Marian Benton
From new hires and promotions to industry awards, here's a roundup of achievements by businesses and individuals in the greater Ann Arbor area:
• Real estate firm Keller Williams Realty, announced in early august that Marian Benton has been appointed regional director for Keller Williams Realty Michigan/Northern Ohio Region. Prior to her appointment to regional director, Benton served as the Regional Operating Principal for Keller Williams in the Inland Empire of Southern California. Benton began her real estate career in 1990, and, in 1999 Benton and her husband purchased a Keller Williams franchise in Ann Arbor where she was the team leader until moving to Southern California in May 2003.
• Ann Arbor0-based 3.7 DESIGNS has expanded with the hiring of Tom Gluszk as digital director. Gluszk’s duties are focused on generating sales and leads for 3.7 DESIGNS clients, including optimizing website content, managing pay-per-click campaigns, developing social media strategies and online media buying.
• United Way of Washtenaw County officials announced July 31 that Pam Smith will head United Way of Washtenaw County. Smith, a resident of Saline, has held the top position at CCN since May 2008. Prior to that, she was the director of public affairs and marketing for nine years at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. Current United Way of Washtenaw County president Sandy Rupp, who after nearly seven years at the helm announced her retirement on April 19, will assist with the transition.
• Keller Williams Realty recently added three new agents to the Ann Arbor Market Center. Jennifer Schaner, Mark Buerkle and Lucile Andersen will work out of the center on State Street. In related news, Kathy Toth and Team Realtors of Keller Williams Realty recently added a new member, Michael Dailey, to the Toth eal estate team, also based in Ann Arbor. Dailey is a resident of Chelsea.
• The Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation recently named Stephanie Freeth its new vice president for development and donor services.
• The Ann, an Ann Arbor news magazine, and Aysling Digital Media Solutions, a provider of digital publishing software solutions and digital media production services for publishers, July 26 announced a publishing partnership in which The Ann staff and the Aysling staff are collaborating to publish both a print and iPad/tablet monthly local news magazine.
• Emergency Physicians Medical Group, headquartered in Ann Arbor, and Emergency Medicine Business Intelligence, recently announced that, effective June 11, the two organizations have formed a new partnership which will allow EPMG to offer an emergency department performance dashboard and analytics solution to its hospital partners. EPMG is a physician-owned hospital-based clinical partner that offers emergency department management and clinical services for the hospitals they serve.
• Legacy Land Conservancy has selected their new board of trustees officers for the 2012-13 year: President - Adam Smith, an attorney with Consumers Energy in Jackson; vice president - Kristen Schleick, an architect and planner with Hobbs+Black of Ann Arbor; treasurer - Robert Aldrich, president of MAVDevelopment Co. in Ann Arbor; and secretary - Heather Price, executive director and co-owner of her family’s winery, Sandhill Crane Vineyards. Additionally, Legacy Land Conservancy has selected three new members for its board of trustees for three-year terms, beginning July 1. The new members are: Sandra Sorini Elser, an attorney with Bodman PLC; Martha Mayo of Ann Arbor, retired community volunteer; and Gerald Nordblom of Webster Township, community volunteer.
• Dr. Michael Pieh, an Ann Arbor resident and a doctor at Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Point, was named 2012 recipient of Beaumont Outstanding Doctors’ Awards in the category of Outstanding Physician and Humanitarian. He was nominated for his charitable medical work in Sierra Leone.
• Jackson Community College and Solo Aviation of Ann Arbor will partner together to offer degrees in aviation for students and flight training for the public following an agreement signed in early August. Effective Wednesday, Aug. 15, JCC will partner with Solo Aviation to offer flight training at JCC’s Flight Center at Jackson County Airport. Solo Aviation will manage flight operations, and JCC will continue to offer and give credit for aviation courses that are successfully completed. JCC offers an associate degree and private pilot certification.
• Former Saline Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Larry Osterling will be the target of the 2012 Ellen Ewing "Roast." The Saline Area Chamber of Commerce event began in 2001, and each year, a high profile person in the Saline community has been roasted. Past “roastees” include Judge Don Shelton, Police Chief Paul Bunten, Fire Chief Craig Hoeft, former School Superintendent Sam Sinicropi, former Saline Mayor Pat Little, and well-known community figures Woodie Merchant, Bill Mangold and Will Warner. Larry Osterling was the SACC executive director from 2000 until May of 2012.
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