Matt Gifford

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

• R& B Plastics Machinery, an original equipment manufacturer of blow molding and extrusion equipment for the plastics industry, recently hired Matthew Gifford as technical project manage. Gifford will handle a variety of engineering duties and will be based in the company’s headquarters in Saline, serving customers throughout North America.

• Throughout July, all Applebee’s restaurants in southeast Michigan, including locations in Washtenaw County, are raising donations for the Make-A-Wish nonprofit organization. Through July 31, Applebee’s guests and team members can donate to the local Make-A-Wish Foundation by purchasing paper star icons in $1, $5, $10 and $25 increments. The star icons will hang throughout the restaurants as reminders of the Make-A-Wish fundraiser, which will benefit children in the Detroit metro area. Additionally, 10 southeast Michigan Applebee’s locations recently remodeled their interiors and exteriors, with each hosting ya ard sale and auction during the remodel benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. All proceeds went towards granting the wishes of Detroit-area children with life-threatening illnesses.

• The University of Michigan recently announced it will hire Marie Lynn Miranda as the next dean of the School of Natural Resources. Miranda is a faculty member at Duke University and founded Duke’s Children’s Environmental Health Initiative. Miranda will assume her new role Jan. 1, 2012, pending approval from the U-M board of regents.

• Lindsay Blackwell was promoted to marketing manager for the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra. She formerly served as admin-istrative and box office assistant for the A2SO. The symphony also hired Devon Roeser to assume Blackwell’s former position.

• ProQuest LLC, an Ann Arbor-based information firm specializing in global research, announced June 30 that Kurt Sanford will join the company as chief executive officer and as a member of its board of directors on July 13. Sanford has spent the past 14 years at LexisNexis, serving most recently as president of global operations for its global legal business. Sanford will succeed Marty Kahn, who has led ProQuest since it was acquired by Cambridge Information Group in 2007. Kahn will become vice chairman of ProQuest's board of directors and will consult with ProQuest and its parent company CIG. He will be based in CIG's New York office.

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