With innovation being the core of the Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), it is easy to forget the importance of administrative support needed for innovation and growth. This is why the ASCC is pleased to announce the recent hire of Celena Powell as our new administrative coordinator.  

Powell will provide critical administrative support and coordination, serving as the primary point of contact for the executive director’s office. Her position includes scheduling for the executive director, formal communications, and managing administrative processes and systems. 

“We are so thrilled to welcome Celena to our Administrative Support Team here at the ASCC.  Her extensive administrative experience and creative energy will be a tremendous asset to the Center,” remarked Powell’s supervisor, Amber Seaney, special advisor for administration.  

A Bangor local and alumna of the University of Maine, Powell received her B.F.A in Studio Art: Mixed Media in 2005.  Over the years, Powell has acquired a wide range of work experiences that have made her a valuable asset to our team. From studio art, assisting research, business management, and teaching, to leadership, Powell has practically done it all. However, her most noteworthy accomplishments stem from her time in the healthcare recruitment business. 

Powell has served in a variety of roles at Health Search New England, a small-scale healthcare professional recruitment agency. Post graduation, she began her time with the company as an office manager. In a few years, Powell’s job title transitioned away from office manager as she began acting as the company’s marketing director and recruiter.  In this role, she facilitated the implementation of new business and marketing strategies. These strategies brought physicians from all over the globe to New England and launched HSNE into the future of healthcare recruitment. 

After ten years with HSNE, Powell became the organization’s president in 2016. She was not only responsible for all operations but she also managed over 60 recruitment contracts for various hospitals and practices throughout New England. Her hard work at HSNE developed the company beyond its small roots. As a result, Jordan Search Consultants in St. Louis, Missouri purchased the company. After Jordan Search Consultants acquired HSNE, Powell served as the Vice President of New England operations. 

Among her many responsibilities, Powell was also a shareholder of First Choice Inc., a national corporation of 12 recruitment firms. Her main responsibilities were to design, implement and train First Choice Inc.’s proprietary applicant tracking system (ATS). 

After Powell’s time at HSNE came to an end, she put her experience in healthcare recruitment to good use at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bangor. In the two years prior to the pandemic, she served as the hospital’s provider relations specialist and recruiter. Powell’s broad experiences are a valuable addition to skills collected under the roof of the ASCC, as they prove not only that she is a driven, well-organized worker, but also a leader.  

Outside of work, Powell revisits her passion for the arts by exploring a wide variety of mediums including painting and sculpting. She also enjoys getting active outdoors and spending time with her husband and children.    

The ASCC team is rapidly growing and always looking for talented individuals across all industries to join our team. For more information on open positions, visit the ASCC website or contact Kim Scribner, workforce coordinator, at kimberly.scribner@maine.edu.

Contact: Elizabeth Dalton, elizabeth.dalton@maine.edu