Lesley Schaible

From new hires and promotions to industry awards, read on to learn about achievements by businesses and individuals in the greater Ann Arbor area:

• Plante & Moran PLLC has named CPA Lesley Schaible an associate in the firm’s Ann Arbor office. Schaible specializes in tax compliance, tax planning and financial engagements for individual taxpayers and businesses primarily in the service and real estate industries. She resides in Manchester.

• For the second time in three years, Environmental Business Journal and CE News named Ann Arbor-based Barr Engineering Co. the nation’s top environmental services firm to work for. In the same competition, Barr was named one of the nation’s top three large civil engineering companies to work for. The category includes firms with more than 300 employees. The journals based their rankings on determinations by a panel of independent judges and the results of employee surveys. Criteria included firm culture, workplace practices, employee benefits, employee retention rates and support for professional development.

• Milan Public Library recently received five grants for a total of $2,100 from The Greater Milan Area Community Foundation. The grants are designated for CDs and DVDs featuring performing arts and performances; books about the history, culture and natural beauty of Michigan; books from the Public Library Association’s list of 75 of the Best Books for Young Children; and an interactive globe and educational puzzles.

• The Eastern Michigan University chapter of Beta Alpha Psi, a national accounting honors organization, was recognized internationally as a superior chapter for the past academic year. Beta Alpha Psi president Mary Stone cited the leadership of accounting professor Howard Bunsis, faculty advisor of the EMU chapter. Bunsis is in his 12th year as faculty advisor, and the chapter has been honored as "superior" each of those years. The group has already performed more than 100 hours of community service this term, including work on behalf of organizations such as Meals on Wheels and Ronald McDonald House.

• Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Deputy Director Gordon Wenk in early October recognized Radrick Farms Golf Course at the University of Michigan for its efforts to ensure environmental stewardship and enhance wildlife habitat. The golf course recently achieved certification in the Michigan Turfgrass Environmental Stewardship Program, a nationally-recognized program to advance environmental stewardship and increase compliance with ecological best practices.

• Previously known as Douglas J eXchange, the Ann Arbor salon is now Douglas J Salon - Ann Arbor. The salon is part of the The Douglas J Companies, based in East Lansing.

• Real Seafood Co.in Ann Arbor is celebrating 36 years in business throughout the month of October. Its parent company, Main Street Ventures, recently launched a new site, www.RSCAnniversary.com, to capture stories from customers. The public is invited to read stories and share their own.

• MichBio and KnowledgeWatch, both based in Ann Arbor, announced Oct. 10 the formation of a strategic alliance to develop "miBio NewsWatch," a news and information gathering channel of value to Michigan biosciences companies. The alliance employs KnowledgeWatch Navigator Web services to continually aggregate concentrations of bioscience news. Visitors to the MichBio website will be able to register for a 14-day trial of miBio NewsWatch, and those subscribers will have access to a broad subset of bioscience-related articles from a wide range of publications.

• The Advanced Medical Technology Association recently named Stephen Rapundalo, president and CEO of MichBio, chair of its State Medical Technology Alliance. The alliance is a national network of associations representing medical device manufacturers. MichBio is Michigan’s statewide biosciences trade association.

• Martha Denning Moore, assistant dean and professor at Thomas M. Cooley Law School’s Ann Arbor campus, has been re-appointed to the Attorney Grievance Commission by the Michigan Supreme Court. Moore has served on the AGC since 2006.

• Paul W. Steih of Ann Arbor recently was honored with the Outgoing MACPA Board Officer Award by the the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants. He and other award recipients were honored at MACPA's annual awards dinner in Troy.

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