Jennifer Henriksen

Alexis Cecil

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

• Jennifer Henriksen and Alexis Cecil, both in Quinn Evans Architects’ Ann Arbor office, recently became registered architects. Henriksen has been an architectural intern with Quinn Evans since 1998. She holds a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of Michigan and a master's degree in architecture from Lawrence Technological University. She is currently serving as the vice president of the Association for Preservation Technology, Eastern Great Lakes Chapter, and sits on the City of Ypsilanti Historic District Commission. Cecil joined Quinn Evans Architects in 2005. She holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Cornell University. Her professional affiliations include the American Institute of Architects and the U.S. Green Building Council.  In related news, QEA recently announced its new corporate officers. Larry Barr was elected to the position of president, Steven Jones, was elected executive vice president, and Elisabeth Knibbe and Jeffrey Luker were named vice presidents. Quinn Evans Architects is an architectural firm with offices in Ann Arbor, Washington, D.C. and Madison, Wis.

• Alpha Metal Finishing Co. of Dexter recently announced the promotion of Laurie Armstrong to sales and general manager and Greg Wood to chief operating officer. Armstrong was formerly the company's sales and marketing manager and Wood was formerly director of business development.

• Allstate Insurance Company recently recognized Ann Arbor area Allstate agency owners who have earned the designation of Allstate Premier Service Agent for 2011.Bestowed upon less than one-third of Allstate's nearly 12,000 agency owners across the country, this designation was presented to two local agency owners for exceeding customer expectations: Cliff Hart, whose agency is located at 530 S. Maple Road in Ann Arbor, and Aaron Stein, whose agency is located at 5153 Plymouth Road in Ann Arbor.

• The second round of Taubman Scholars has been announced at the University of Michigan’s A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute. Seven leading U-M clinician-scientists will receive $150,000 grants each year for three years. In addition, four Emerging Scholars were appointed; these are clinician-scientists who are early in their careers but show great promise for being future leaders in medical research. The emerging scholars received $50,000 a year for three years. The new Taubman Scholars are: Dr. Nicholas Boulis, adjunct associate professor of Neurology at U-M and associate professor of Neurosurgery at Emory University; Dr. Frank Brosius, professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular and Integrative Physiology and division chief of Nephrology; Dr. Charles F. Burant, the Robert C. and Veronica Atkins Professor of Metabolism, professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular and Integrative Physiology and director of the U-M Metabolomics and Obesity Center; Dr. Arul M. Chinnaiyan, the S.P. Hicks Endowed Professor of Pathology, professor of Urology and director of the U-M Center for Translational Pathology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator; Dr. David Ginsburg, the James V. Neel Distinguished Professor of Internal Medicine and Human Genetics Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator; Dr. Theodore S. Lawrence, the Isadore Lampe Professor and Chair of Department of Radiation Oncology; and Dr. Kenneth J. Pienta,  professor of Internal Medicine and of Urology, director of Experimental Therapeutics for the Michigan Center for Translational Pathology and principal investigator for Specialized Program of Research Excellence in Prostate Cancer. The Emerging Taubman Scholars are: Dr. Ronald J. Buckanovich, the Marvin and Betty Danto Family Foundation Emerging Scholar and assistant professor of Internal Medicine and of Obstetrics and Gynecology; Dr. James Dowling, the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Emerging Scholar, assistant professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and of Neurology and director of the Muscular Dystrophy Clinic; Dr. Johann E. Gudjonsson, the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Emerging Scholar and assistant professor of Dermatology; and Dr. Erika A. Newman, the Edith Briskin Emerging/SKS Foundation Scholar and assistant professor of Pediatric Surgery. 

• Cooley Law School Professor Bradley Charles has authored a book, “Applying Law,” which was published April 1 by Carolina Academic Press. “Applying Law” teaches students the skill of applying law to fact. Cooley Law School is operates J.D. programs across Michigan in Lansing, Auburn Hills, Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor.

• Ultra Electronics, Adaptive Materials, recently appointed Tom Reedy vice president of engineering. Reedy will assume responsibility for AMI’s engineering team, and serve as a liaison between the leadership, engineering and product development teams. Based in Ann Arbor, Ultra Electronics AMI develops a fuel flexible solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system.

• Charles Reinhart Realtors and Legacy Land Conservancy will celebrate their 40th anniversaries with the "Stand in the Place Where you Live" Art Project. Over the last 40 years, Legacy Land Conservancy has helped protect more than 4,579 acres of forests, prairies, farms, wetlands and waters. To celebrate this achievement and inspire future conservation efforts, a creative enterprise/exhibition has been commissioned, with Charles Reinhart Co. providing the seed money to support the project. A joint venture between the Chelsea Center for the Arts and Legacy, the project will invite a small group of artists will be chosen to create works about specific local public, and private lands preserved through the conservancy. The exhibition will be held at the Chelsea Center for the Arts Nov. 13, 2011-Jan. 8, 2012.

• The GRAMMY Foundation recently announced that 36 schools nationwide have been selected as GRAMMY Signature Schools, top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year. The top seven schools are designated Gold recipients, and the best of the Gold recipients is named the National GRAMMY Signature School. Receiving the National GRAMMY this year was Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School. As the National GRAMMY Signature School, Pioneer will receive $15,000, to be used toward improvements in the school's music program, and the six remaining Gold schools each will receive $5,500.

• Bank of Ann Arbor recently announced the kick-off of Round 2 for the Sweet 15 Local Charity Drive. The 15 nonprofits who received the most votes in Round 1 are advancing to Round 2 where they will compete to earn a share of up to $75,000. The organizations in Round 2 of the Sweet 15 Local Charity Drive are: Down Syndrome Support Team, Friends of Ann Arbor Skatepark, Friends of Fiddlers Restrung, Honey Creek Charter School, Hope Medical Clinic, Humane Society of Huron Valley, Michigan Interscholastic Forensic Association, Midwest Eye Banks, Neutral Zone, Ozone House, Performance Network, Perry Nursery School, Plymouth Canton Music Boosters, Ronald McDonald House of Ann Arbor and The Women’s Center of Southeastern Michigan. Round 1 of the Sweet 15 event ended on April 12 at midnight. Facebook users were invited to “like” Bank of Ann Arbor’s Facebook page and then vote for a favorite charity from a list of 600 local charities. Round 2 will end on July 31. Bank of Ann Arbor’s Sweet 15 Local Charity Drive is a Facebook application created to donate up to $75,000 to 15 local nonprofit organizations. To learn more or to vote, visit www.facebook.com/bankofannarbor or www.boaa.com/sweet15.

• On Saturday, April 30, more than 2,500 local Comcast employees, their families and friends will volunteer to assist nonprofit organizations around the state of Michigan as part of Comcast's "Comcast Cares Day." In addition to the projects at locations around the state, Comcast volunteers at the company's three call centers in Ann Arbor, Sterling Heights and Plymouth will work with the Kids Against Hunger Coalition to package food, which will be donated to area food banks and needy families in Japan. Volunteers will also participate in blood donation drives to benefit the American Red Cross at multiple Michigan locations.

• Polk, a market intelligence provider for the automotive industry based in Southfield, recently announced the launch of its newly-designed global website, www.polk.com. The new site, developed in partnership with Ann Arbor-based Phire Branding, replaces four regional sites previously managed by Polk.

• Wagner Design Associates, an Ann Arbor-based web design and advertising firm, recently created an improved website for Bonanza Creek Country Ranch. Located in Montana, Bonanza Creek Country Ranch is part of a historical family ranch on 25,000 acres with 1,500 head of cattle providing riding vacations to a small number of guests each week.

• Ann Arbor's Briarwood Mall and other Simon Property Group properties recently launched shopkick, a free smartphone app that helps customers save money, earn rewards, receive retailer specials, earn loyalty points and make charitable donations.

• Creative design firm and brand consultancy Q LTD recently added Scott Tolinski to its web development team in Ann Arbor. As interactive producer, Tolinski will develop web sites and other interactive media projects. He will be based at Q’s Ann Arbor office.

• Email items for People, Achievements and Paparazzi to business@annarbor.com. Sign up for the weekly Business Review email newsletter here.