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

• Donald J. Welch Jr., president and CEO of Merit Network Inc. in Ann Arbor, has been named Grant Thornton Leader & Innovator of the Year. Lawrence Technological University co-sponsors the award along with Grant Thornton LLP and WWJ NewsRadio 950. Welch was chosen from among 46 nominees profiled during the past 12 months on the radio station’s daily e-newsletter, the Great Lakes Innovation and Technology Report. The Leaders & Innovators program was developed by Lawrence Tech to recognize Michigan business executives who have demonstrated unique abilities or created unique products

• McKinley Inc., headquartered in Ann Arbor, was named by National Real Estate Investor as one of the Top 50 Apartment Management firms by the National Multi Housing Council’s ranking of the nation’s 50 largest apartment owners and managers. McKinley was ranked #45 and is a newcomer to the list.

• David Glaser from Prudential Snyder & Co. Realtors in Ann Arbor has earned the nationally recognized Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The certification program
includes training on how to qualify sellers for short sales, negotiate with lenders, protect buyers, and limit risk,and provides resources to help Realtors stay current on national and state-specific information.

• The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation recently announced a new citywide campaign to raise $1 million in funds for the schools’ 2010-2011 academic year, with a target completion of Aug. 1. The Foundation is an independent nonprofit organization that raises private money for the Ann Arbor Public Schools. 

• On April 22, Earth Day, Cleary University announced it is introducing four new "green" degrees and certificates: B.B.A. in Sustainability Management (fall 2010); Graduate Certificate in Green Business Strategy (fall 2010); an online Certificate in Principles of Green Buildings and an online Certified Indoor Environmentalist Certification Preparation Program (both launched in mid-April 2010). Cleary is a business university with campuses in Howell and Ann Arbor.

• 826michigan, an Ann Arbor-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting young students’ creative and expository writing, recently announced Julia Sheill as the newest addition to their board of directors and incoming treasurer. As a vice president at Fifth Third Bank for the last 11 years, Sheill has worked as a financial center manager in the Ann Arbor and Brighton markets.

• ProQuest, a information technology firm supporting global research, was awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ‘Energy Star’ rating for its Ann Arbor headquarters building. Commercial real estate firm Transwestern manages the building at 789 Eisenhower Parkway. Energy Star, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency, signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency.

• Global procurement consultancy ADR International recently launched an upgraded version of its Development Needs Analysis (DNA) tool at the Institute for Supply Management conference in San Diego, Calif. The new version will enable managers to compare their teams’ results with those of other sectors and identify skills gaps more easily. ADR's North American arm is headquartered in Ann Arbor.

• SOS Community Services Executive Director Gary Bell is retiring after 10 years in that role, and Faye Askew-King, SOS program & services director, was appointed interim executive director by the SOS board of directors. In other news from SOS, former SOS board member and former Ann Arbor Chamber of Commerce president Jesse Bernstein was appointed as temporary special director for community relations. His roles will include coordinating the search for a permanent executive director, as well as working with community partners.

• Two employees and one volunteer from Evangelical Homes of Michigan have been named as award recipients by Aging Services of Michigan. Earl Roehm is the recipient of the 2010 Trustee of the Year Award, which honors a member of the governing board of directors whose dedication and leadership skills consistently go above and beyond expectations. Mary Kay Wirth, was honored with the Shining Star Award, which recognizes a gifted aging services professional with over 20 years of service who demonstrates excellence in management and dedication to senior care. Pat Grayson was named a Life Member of Aging Services of Michigan for her service to the senior community. She joined the corporate staff of Evangelical Homes as the director of operations in 2000 and retired from EHM in 2005.

• JP Sales Company Inc., based in Ann Arbor, recently announced the formation of a new joint venture between CIGNYS of Saginaw and Jay Industries Inc. , based in Mansfield, Ohio. The joint venture aims to bring the benefits of large-scale vertically integrated manufacturing to customers in the defense, aerospace, automotive, agricultural equipment and numerous other industries. JP Sales will contribute its product development and marketing skills, accounting and legal support to the joint venture.

• The National Psoriasis Foundation awarded $800,000 in grants to 10 of the nation's top researchers whose projects have great potential to advance treatments and ultimately lead to a cure for psoriasis. Eight scientists each received a $50,000, one-year Discovery Research Grant to provide support for pilot research. Among those receiving a Discover Research Grant was Andrew Johnston of the University of Michigan. Johnston will examine interleukin-1 proteins, which are abundant in psoriasis skin and absent in healthy skin, to determine their effects on the immune cells.

• Ann Arbor-based Thomson Reuters announced April 21 that it will support the iPhone platform for its Clinical Xpert suite of mobile clinical workflow solutions. With Clinical Xpert, hospital-based doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and allied health professionals will have real-time access to clinical patient information via their iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad devices. Beta testing of Clinical Xpert for iPhone will startin August and is expected to be ready for commercial release in October.

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