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

• Ann Arbor SPARK recently promoted Valerie Christofferson from staff accountant to business development manager. SPARK also hired C.J. Lee as a business development manager and Emily Heintz as SPARK's new staff accountant. In related news, SPARK's President and CEO Mike Finney was asked to represent Ann Arbor and speak at the Innovation Cities: Best Practices in Urban Development Conference in Lowell, Mass. The event starts today and runs through Saturday.

• The American Society of Transplantation announced the recipients of its 2010 Achievement Awards and Grants at the recent American Transplant Congress in San Diego. The recipients were selected for the originality, innovation and commitment they bring to AST and the field of transplantation. Among the recipients was Dr. Pavan Reddy of the University of Michigan, awarded the AST Basic Science Investigator Award at the Associate Professor Level. His work is primarily in the area of blood and marrow transplantation. In related news from the University of Michigan, Robert Zucker, director of the University of Michigan Addiction Research Center and the Substance Abuse Section in the Department of Psychiatry, was named recipient of the 31st annual Research Society on Alcoholism Distinguished Researcher Award. The award is given to an individual whose research has made significant contributions to the understanding of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, and whose body of work demonstrates leadership in the field.

• Four Michigan companies recently received a combined total of $122,000 through the Michigan Microloan Fund Program, bringing the total amount invested through the Fund to over $1.2 million. Akervall Technologies, Blaze Medical Devices, Ellison Corp. and Waste Water Heat Transfers Systems received the funding to support commercialization of their core products. Akervall and Blaze are based in Ann Arbor.

• Nancy Miller has joined Ann Arbor-based graphic design and advertising firm Wagner Design Associates as the firm's office manager.

• Associated Spring’s Saline Division received an award for an outstanding safety and health record from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration on June 11. MIOSHA’s Consultation Education and Training Division recognizes the safety and health achievements of Michigan employers and employees through CET Awards, which are based on excellent safety and health performance. Spring manufacturer Associated Spring received the CET Bronze Award, which recognizes leadership and commitment to workplace safety and health resulting in significant improvement of its MIOSHA record.

• The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation has added three trustees to its board, each to serve three-year terms: Cynthia L. Cattran, director of Wright Griffin Davis and Co.; Frederick McDonald II, founder and Managing Director of The Scroll Companies, a private investment firm; and Ann Davis, a former health care administrator and a current member of the board of directors for the Chelsea-Area Wellness Foundation. Additionally, Jay Hack, Huron High School Class of 2011, will serve as the youth council representative to AAACF’s board of trustees for one year with full voting privileges. Current board members Martha Darling and Molly Resnik were reappointed for additional three-year terms. AAACF also appointed officers for a one-year term. Hugh Morgan was named chair, Darling was named vice chair , David Sarns was named treasurer, and Bhushan Kulkarni was named secretary.

• Drs. Eric and Tracey Smith at Whittaker Road Dental are now offering an alternative for anxious patients called sedation dentistry. Many dental procedures, such as root canals, crowns, implants, periodontal treatment and extractions can be completed on-site in the office without the need for referral.

• Michigan SCORE recently announced Steve Feinman as the new district director for the State of Michigan. Feinman, a resident of Dexter, will lead and support local SCORE offices in providing small business counseling and workshops across all of Michigan. Feinman, a volunteer mentor with Ann Arbor SCORE, serves as a federal development business consultant, providing tactical and strategic business development services to small businesses pursuing federal government IT and service contracts.

• Several Ann Arbor-area residents were honored during the Meeting Professionals International Michigan Chapter awards gala June 3. At the gala, the MPI Michigan chapter honors the accomplishments of the chapter and its outstanding members and to install its officers and board of directors for 2010-2011. Kristy Poore of Ann Arbor Area Convention and Visitors is the immediate past president. Heather Reznik of the Four Points by Sheraton Ann Arbor was installed as vice president of leadership development. Poore was also named Mentor of the Year.

• University Bank recently announced that Michael M. Talley, director of Ann Arbor-based University Bancorp, was elected to positions locally and nationwide in the health information exchange industry. Talley was elected treasurer of the South East Michigan Health Information Exchange's board of directors and was also elected to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Financial Systems Steering Committee where he will serve as committee chair on the health and human services criteria review committee for payments & financial services.

• Two Ann Arbor companies received high-tech, five-year MEGA tax credits June 15 to help them expand in the region. NanoBio Corp. and Grand River were approved for MEGA tax credits from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the State of Michigan. NanoBio, a privately held biopharmaceutical company, is committing to invest more than $1.4 million to expand its current facility, and is projecting the creation of 32 jobs, mostly on its vaccine research staff. Grand River, an e-commerce technology company, is committing to invest more than $1.1 million in capital as part of its expansion in Ann Arbor and is projecting the creation of 48 jobs.

• The Ypsilanti Community Band has partnered with Washtenaw Community College and will offer band as a for-credit class to WCC's students starting this autumn. While the YCB will retain its current corporate structure and board, the YCB will now perform under the name Washtenaw Community Concert Band.

• Ann Arbor advertising and graphic design Hile Design will continue its partnership with Baker Strategy Group as they redesign Baker’s Web site. Based in Ann Arbor, Baker manages its clients' strategy for product and service innovation through a focus on target customers. Baker recently implemented a brand perception survey and analysis for Hile’s rebranding of design-build and construction management company Barton Malow.

• O&W Inc., a family-owned beer distributor based in Ypsilanti, is sponsoring the Ann Arbor Summer Festival again this year, the 27th year O&W has done so. This year, O&W committed to being the Rock Series Sponsor and also convinced several of the company's supplier partners - including Miller, Sierra Nevada, Heineken and Mike's Hard Lemonade - to support the After Dark Series.

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