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

• Shepherd Advisors, a specialty management consulting firm with offices in Ann Arbor, Lansing and Grand Rapids, has added Steve Craig to its clean energy utility practice. Shepherd’s new utility practice focuses on helping utilities launch and/or transform customer facing renewable energy and demand management programs by working with them to engage customers, improve customer experience and support energy optimization objectives. Craig has run his own business and has 16 years of experience helping organizations design programs to improve customer interactions.

• The Chelsea First Steering Committee recently chose Pryor Design Co. of Ann Arbor to create a new brand and logo for Chelsea. The Chelsea First Marketing Initiative is a public and private sector collaboration spearheaded by the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce, intended attract visitors, businesses and families to Chelsea.

• At its recent annual meeting, the Detroit Historical Society elected new officers and members of the board of trustees. Among those elected to serve a second term on the board of trustees was Fred Shell of Ann Arbor, vice president of corporate and government affairs for DTE Energy in Detroit.

• Investment real estate firm McKinley recently announced the first commercial lease for McKinley Towne Center-The Offices of Liberty Square, the newly expanded and remodeled lower level of McKinley Towne Center. The 293 square foot space will become a new workspace for The Modern Firm, a web design and online service company for legal professionals.

• Luz Calio a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel, has earned the nationally-recognzed Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource certification. The National Association of Realtors offers the certification to Realtors who want to help both buyers and sellers navigate distressed sales. Calio serves both Washtenaw and Wayne counties.

• Sport and Spine Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation has expanded to a second location at 2770 Carpenter Road, Suite 100 in Ann Arbor. Patients also can still visit Sport and Spine’s original location on the west side of Ann Arbor at 5245 Jackson Road, Suite A1.

• The Ann Arbor ATHENA PowerLink program is accepting applications from women business owners in Washtenaw County who wish to participate in the program. The program, designed for women-owned businesses beyond the initial startup difficulties, links a business with a panel of advisors who meet the specific needs of that business. Women entrepreneurs with at least two years of experience running their own business can get a year of pro bono advice. Apply on line at www.athenawashtenaw.org. Deadline for applications is Dec. 1.

• The Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation recently made three grant awards to encourage healthy eating and activity in local school children. The first grant will fund an effort to make biking and walking to school easier for local children by implementing locally a nation-wide program called Safe Routes to School. The program aims to get kids walking and biking to school by developing opportunities for kids to safely cross busy streets and avoid other risks that concern parents. Chelsea, Dexter and Manchester school boards and administrators received a grant of $38,500 from CWF, which will allow the school districts to hire a shared, part-time coordinator to make sure all three districts are able to develop a SR2S program. A second CWF grant-funded project with a focus on school children is the Move Forward Program. The $63,000 grant will support year one of the Move Forward program in the Dexter Public Schools. Move Forward is an exercise and nutrition program that was first developed by a coalition from Chelsea Community Hospital and Chelsea Public Schools and funded by the Chelsea Community Foundation. Finally, in Grass Lake, the school district, village and township governments have comprehensive plans to further develop connecting trails. Parts of the trail system will be paved to allow handicap access in the Grass Lake Community Sports and Trials Recreation Park. The CWF will provide Grass Lake Township with $42,000, partial funding for completion of the paved, handicapped section of the trail.

• The Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors board of directors chose the 2011 officers at the organization's regular meeting Nov. 3. The AAABoR officers for 2011 are Kay Merx of Milan, Real Estate One — 2011 board president; Linda Lombardini of Ann Arbor, Trillium Real Estate — 2011 president-elect; Tonya Ireland of Saline, Real Estate One — 2011 board of directors treasurer; and Marian Gregor of Chelsea, Keller Williams - Ann Arbor — 2011 treasurer-elect.

• Three University of Michigan researchers are among the 85 recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the nation's highest honor for professionals at the outset of their independent research careers. The researchers from U-M are cell biologist Haoxing Xu, an assistant professor in the Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology; engineer Jerome Lynch, an associate professor in the departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; and industrial ecologist Shelie Miller, an assistant professor at the School of Natural Resources and Environment. The researchers will be honored at a White House ceremony later this year.

• President Tamara Real will resign from the Arts Alliance, effective Dec. 31, due to the need to attend to family matters, The Arts Alliance Board has already convened a transition team that will work to put an interim president in place by the first of the year and launch a search for a new president.

• The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation board of directors recently announced the conclusion of its annual fall teacher grant award cycle with 28 different public school projects being awarded a total of $22,606. The programs funded will impact an estimated 7,584 students at 21 Ann Arbor schools. Grants were awarded from kindergarten through high school levels. Projects funded include a mural project at Skyline High School; installation of a garden at Roberto Clemente; additions to the science collection for K-5th grades at Carpenter Elementary School’s library; the purchase of West African percussion instruments for Ann Arbor Open; and summer learning programs at Haisley and Lawton Elementary Schools. For a full list of recipients, see the "news and events" page on the foundation's website.

• The Tax & Accounting business of Ann Arbor-based Thomson Reuters announced Nov. 9 that it has signed a contract with PwC in the United Kingdom to supply its ONESOURCE Corporate Tax UK (formerly ABACUS) solution. The ONESOURCE Corporate Tax UK solution will become one of the technologies used by PwC to support its corporate tax compliance service.

• Vicki Reaume, who has served as executive director of alumni relations at Eastern Michigan University since 2001, has been appointed to the position of vice president and secretary to the board of regents at EMU. The secretary serves as a liaison between the board and the president and the president’s cabinet.

• Stonyfield Farm, a national organic yogurt company, recently donated $2,173 to Washtenaw County-based food rescue program Food Gatherers. The funding was generated from ticket sales to Stonyfield’s Sustainability Film Series held in August and September at The Michigan Theater.

• The Michigan Venture Capital Association will hold its annual awards dinner for its members and guests Nov. 15 in Ann Arbor. The statewide membership organization will honor several Michigan venture firms as well as venture capital recipient companies for their successes. The MVCA “Michigan 100” award winner is Cerenis Therapeutics of Ann Arbor, for raising over $100 million in venture capital. Additionally, Jeff Williams, former CEO of HandyLab and current CEO of venture-backed Accuri Cytometers, was named MVCA Entrepreneur of the Year. The Michigan Venture Capital Association will also announce its 2011 board of directors: Ron Reed (chairman), managing director of Seneca Partners; Tom Kinnear (vice-chairman/treasurer), managing director of the Zell Lurie Institute at U-M Ross School of Business; Tim Petersen (vice chairman/chairman-elect), managing director of Arboretum Ventures; Uzma Ahmad (board secretary), attorney with Dykema Gossett PLLC; Jim Adox, managing director of Venture Investors; Jeff Bocan, managing director of Beringea; Hugo Braun, co-founder of North Coast Technology Investors; Greg Main, president and CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.; John McIlwraith, managing director of Allos Ventures; Chris Rizik, CEO and fund manager of Renaissance Venture Capital Fund; Skip Simms, managing director of Ann Arbor SPARK; Mina Sooch, partner at Triathlon Medical Ventures and managing director of Apjohn Ventures; Jody Vanderwel, president of Grand Angels; Ken Van Heel, director of alternative investments and venture capital for Dow Chemical Company; and Donald Walker, managing partner of Arbor Partners.

• Mack Johnson of Mack Buick GMC and the future MINI of Ann Arbor will participate in the Meals on Wheels Celebrity Night charity event. The event will be held at the Big Boy Restaurant on Plymouth Road from 5 to 9 p.m. on Nov. 16. Johnson participates annually in this event and will be working from 5 to 7 p.m. serving folks to raise money for Meals on Wheels. All tips given to "celebrity" servers and 10 percent of the night's proceeds will be used to support the local Meals on Wheels program.

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