Business leaders: People & Achievements in the greater Ann Arbor area
• Michael C. Gibbons, president of Ann Arbor-based Mainstreet Ventures Inc., was elected chairman of the board of directors of the National Restaurant Association. Gibbons will be inducted during an inaugural ceremony in Washington D.C. Sept. 13, with his term to expire in December 2010.
• Beckett & Raeder Inc. announced that Heath Hartt and Andrew Walters, recently joined the Engineering Division of Beckett & Raeder. Hartt is a licensed professional engineer and has assumed a management position at Beckett & Raeder. Walters is licensed as a Certified Stormwater Operator. Beckett & Raeder Inc. is a landscape architecture, planning, engineering and environmental services firm with offices in Ann Arbor, Petoskey and Traverse City.
• Construction Solutions Inc., an Ann Arbor-based commercial building contractor, was recognized for a recently completed building project. The new gymnasium addition to Stone High School in Ann Arbor was an award winner in American Buildings Co. national excellence in design competition in the category of government/institutional projects.
• McKinley announced that Timothy Endicott will receive a "Volunteer of the Year" award from the Florida Apartment Association Aug. 28. Endicott is a senior sales associate at Monterey Lake Apartment Homes and has served as charity chair for the Apartment Association of Greater Orlando. Last year, Tim raised over $20,000 for local charities and continues to raise money in 2009. McKinley is a real estate investment firm headquartered in Ann Arbor.
• Frank C. Wilhelme joined the Ann Arbor-based fund raising consulting firm of Richner & Richner as senior consultant.
• Plante & Moran PLLC announced that three individuals from Southeast Michigan were elected to the partnership. Scott Sneckenberger and Jason Thomas are now partners, based in the firm's Auburn Hills office. Paul Edwards is now a partner, based in the firm's Macomb office.
• Café Habana Ann Arbor will unveil its own Cuban-style beer, Habana Especial Lager. It's expected to be on tap at the restaurant next week.
• Joseph C. Basta was selected by the State Bar of Michigan to receive the John W. Cummiskey Award, the organization’s highest honor for pro bono service. Basta, a member in national law firm Dykema’s litigation practice in Ann Arbor, will be honored at an awards reception in September.
• Gov. Jennifer Granholm recently announced appointments and re-appointments to several state boards and commissions. Those from the greater Ann Arbor area were: Robin T. Sefton of Ann Arbor, chair of the Washtenaw Regional Interagency Consumer Council, reappointed to the Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council, representing individuals with developmental disabilities for a term expiring Sept. 30, 2011. Susan Work Martin of Ypsilanti, president of Eastern Michigan University, appointed to the Michigan Education Trust Board of Directors, representing presidents of state institutions of higher education for a term expiring Dec. 31, 2012.
• DesignHub Inc., a Saline-based creative services and marketing firm, designed and developed the Web site for Corporate F.A.C.T.S., a provider of financial, accounting, consulting, and training solutions headquartered in Plymouth.
• Kathy Toth and Team Realtors announced that Diane Ratkovich of Ann Arbor joined the Kathy Toth Team of Keller Williams.
Photo: Michael C. Gibbons