EMDC recognizes staff and community leaders

BANGOR — Eastern Maine Development Corporation presented the 2023 annual awards to recipients during the recent annual meeting.  An honoree was recognized for each of the four award categories: Tom Davis Employee of the Year, Business of the Year, Community Partner of the Year, and Nonprofit of the Year.

“There were several worthy nominations to consider among staff members and community businesses and organizations,” said Lee Umphrey, president and CEO.  “In particularly hard times, people found a way to rise-up and find opportunities, achieve success and gain prosperity while bringing extra value to their colleagues and communities.”

The Tom Davis Employee of the Year for 2023 was awarded to Kimberly Morrison from our workforce development team. Kim started with EMDC as a peer connector and is now a workforce development specialist continuing her work with those in recovery, justice-involved individuals, and other hard-to-reach populations. Employees like Kim, who has struggled with addiction herself, reinforce EMDC’s focus on creating recovery-friendly workplaces that support people to succeed in their jobs and communities.

The Employee of the Year Award is named in memory of Tom Davis, a longtime Penobscot County Commissioner and EMDC board member who showed exceptional dedication and was steadfast in his commitment to economic development in Penobscot County. Dan Tremble, chair of EMDC Board said, “Commissioner Davis was always focused on doing the right thing, the right way. Kim has all the attributes, especially working hard to make a difference that Tom would appreciate.” 

EMDC’s Business of the Year for 2023 is Korean Dad of Veazie. The honor was presented to Changsu “Kris” Lee who owns Korean Dad and the building. The Korean Dad building, which housed a single restaurant for decades, is now home to a rotating slate of restaurants representing cuisine from across the globe, creating a restaurant incubator that gives would-be-restaurant owners a chance to try their hand in business with low overhead costs. Lee is also on the math/science faculty at Eastern Maine Community College.

EMDC’s Community Partner Award is the Lewiston Adult Education nominated and presented by EMDC employee Patti Saarinen, director of workforce in Central and Western Maine. Lewiston Adult Education is a long-time partner in the workforce development system and a key stakeholder for continued success working with EMDC in helping workforce clients achieve educational success by providing excellent academic and occupational skills training for workforce services. Patti said that the partnership with Lewiston Adult Education has been essential in helping EMDC clients rejoin the workforce. 

The Nonprofit Organization of the Year is Fresh Start Sober Living, introduced by EMDC workforce employee Dan Kelley. For Dan, this connection goes beyond a professional connection, as a former Fresh Start resident and success story, his experience with Fresh Start Sober House guides in creating connections and opportunities with other residents while enrolling them in our workforce training programming leading to gainful employment.  Fresh Start was nominated because they have been both a Lending and workforce development partner for EMDC. Tremble said “as a Bangor City Council Member have seen their impact. Without Fresh Start those residents might be on the streets instead of in recovery housing. For this, they are a tremendous asset to the City of Bangor.”

EMDC (www.emdc.org) is a non-profit that fosters public-private partnerships and leverages resources to help communities, businesses, and individuals reach long-term goals and achieve prosperity.