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

• Keller Williams Realty recently recognized Chet Hill, team leader/broker of the Keller Williams Ann Arbor Market Center, for kicking the company’s growth rate into high gear during 2009. For his success in growing the Keller Williams Ann Arbor Market Center, Hill received a Black Belt Recruiting Award at the company’s annual “Family Reunion” convention in New Orleans in February. The award is based on a minimum of 60 net new agents in one year.

• Dr. Jennifer C. Hirsch, a cardiac surgeon at the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center, received the Nina Starr Braunwald award, a top award for women in cardiac surgery, from the Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research and Education, affiliated with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Hirsch is an author and co-author of articles on surgical approaches to congenital heart defects and is surgical director of the pediatric cardiothoracic intensive care unit at U-M Medical Center. Hirsch will use the accompanying $115,000 a year grant for a two-year project to develop an assessment tool for infants' sensory and motor skills following surgery for congenital heart defects. According to the foundation, the award goes to women cardiac surgeons at academic health institutions to help advance research in the specialty.

• Leslie Science & Nature Center has chosen Greta Brunschwyler as its next executive director. Brunschwyler comes to LSNC from the High Desert Museum in Bend, Ore. where she worked as vice president for programs. She replaces previous executive director Kirsten Levinsohn who is leaving her position at the center to move to Connecticut.

• Cleary University officially opened its Micro-Business Incubator March 8 on the university's Howell campus and welcomed its first tenant, Pure & Simple Services LLC. State Rep. Bill Rogers and Cleary President Tom Sullivan performed a ribbon cutting, and the ceremony was followed by a continental breakfast and open house of the incubator and Cleary's new welcome center.

• Carl W. Herstein, a partner in the real estate department of Detroit law firm Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP, was elected to the Board of the Sphinx Organization for a two-year term. Sphinx is a national non-profit arts and youth development organization based in Detroit and New York City whose mission is to increase the participation of Blacks and Latinos in classical music. Herstein is a resident of Ann Arbor.

• Recently released Arbitron ratings for radio stations in the Ann Arbor market show that Michigan Radio, the public radio service from the University of Michigan, gained in listenership, going from an 11.3 share in the spring 2009 period to a 13.4 share for fall 2009. A share is the percentage of everyone listening to radio who is listening to a particular station. The station’s 13.4 audience share is almost double that of the next most listened to radio station in the Ann Arbor market and gives the station the second highest audience share of any public radio station in any market across America.

• In February, students from Washtenaw Community College won several awards, including a first place, for motorcycles they exhibited at the 2010 AutoRama auto show. WCC students won a judge's choice award for "best commercial display overall." Students also took a first place for a drag bike, second for a sports bike, and awards for "best paint job" and "most interesting motorcycle."

• In early March, St. Paul United Church of Christ in Saline presented Evangelical Homes of Michigan with a $5,200 donation to benefit the Chapel of Memories in the Memory Support Center, located on the Campus of Brecon Village in Saline. In spring 2008 the church pledged to make a $5,000 donation over a period of five years, but because of strong support from the congregation, they were able to give more than their original pledge, and in less than two years. The Chapel of Memories, which opened at the Memory Support Center in fall 2009, was built through donations from 13 local churches, including St. Paul.

• Ann Arbor-based Domino's Pizza named Gregory A. Trojan to its board of directors, effective March 1. Previously, Trojan served as president and chief operating officer at Guitar Center Inc., president and CEO of House of Blues Entertainment Inc. and as CEO of California Pizza Kitchen for two years while at Pepsico Inc.

• The Arts Alliance will launch its new Web site, a3arts.org on March 26. Serving all of Washtenaw County, this social networking site serves artists, arts and cultural organizations and those that love the arts. Users can create personal profiles to show examples of their work, swap services, and link to their own home pages. The site is welcoming to artists and art forms of any category (musicians, painters, writers, etc.), and is also capable of carrying photos, audio samples and video clips.

• Grubb & Ellis Co. announced two recent transactions in the Ann Arbor area. Dataspace renewed its lease of 2,250 square feet of office space at 300 Fifth Ave. in Ann Arbor from TMG Brauer LLC. Randall Book and Patrich Jett of Grubb & Ellis represented the lessee in the transaction. Ubiquiti Inc. subleased 2,131 square feet of office space at 201 Catherine St. in Ann Arbor from Ann Arbor Observer Co.. Randall Book and Patrich Jett of Grubb & Ellis represented the lessee in the transaction.

• Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW) and Online Tech recently announced their continuing partnership from 2010 through 2013. Online Tech has been a community partner with NEW since 2007. NEW removes technology hurdles for nonprofits through npServ, a shared IT services program that helps these organizations cut costs, operate more efficiently and stay focused on mission. Through a grant from Online Tech, the largest managed data center operator in Michigan, npServ provides data center services for nonprofit clients in Michigan, including e-mail, data backup and Web site hosting through Online Tech’s dedicated SAS70 certified servers and back-up services.

• The downtown Ann Arbor branch of financial planning services firm Raymond James & Associates Inc. has moved to a larger and newly remodeled space at 350 S. Main St.

• Hile Design LLC has been contracted by Associates in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation PC of Ann Arbor to redesign APM&R's company logo, identity and Web site.

• DesignHub Inc. , a Saline-based creative services and marketing firm, has designed and produced the 2010 Wholesale Gift Tile Catalog for Motawi Tileworks of Ann Arbor. The 2010 catalog updates previous editions, also produced by DesignHub, with a refreshed design and details on new decorative tiles from Motawi Tileworks.

• Ypsilanti-based Populist Cleaning Co. announced March 5 that Sally Lau has been named assistant office manager. Her initial primary role will be to oversee customer service as Populist Cleaning Co. and its subsidiary, SFS Services, expand operations throughout 2010.

• HealthMedia Inc., a Johnson & Johnson company headquartered in Ann Arbor, announced that Bill Needham is its new vice president of product development. Needham will provide leadership and direction to HealthMedia’s product development organization and information technology platform.

• Arbor Hospice recently appointed new officers and board members to The Arbor Hospice Foundation board of directors. Judith Lax of Ann Arbor, community volunteer, was named chair; Charles Borgsdorf of Ann Arbor, an attorney with Hooper, Hathaway, Price, Beuche and Wallace, was named vice chair; Howard Cooper of Ann Arbor, owner of Howard Cooper Imports, was named secretary; Bruce Carty of Chelsea, CFO of Arbor Hospice, continues as treasurer for the organization. Additionally, Kathrin Kudner was named Arbor Hospice board representative. New members appointed to the board were: Michelle Crumm, Adaptive Materials Inc.; Anthony Derezinski, retired attorney and current member of Ann Arbor City Council; Susan Orringer, community volunteer; Todd Kephart, Retirement Income Solutions Inc.; and Julie Stotlar, veterinarian and community volunteer.

• The Washtenaw Contractors Association has announced the nominees for its thirteenth annual PYRAMID Awards. The winners of the 2010 PYRAMID Awards, who were nominated for exceptional effort in the areas of teamwork, service or innovation in the construction industry, will be announced at the 2010 PYRAMID Awards Banquet on March 19. Best Project Team (Under $3 Million) nominees were:
-Detroit Zoo Dinosauria Exhibit Installation, owner: Detroit Zoological Society, architect: studiozONE LLC, contractor: JC Beal Construction
-EMU New Department of Public Safety, owner: Eastern Michigan University, architect: Hooker DeJong Architect & Engineers, contractor: O'Neal Construction.
-Fine Arts Building Façade Preservation, owner: Olympia Entertainment of Michigan, architect: American Structural Engineers, contractor: JC Beal Construction.
-Post Family Legacy Trail & Pavilion at Parker Mill, owner: Washtenaw County Parks & Recreation Commission, architect: Pollack Design Associates , contractor: Baseline Constructors
-St. Andrews Episcopal Church Renovation, owner: St. Andrews Church, architect: Quinn Evans Architects, contractor: JC Beal Construction
-U of M Tunnels Phase IV, owner & architect: University of Michigan, contractor: Spence Brothers
Best Project Team (Between $3 & $25 Million) nominees were:
-Evangelical Homes of Michigan Memory Support Center, owner: Evangelical Homes of Michigan, architect: Harley Ellis Devereaux, contractor: Phoenix Contractors
-Humane Society of Huron Valley, owner: Humane Society of Huron Valley, architect: A3C, contractor: Phoenix Contractors
-St. Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital Entry Addition, owner: St. Joseph Mercy Health System, architect: HKS, contractor: KASCO Construction
-West Pavilion Vertical Expansion, owner: Henry Ford Health System, architect: Harley Ellis Devereaux, contractor: George W. Auch Co.
-Zaragon Place, owner: Zaragon Inc., architect: Neumann/Smith Architecture, contractor: O'Neal Construction
Best Project Team (Over $25 Million) nominees were:
-Bay City Public Schools, owner: Bay City Public Schools, architect: Wigen Tincknell Meyer & Associates, contractor: Spence Brothers
-FireKeepers Casino, owner: Nottawaseppi Band of Huron Potawatomis, architect: Perez APC, contractor: Clark Construction Co.
-Spoelhof Fieldhouse Complex Addition & Renovation, owner: Calvin College, architect: GMB Architecture + Engineering, contractor: The Christman Co.
Best Subcontractor (Under $500,000) nominees were:
-American Photo Marketing by Shamrock Floorcovering Services
-DTE Trading by Shamrock Floorcovering Services
-U-M Towsley Center for Child Care  by United Mill & Cabinet Co.
-U of M Tunnels Phase IV by Eagle Excavation
Best Subcontractor (Over $500,000) nominees were:
-Al Glick Field House by Koch Masonry
-Brecon Village Memory Support Center by Acoustic Ceiling & Partition Co.
-FireKeepers Casino by TEL Systems
-Humane Society of Huron Valley by Acoustic Ceiling & Partition Co.
-Madonna University Franciscan Center by TEL Systems
-U-M MCIT Data Center by Huron Valley Electric/Motor City Electric
-Walmart Roadway Improvements by Barrett Paving Materials Inc.
Best Innovation nominees were:
-Aquathermal Day at Saginaw Valley State University by Spence Brothers
-Delhi POTW Biomass to Energy Project by Irish Construction Co.
-Thompson Block Emergency Façade Stabilization System by JC Beal Construction

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