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

• At the end of June, Robert K. Fergan was elected to a three-year term in the State Bar of Michigan Representative Assembly for the 22nd Circuit, Washtenaw County, and Bonnie R. Shaw was re-elected to the Young Lawyers Section - Executive Council, for a two-year term in District 3, which represents all counties except Wayne, Oakland and Macomb. Shaw and Fergan are attorneys in the Ann Arbor office of law firm Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione. Fergan joined Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione in 2003, and his practice focuses on client counseling, licensing and patent prosecution. Shaw joined Brinks in 2006, where she focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation and patent and trademark prosecution in the medical and mechanical arts.

• Michigan-based grocer Busch's Fresh Food Market was recently honored for its charitable efforts to help raise food and monetary donations for local food rescue programs in the greater Ann Arbor and metro Detroit communities. Food Gatherers, a Washtenaw County food rescue organization, acknowledged Busch’s with its Gatherer of Plenty Award 2010, while the Oak Park-based Forgotten Harvest organization recognized Busch’s with its 2010 Harvey Award. Both awards recognized Busch’s for its longstanding commitment to food rescue and leadership in the fight against hunger. Last year’s campaign marked a record year for funds and food given by Busch’s customers, totaling the equivalent of just under $185,000.

• The Huron River Watershed Council recently announced major support from the Carls Foundation in the amount of $50,000 for the next phase of HRWC's Bioreserve Project. HRWC will partner with five Southeast Michigan land conservancies: the Legacy Land Conservancy, Southeast Michigan Land Conservancy, Livingston Land Conservancy, North Oakland Headwaters Land Conservancy and Six Rivers Regional Land Conservancy. Together, these organizations will identify and establish strategic conservation priorities, perform field assessments on targeted natural area properties and work with property owners to permanently protect and restore those that can best help the Huron River. The William and Marie Carls Foundation was established in 1961 by Oakland County businessman Bill Carls and his wife Marie to implement their charitable activities.

• The University Musical Society, a fine arts organization in Ann Arbor, recently announced the election of new board members. Joining the board were Janet Callaway, Stephen R. Forrest, Shelia M. Harden, Donald Morelock and David N. Parsigian. James Stanley was re-elected to a one-year term as board chair.

• Dr. Eve Kerr was selected to participate in the national leadership program for senior women faculty for her exceptional leadership experience and academic accomplishments in health services research. The Hedwig Van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program for Women is dedicated to preparing women for senior academic leadership positions to increase the number of women in the field. The curriculum adapts lessons in executive management and institutional leadership. Kerr, a general internist and professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan, was nominated by the U-M Medical School Dean’s Office for her role as the director of a Veteran Affairs Health Services Research and Development Center of Excellence in Ann Arbor.

• The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation recently announced it had received a $100,000 gift for its "One Million Reasons" campaign in support of programs in the Ann Arbor Public Schools in the 2010-2011 academic year. The contribution came from the Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop, a nonprofit supporting Ann Arbor Public School students through the resale of used items. The gift is the largest single contribution to the Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation.

• Dr. Paul R. Lichter, was recently elected president of Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis, an international academic organization in ophthalmology, for a four-year term. Lichter has been a member since 1991 and secretary-general since 2002. Lichter, a glaucoma specialist, is chair and F. Bruce Fralick professor of the University of Michigan Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. He is also director of the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center.

• MOVE Communications, a marketing communications company based in Ann Arbor, recently announced two new hires. Jeff Bodtke of Grand Junction joined the MOVE team as account coordinator, while Claire Harold of Novi joined the team as a graphic designer.

• Two southeast Michigan companies recently received high-tech, five-year MEGA tax credits to help them expand in the greater Ann Arbor region. Delphinus Medical Technologies and Quantum Signal were approved July 20 for MEGA tax credits from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the State of Michigan. At its new facility in the Michigan Life Science and Innovation Center, Delphinus Medical Technologies will provide manufacturing, sales and service of its proprietary SoftVue system to hospitals and imaging clinics worldwide. Delphinus is projecting the creation of 109 jobs. Quantum Signal is a spin-off from the University of Michigan that expects to create 47 high-tech jobs in the region. Quantum is planning a headquarter move to Saline as part of its expansion. A state tax credit helped convince the company to expand in Michigan over a competing site in the Washington, D.C. area.

• The North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services has awarded Ann Arbor-based Thomson Reuters a five-year contract to provide a health care reporting and analytics system.

• The University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers have been ranked among the country's best hospitals, placing 14th overall for the second consecutive year by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

• Dollars In$ide, a new direct mail franchiser with headquarters in Taylor, announced agreements with the several franchisees in Michigan for various direct mail territories. Nancy Carver of Belleville will have two territories in Washtenaw County and one in Wayne County.

• For the second consecutive year, Ann Arbor-based Amish Tables was selected for the 2010 Best of Ann Arbor Award in the Tables and Furniture for Every Room category by the U.S. Commerce Association.

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