Dr. Mira Parkie Sinha

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

• Dr. Mira Parkie Sinha was recently appointed assistant medical director for Packard Health. She has been a family practitioner with Packard Health since 2004.

• Three University of Michigan engineering professors are among the 68 new members and nine foreign associates newly elected to the National Academy of Engineering. The University of Michigan faculty members are John Allison, Lawrence Burns and Mark Kushner. Allison is a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He is recognized for contributions to automotive casting technology and computational materials engineering. Burns, a professor of engineering practice in the Department of Industrial and Operations Engineering, is recognized for his leadership and technical contributions to automotive technologies. Kushner, the George I. Haddad Collegiate Professor in the departments of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, is recognized for his contributions to low-temperature plasmas for semiconductors, optics and thin-film manufacturing. The NAE honors researchers for outstanding contributions to engineering research, practice or education.

• Donald Welch, president and CEO of Ann Arbor-based Merit Network, has been named to the Educause/Internet2 Network Council, an advisory body that considers policy issues that affect campus, regional and national networks and helps Internet2 and EDUCAUSE advocate regarding network issues. EINC's two overlapping caucuses, the National-Regional Caucus and the Campus Caucus, engage concerns that may impact the future of networking. Welch will serve a three-year term as part of both caucuses.

• DownBeat Magazine has named Kerrytown Concert House among the top 150 jazz venues in the world for 2011. This listing, which appeared in the magazine’s February 2011 issue, includes clubs and concert halls that present jazz throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan, including such famed New York establishments as Birdland and the Village Vanguard. KCH is among three Michigan establishments that made the list, along with Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit and Dirty Dog Jazz Cafe in Grosse Pointe Farms.

• Ann Arbor-based real estate investment firm McKinley recently announced that Chelsea Community Hospital has relocated a portion of the hospital's outpatient services to Chelsea Clocktower Commons in downtown Chelsea, which includes physician offices, waiting area and a meeting/community room. The hospital signed a seven-year lease agreement with McKinley for a space in the Chelsea Clocktower Commons with options to extend. The new space will be open to patients beginning in March 2011.

• Arbor Hospice and the related Arbor Hospice Foundation recently welcomed new board members and elected officers for 2011. The new officers of the board are Michael Martin, chair of the Arbor Hospice Board; Dr. David Smith, vice-chair/chair elect; and Jackie Silhanek, secretary. All three are Ann Arbor residents. Essel Bailey retains his current position as treasurer and chair of the finance committee. Rosemary Berardi of Saline, Linda Bloom of Tecumseh and Nora Martin of Ann Arbor are new board members. Charles W. Borgsdorf, an Ann Arbor resident, takes the helm as chairperson of The Arbor Hospice Foundation for 2011. Todd Kephart, also of Ann Arbor, assumes the role of vice chair, while Bruce Carty continues as treasurer and Howard Cooper remains as secretary. Kirk Albert of Plymouth, Robin Steeb Damschroder of Ann Arbor, Kevin Jacobi of Ann Arbor and Dania Dunlap-Hurden of Chelsea are new to The Foundation Board of Directors. Arbor Hospice serves communities in Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw and Wayne counties, with offices in Ann Arbor, Monroe, Plymouth and Woodhaven. The Arbor Hospice Foundation provides philanthropic support for programs and services provided to more than 7,000 individuals including patients, their families and community members served by Arbor Hospice.

• The University of Michigan recently announced it has become a community partner of the Southeast Michigan program of LEAVE A LEGACY. Through the partnership, the U-M can support and promote the need for individuals to support their favorite charities through a charitable bequest in their wills or estate plans. Founded in 1997, the Southeast Michigan program of LEAVE A LEGACY is a public awareness campaign conducted by the Planned Giving Roundtable of Southeast Michigan to inspire people to make charitable bequests to all types of nonprofit groups.

• DesignHub Inc., the Saline-based creative services and marketing firm, has created the new “2011 Summer Camps” brochure for Daycroft Montessori School of Ann Arbor. The full-color, 12-page brochure details, in words and photos, Daycroft’s day camps to be offered this summer.

• American Broach & Machine Co. will establish a new research and development center in Washtenaw County. On Feb. 15, the company received a Michigan Economic Growth Authority (MEGA) tax credit totaling $572,782 to help encourage the expansion. American Broach & Machine, a designer and builder of machine tools for the auto and defense sectors, plans to invest $25 million in a new research and development center in Ypsilanti and expects the project to create up to 43 new jobs.

• The NephCure Foundation recently added two people to its board of directors, including a University of Michigan professor and resident of Ann Arbor, David Kershaw. Kershaw is the division director of Pediatric Nephrology at the University of Michigan and has published more than 40 bench and clinical research articles. The NephCure Foundation is the only organization solely committed to seeking a cause and cure for the kidney diseases Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis and Nephrotic Syndrome.

• Ann Arbor-based Premium Event Services recently announced the launch of the “PES Encouragement Scholarship,” an annual scholarship of $1,000 to a Michigan high school senior in need. For more information regarding the “PES Encouragement Scholarship," including scholarship guidelines, visit http://premiumeventservices.com/comunity.html and navigate to the Experience Community section of the website. Interested applicants should have material prepared prior to April 2 to qualify.

• Jim Gilbertson, director of operations at McNaughton & Gunn Inc., announced his plans to retire on April 1. Gilbertson has been employed in the greater Ann Arbor area printing industry for over 40 years. McNaughton & Gunn is a book printing company located in Saline.

• The National Trauma Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing death and disability related to trauma injury, and the associated costs, distributed $2.5 million in research grants this month to nine researchers seeking to answer questions related to an array of medical complications resulting from traumatic injury. Among those receiving grants was Dr. Lena Napolitano of the University of Michigan Health Systems.

• Con-way Freight, the less-than-truckload subsidiary of Con-way Inc., announced Feb. 11 that John P. Burton has been named vice president - yield management. In related news from Con-way Inc., Douglas W. Stotlar, president and chief executive officer, and Stephen L. Bruffett, executive vice president and chief financial officer, made a presentation on Feb. 16 at the Stifel Nicolaus Transportation and Logistics Conference in Key Biscayne, Fla. Stotlar and Bruffett will also make a presentation on today at the BB&T Capital Markets Transportation Conference in Coral Gables, Fla. Both audio webcasts will be available at www.con-way.com in the investor relations section.

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