From new hires and promotions to industry awards, here’s a roundup of achievements by businesses and individuals in the greater Ann Arbor area:

• Axel Schmidt has been named Wacker Chemical Corp.'s vice president and head of the division of silicones - North and Latin America, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds Bernhard Hackl, who returns to Wacker Chemie AG in Munich, Germany. Schmidt will have responsibility for Division Silicones’ Adrian-based operations and plants located in Chino, Calif. and North Canton, Ohio. Schmidt began working for Wacker in 1994 as a management trainee and has served in several executive positions before being named to his current position. He and his family are expected to relocate to a home in Saline.

• Doreen Mannino has joined The Gilbert Residence as the manager of development. Her position will focus on community outreach, fundraising and recruitment of volunteers. The Gilbert Residence is a not-for-profit senior living community in Ypsilanti.

• United Bank & Trust recently announced the winners of its Chairman’s Club Award for the third quarter of 2012. Each quarter, Chairman’s Club honorees are nominated and chosen by fellow co-workers for outstanding organizational commitment, support, client service, flexibility, teamwork and cooperation. Casey Harris, general maintenance representative, and Lauren Gregory, financial accounting clerk, were selected as the recipients of the award for third quarter 2012.

• Bank of Ann Arbor announced Jan. 2 that it has acquired Ervin Leasing Co., a privately-held national equipment leasing and finance company headquartered in Ann Arbor.

• Still Waters Counseling, a small counseling business in Saline, will donate $500 to the Foundation for Saline Area Schools as part of a "Facebook challenge." The counseling office announced the donation after receiving 250 "likes" on its Facebook page as of the end of 2012. Still Waters Counseling pledged to donate $1 to the SAS Foundation for each new “like” and later doubled the offer, pledging $2 for each new "like."

• Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. based in Ann Arbor, Jan. 3 announced it has been honored with an LTL Carrier of the Year award by the Ryder Supply Chain Services account team supporting a major high-tech manufacturing customer. Con-way Freight was recognized by the account team for superior service supporting the high-tech customer's freight transportation needs.

• Campfire Interactive Inc., a software company located in Ann Arbor, recently announced the company earned a spot on Lead411's Top 200 Technology Companies for 2012. The rankings are based on percentage of revenue growth from 2009 to 2011 for private companies based in the United States.

• AT&T has upgraded three mobile Internet cell sites in southeast Michigan, including Ann Arbor, to expand AT&T 4G LTE coverage for area residents and businesses. 4G LTE is wireless network technology intended to provide benefits for local residents that include faster mobile Internet speeds.

• Chelsea State Bank recently announced the retirement of Executive Vice President Kenneth A. Gietzen after a 40-year career in banking. Gietzen will continue as a director of Chelsea State Bank. Chelsea State Bank is a financial institution with offices in Chelsea and Dexter.

• Gentherm Inc., a Northville-based developer of thermal management technologies, recently announced that Greg Steinl will serve in the newly-created position of executive director of electronics, effective Jan. 7. Steinl is a resident of Ann Arbor.

• Ann Arbor resident Ed Steinhoff has joined the New York-based independent executive compensation consultancy Pearl Meyer & Partners as a managing director. He will be located in Detroit and affiliated with the firm’s Chicago office.

• Ann Arbor resident and law professor Michael McIntyre was honored with Wayne State University’s President’s Award for Excellence in Service. The award was presented to McIntyre Dec. 17 during a lunch held in the professor’s honor.

• Cooley Law School's Alumni Association recently honored Ashley Londy of Pinckney with the Distinguished Student Award. The selection of winning students is based upon a combination of academic accomplishment, professionalism and ethics, demonstrated leadership, meaningful extra-curricular activities and post-graduate plans. In addition to being named to the dean’s list six times and Cooley’s honor roll seven times, Londy has spent many hours on volunteer efforts that included an initiative that fed 200 families in Washtenaw County. She was honored at Cooley's Ann Arbor campus in early January.

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