer*

J.S. McCarthy Packaging and Print

Michele Pelletier, Past Chair

PERFORMANCE Foodservice NorthCenter

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

Dr. Jenifer Cushman

University of Maine at Augusta

Sue Grenier

G&E Roofing Co., Inc.

Earl Kingsbury

City of Augusta

Robbi Lockhart

Team EJP

Steven Marson

Central Maine Pyrotechnics

Nicole McSweeney

MaineGeneral Health

Stacey Morrison

Ganneston Construction Corp.

Rebecca Pushard

MIKA

Lynn Quirion

Macomber, Farr & Whitten

Alec Rogers

Maine Evergreen Hotel & Maine Gallery of Art

Jessika Williams

Cross Insurance

Stay up to date by joining our mailing list KV Chamber Insider Newsletter

Sincerely,

KVCC Staff

Katie Doherty, President & CEO

Lindsay Corbett, Chief Operating Officer & Events

Melissa Walden, Membership & Development Director

Lauren Turcotte, Marketing & Communications Coordinator