The following is a list of achievements by businesses and individuals in the Ann Arbor area: • Two employees of R&B Plastics Machinery in Saline have been promoted. Phil Smith was promoted to plant supervisor, responsible for all shop employees specializing in mechanical, hydraulic and electrical service. Dave Kohler was promoted to service and aftermarket sales manager. In his new role Kohler will direct R&B’s field-service activity and aftermarket parts sales. R&B manufactures extrusion and blow-molding machinery for the plastics industry.

• David Esau, an architect with Cornerstone Design Inc., headquartered in Ann Arbor, presented a program on Jan. 11 to the Huron Valley Chapter of the American Institute of Architects about recently issued changes in the Accessibility Standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The standards become mandatory in March 2012. Esau was joined by Carolyn Grawi, director of advocacy and education for the Ann Arbor Center for Independent Living, who spoke about the real world applications of the ADA.

• The Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors officially installs its 2011 Board of Directors at a general membership meeting held on Thursday, Jan. 13. Kay Merx of Real Estate One, who lives in Saline, is the 2011 AAABoR board president. Linda Lombardini of Trillium Real Estate, who lives in Ann Arbor, is the president-elect for 2011. Tonya Ireland of Real Estate One, who lives in Saline, is the 2011 treasurer. Marian Gregor of Keller Williams -Ann Arbor, who lives in Chelsea, is the 2011 treasurer-elect. The remaining members of the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors board of directors are Jason Boggs (The Charles Reinhart Co.) of Ann Arbor, Nancy Bowerbank (The Charles Reinhart Co.) of Canton, Missy Caulk (Keller Williams - Ann Arbor) of Saline, Jeff Fletcher (Fletcher Inspections LLC) of Saline, Jeffrey Hartlep (Edward Surovell, Realtors) of Ann Arbor, La Tanya Keith (Keller Williams - Ann Arbor) of Ann Arbor, Nick Lacy (Edward Surovell, Realtors) of Ann Arbor, Bill Miller (The Charles Reinhart Co.) of Ann Arbor and Vance Shutes (Real Estate One) of Saline.

• In related news from the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors, the board recently named two recipients of the 2011 Environmental Awareness Award. The first award went to Laura Shope, of Prudential Snyder & Co. Realtors for embracing green initiatives in her work in the real estate industry. She was the first to earn the EcoBroker designation in Ann Arbor in 2004, was invited to be a national instructor in 2008 and was invited to participate in the revision of the curriculum the same year. In July 2008, she was invited to be a key speaker at the EcoBroker Conference. Shope regularly educates all clients on energy-efficiency and environmental issues during the home buying process and maintains a green service providers list. The second award went to Habitat for Humanity, Huron Valley, a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that builds and renovates homes in partnership with families who demonstrate need and a willingness to work with Habitat for Humanity. HHHV was selected for this award because of their reuse, recycling and energy-efficient practices. In 2010, Habitat rehabbed and renovated 14 homes, all foreclosures, in Washtenaw County. The organization also aims to meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR standards.

• Nine University of Michigan faculty members are newly elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, honored for their distinguished efforts in advancing science. The new fellows from U-M are Joel Blum, the John D. MacArthur Professor of Geological Sciences and a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Lee Hartmann, a professor in the Department of Astronomy; Lori Isom, a professor in the departments of Pharmacology, and Molecular and Integrative Physiology, as well as director of the Program in Biomedical Sciences at the U-M Medical School; Farnam Jahanian, chair of computer science and engineering and the Edward S. Davidson Collegiate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science; Anna Mapp, a professor in the Department of Chemistry; Adam Matzger, a professor in the Department of Chemistry as well as a professor of macromolecular science and engineering in the College of Engineering; John Montgomery, a professor in the Department of Chemistry; Melanie Sanford, professor in the Department of Chemistry; and Kon-Well Wang, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Stephen P. Timoshenko Collegiate Professor. New fellows will be presented with an official certificate and a gold and blue (representing science and engineering, respectively) rosette pin Feb. 19 at the AAAS Fellows Forum during the 2011 AAAS Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

• The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan recently awarded nearly $7.4 million in grants to area nonprofit organizations. The recipients and amounts received are: the Detroit Historical Society ($80,000), Music Hall for the Performing Arts ($75,000), Huron River Watershed Council ($25,000) in Ann Arbor and Michigan Health Council ($75,000).

• Due to the growth in its staff, The Betty Brigade relocated its headquarters Jan. 15 to a larger office. The Betty Brigade is now headquartered at 2008 Hogback Road, Suite 2, Ann Arbor.

• The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum was awarded a $100,000 grant from Toyota Technical Center, a division of Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing N.A. Inc. The funding will support the design and construction of a new engineering-based centerpiece exhibit in the museum’s popular preschool gallery. Executive Director Mel Drumm said the new exhibit will be the first phase of project that will culminate in the creation of a micro-children’s museum dedicated to preschoolers within the museum.

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