Portland, MAINE – At its annual conference, the Maine Real Estate & Development Association (MEREDA) presented its 2017 awards to five luminaries from Maine’s real estate and development industry.
The Robert B. Patterson, Jr. Founders’ Award was presented to Lawrence Wold, of Freeport, president in Maine for TD Bank, for his significant contributions to the real estate industry over many years. A longtime member of MEREDA’s board and leadership team, Wold spearheaded a new member recruitment initiative for MEREDA. Fourteen years later, the TD Bank Membership Recruitment Matching Funds Program continues to help introduce new members to the organization and has made a lasting difference in the organization’s growth and success. A very active member of the southern Maine community, Wold has 30 years of commercial lending experience in Maine.
The President’s Award was presented to Michael O’Reilly, of Scarborough, senior vice president and southern Maine commercial team lead for Bangor Savings Bank, in recognition of his over-the-top contributions to the MEREDA organization. O’Reilly is an inspiration for fellow board members and for MEREDA’s strategic goals, having conceived of at least two of MEREDA’s current initiatives: the cultivation of young, up and coming members as part of the DevelopME framework, and the identification of workforce development as a crucial component for the continued success and health of Maine’s commercial real estate sector.
The Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to two individuals: Theresa Hodge, of Topsham, senior vice president and senior commercial lender at Bath Savings Institution, and Josh Fifield, of Portland, account executive in the business insurance department at Clark Insurance. Hodge is active in MEREDA’s board of directors and also participates on the subcommittee for the annual Strikes for Scholars" bowl-a-thon fundraiser, which in 2016, raised more than $18,000 for scholarships for Maine students. Fifield serves on MEREDA’s membership and marketing committee, attracting new members, creating original content for the Mainebiz Real Estate Insider and promoting MEREDA’s mission and benefits throughout the state.
The Public Policy Award was presented to Rick Licht, of Gray, founder and president of Licht Environmental Design, for his significant impact to benefit responsible real estate development in Maine. Licht travels to Augusta to testify at public hearings to help legislators understand the real-life impacts of legislation before they vote, rallying faithfully to deliver email and telephone messages to key legislators when we have put out a legislative “call to action,” adding a critical and informed dimension to MEREDA’s work.
For more information or to see the video presentation of the awards, click here.
