The following is a list of achievements by businesses and individuals in the Ann Arbor area:

• Two area golf professionals have earned state-wide honors from the Michigan chapter of the Professional Golfers Association. Frank McAuliffe, PGA professional at Ann Arbor Country Club in Ann Arbor, was awarded the Michigan PGA 2010 Golf Professional of the Year Award. The award recognizes exemplary overall performance on the part of a PGA professional. Dave Kendall, PGA professional at Kendall Academy of Golf in Ypsilanti, was given the Michigan PGA 2010 Horton Smith Award. This is given annually to a PGA member for his outstanding contributions to professional education.

• Butzel Long attorney and shareholder Leonard M. Niehoff was recently elected to the Governing Board of the American Bar Association's Forum on Communications Law. Niehoff is based in the firm’s Ann Arbor office.

• The University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center appointed Dr. Maha Hussain as the center’s new associate director of clinical research, effective Feb. 1. Hussain is a professor of internal medicine and urology at the U-M Medical School, and currently serves as co-leader of the Cancer Center’s urologic oncology program.

• Bob Green of Brighton, inventor of Hug-A-Plug, a right-angle electrical adapter, will see his invention go on sale March 1. The Hug-A-Plug will also be introduced at the International Housewares Association Show in Chicago March 14-16.

• Ebani T. Lowery has been appointed development director for the nonprofit organization Washtenaw Literacy. In related news, Washtenaw Literacy Program Coordinator Blair Kraft will present a concurrent session at the joint national conference of the Commission on Adult Basic Education and Proliteracy in Chicago March 17 -19. Kraft will discuss his program "Project Community," a partnership he conceived and developed among the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, Michigan Prisoner Reentry Initiative, Ann Arbor Public Schools Adult Education and undergraduates from the University of Michigan. Additionally, Washtenaw Literacy has partnered with three area public schools to provide tutoring services in their adult education classrooms with funding provided by the Workforce Investment Act II. In Ann Arbor, there are three initiatives: 1) At the University of Michigan Hospital, tutors work with hospital employees to improve communication skills; 2) at the Washtenaw County Jail, tutors work with inmates to improve reading skills and get them into GED classes; and 3) at Stone School, tutors work with ESL classrooms to offer on-site support to teachers.

• Eight Realtors from Prudential Snyder & Company Realtors in Ann Arbor have earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource Certification: Sara Maddock, Agusta Gunnarsdottir, John Clark, Nancy Clark, Tom Kmet, Renee Badall, Victoria Evans and Paul Evans.

• The City of Ypsilanti and the Women’s Council of Washtenaw County recently announced that the 2010 ATHENA Award recipient is Michelle Richards, executive director of the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development. The award will be presented at the ATHENA Award and ATHENA PowerLink lunch March 16. As the Washtenaw County recipient, Richards will also be invited to join thousands of ATHENA Award recipients worldwide at the annual International ATHENA Leadership Summit in Chicago April 4-6.

• Valerie J. M. Brader has been named a partner in the Ann Arbor office of Detroit-based law firm Bodman LLP.

• Bank of Ann Arbor recently added Mary Hays and Kim Snow to its team of bankers. Hays joins the team as vice president, private banking officer. Snow joins Bank of Ann Arbor as a relationship banking & cash management officer.

• Enertia, a team of three University of Michigan graduate students with a plan to harness vibrations to power small electronics, won the top prize of $50,000 in the 2009-2010 Clean Energy Prize business plan competition. The final rounds of competition were held Feb. 12 at U-M's Ross School of Business.

• Private equity firm North Castle Partners announced earlier this month that it has recapitalized Saline-based Flatout Inc. in partnership with co-founders Stacey and Mike Marsh. Glencoe Capital's Michigan Opportunities Fund participated in the recapitalization, the terms of which were not disclosed. Flatout manufactures and markets healthy, premium flatbreads, wraps and snack crisps sold under its own Flatout brand to grocery, mass, club store and food-service channels.

• Ann Arbor-based The Linux Box has partnered with Canonical Ltd., making The Linux Box an official Canonical Silver Solution Provider Partner. The Linux Box will sell, install and support customized Ubuntu-based solutions to organizations running Linux systems. Ubuntu is Canonical's free, open source operating system.

• Verizon Wireless has activated a new cell site in Dexter, which enables more customers to use their wireless phones and enjoy clearer reception and fewer dropped calls. The new cell site improves voice and data coverage on the western edge of Dexter and in Hudson Mills park.

• E-mail items for People, Achievements and Paparazzi to business@annarbor.com . Sign up for the weekly Business Review email newsletter here.