Benchmarks.

Albert Kahn Associates will be honored for its interior restoration work on the Detroit Opera House at The American Institute of Architects 2001 Honor Awards on May 19 at AIA's national convention and expo In Denver. This year's 30 winning projects were selected from among 635 total submissions from across the country, and Detroit-based AKA is the only architectural firm in Michigan honored. Jurors described the Detroit Opera House project as "a courageous move to bring back one of the original downtown buildings that ore so important to a thriving Detroit." Eric J. Hill, FAIA, AKA's director of urban design and planning, was the principal-in-charge of the award-winning project.

Harold D. Pope. a partner with the Detroit law firm Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss, received the Champion of Justice Award from the Michigan Bar Association. The award recognizes State Bar members who demonstrate extraordinary integrity and who make a significant professional impact that benefits the nation, state or community where they live, Pope's civic Involvement Includes the Detroit Public Schools Student Motivational program, Pontiac Area Transitional Housing Board of Directors, Renaissance Optimist Club and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.

Wixom-based Schonsheck Inc. recently celebrated its 15th year in the design/build industry. Founded In October 1985 by Ian Schonsheck and his wife, Lori, Schonsheck Inc. has grown into a $41-million company with more than 40 employees, Schonsheck has a full-service architectural department. including two registered architects, three AutoCAD stations, a full-time estimator and land surveyor. This allows the company to complete all phases of a project from land acquisition through facility conception, site plan approval, building design and construction.

William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak was named one of the nation's 100 top hospitals for high-quality care and efficiency of operations for the fourth year in a row. Beaumont is the only hospital in Southeast Michigan on the list compiled by HCIA-Sachs Institute, a health-care information specialist in Evanston, III.

For the third consecutive year, First Edge Samson LLC was selected by Accounting Today magazine as a "Technology Pacesetter." The designation honors the accounting profession's leading technology consultants and resellers serving the middle market. FES was cited as one of the nation's leading integrators helping to grow the industry with its strong international presence and innovative relationships with software developers. The company's Detroit-area office is in Bingham Farms.

Kenneth L. Way, chairman and CEO of Lear Corp. and vice chairman of leadership giving for United Way Community Services, received the Alexis de Tocqueville Award for Outstanding Philanthropy. This award is presented to individuals who provide volunteer leadership that is inspirational and has a major impact on improving the quality of life for those in need. Over the past several years, Way has personally solicited more than 100 Tocqueville gifts and led Lear's Torch Drive campaign to a 44-percent increase in contributions.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan was honored by the Blue Crass and Blue Shield Association for superior performance in strengthening the value and image of the Blue brand. The Michigan Blues was among 14 of 47 Blues plans nationwide to receive BCBSA's 2000 Brand Excellence Award. The award was based on a survey of customers in areas of brand awareness, member satisfaction and loyalty.

C. Richard Hall, AIA, of Southfield-based HarleyEllis was inducted as a founding member in the American College of Healthcare Architects (ACHA), a not-for-profit organization offering board certification in the highly specialized field of health-care architecture. With more than 28 years of health-care design experience. Hall leads HarleyEllis' health-care design team.

Guardian Industries in Auburn Hills and General Motors Corp. of Detroit were among five Michigan-based companies honored for their innovative human resources practices at the Fifth Annual Arbor Awards for Excellence ceremony. Guardian was cited for its program to evaluate and improve the human resources function at plants located worldwide. GM was honored for its customized interactive distance-learning program at GM University to provide certification training for human resources staff in 58 locations. The awards are co-sponsored by The Arbor Consulting Group of Plymouth and the Eastern Michigan University Master of Science of HR/OD Program.