Benchmarks.

Alyssa Martina, president of Southfield-based Metro Parent Publishing Group, a Silver-level member of the Detroit Regional Chamber, was honored as one the "Top 10 Michigan Women Business Owners of Distinction" by the National Association of Women Business Owners-Greater Detroit Chapter. Also honored at NAWBO's 2004 Annual Awards Luncheon were Business Builder-level members Charlotte Knight, owner and operator of a State Farm Insurance agency in Detroit, and Jacklyn Campbell-Salazar, co-owner and vice president of The Staffing Connection in Detroit.

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The following honorees are Gold-level members

Johnson Controls Inc. was among three North American automotive suppliers honored by the French government at the ninth annual "Invest in France Automotive Awards" held in Detroit during the 2004 SAE World Congress, Keith Wandell, president of JCI's Automotive Group, received the award on behalf of the company.

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Southfield-based Right Management Consultants is ranked 16th on Fortune magazine's annual list of the "100 Fastest Growing Companies in America." The list is based on earnings growth, revenue growth and total investment returns.

The following honorees are Silver-level members

Auburn Hills-based USA Federal Credit Union is ranked third in assets among the 167 federally chartered credit unions in Michigan and seventh among all 444 credit unions in the state by the Thomson Credit Union Directory. With $580 million in assets, USA Federal is ranked 85th of 5,950 federally chartered credit unions nationally.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented a 2004 Climate Protection Award to the Electrical Inverter Air Conditioning Team, comprised of Southfield-based Denso Corp., Toyota Motor Corp. and Toyota Industries Corp. at the EPA's annual Earth Technologies Forum. The team developed an electrical inverter air conditioning system that provides cooling for the 2003 Toyota Prius during "idle" stop when the engine shuts down to save fuel and curb emissions.

Grubb & Ellis Co. presented its 2003 National Rookie of the Year award to Brandon Podolski, who currently focuses on developing relationships with local and national companies throughout the Livingston County Corridor in the company's Industrial Division. The 1998 Eastern Michigan University graduate joined Grubb & Ellis in January 2002.

Daniel M. Share of the Detroit law firm of Barris, Sott, Denn & Driker PLLC was unanimously appointed to the Oakland Schools Board of Education to fill one of two vacancies. He also serves as a trustee on the Birmingham Board of Education.

The following honorees are Bronze-level members

Centerprise Technology Advisors, the technology group of Southfield-based Follmer Rudzewicz Advisors Inc., was recognized by Accounting Technology as the 23rd-largest value-added reseller in the United States. The trade publication's rankings were based on 2003 financial results, number of employees and reputation with software publisher.

The following honorees are Business Builder members

Nola Lee, CIT, director of business development at Aluminum Supply Co. in Detroit, received the "Foremost Leader Award" from the National Association of Women in Construction's Detroit Chapter in recognition of her 17 years of service to the organization.

Plymouth-based E & E Manufacturing Co. Inc. received the Michigan Voluntary Protection Programs Star Award for exemplary safety and health programs from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The award is the state's highest honor for workplace safety and health.

Budco, the Highland Park-based marketing and distribution company, received Ford Motor Co.'s prestigious Q1 Award. Q1 is a designation given by Ford to suppliers that consistently exhibit a high level of quality in the products and services they provide.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph R. Jordan, pastor of Corinthian Baptist Church in Hamtramck, celebrated 30 years of dedicated service in 2003. The celebration culminated with a banquet at the Roostertail in Detroit honoring the pastor and his wife, Bobbie Jordan, Rev. Jordan is the current president of the Council of Baptist Pastors of Detroit and Vicinity. He is widely regarded as a compassionate servant who works tirelessly to improve health and living conditions for the disadvantaged.

Katherine Banicki, president of Testing Engineers & Consultants Inc. in Troy, was honored by the Wayne State University College of Engineering with the Socius Collegii Award at the Night of the Stars gala event. In addition, Banicki was hailed as a trailblazer who began her business 38 years ago when few women worked in the field of engineering.

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The Association of Fundraising Professionals recognized Margot Parker, senior associate with Services Marketing Specialists Inc. in Detroit, for her distinguished volunteer achievements and philanthropic contributions to Alternatives for Girls. Parker, a past trustee of Leadership Detroit, spearheaded Alternatives for Girls' $4.5-million capital campaign.

The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named Lizabeth Ardisana, CEO of ASG Renaissance in Dearborn and Southfield, as its Hispanic Business Woman of the Year in Region 4. Ardisana is a member of the Detroit Regional Chamber's Board of Directors.

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Erika Butler-Akinyemi, an associate with Detroit-based Jaffe, Raitt, Heuer & Weiss PC, was named the 2003 recipient of the Michigan State Bar Association's Regeana Myrick Outstanding Young Lawyer Award. The award is given annually to a lawyer who has practiced less than five years and/or is under the age of 36 in recognition of outstanding service to the public and the profession.

Jonathan Holtzman, chairman and CEO of Farmington Hills-based Village Green Cos., was among the recipients of a Real Estate Excellence Award during the 17th Annual University of Michigan/Urban Land Institute's Real Estate Forum. The honorees were selected for their significant impact on commercial real estate in Michigan.

The Ritz-Carlton Dearborn was named among the "World's Best Business Hotels" in the annual reader's poll of Travel & Leisure Magazine. The announcement followed The RitzCarlton Hotel Co.'s decisive No. 1 ranking in guest satisfaction in every factor of the luxury segment by J.D. Power & Associates.

Special D Events Inc. received Comerica Inc.'s 2003 National Quality Excellence Vendor Award. The Royal Oak company was selected for superior planning and execution of a variety of Comerica special events during the past six years, including Comerica's 150th anniversary events. Gene Miller's employee retirement event at Comerica Park and the annual Comerica TasteFest in Detroit's New Center area.

William Beaumont Hospital in Troy is among the nation's 100 top hospitals for high-quality care and efficiency of operations, according to a ranking by health-care information specialist Solucient. Beaumont, Troy earned its place among teaching hospitals with 200 or more acute-care beds.

After an extensive three-month search, MGM Grand Detroit Casino announced it has chosen Solomon Friedman Advertising of Detroit and Bloomfield Hills as its agency of record. MGM said it was seeking an agency that had the combination of creative talent, marketing knowledge, relationships and the leadership ability to demonstrate its strong commitment to the city of Detroit.

Pontiac-based Lighthouse of Oakland County presented its 2003 Beacon Awards to Cindy Benedict of Rochester Hills, Jim and Kathy Leblanc of Clarkston, Donald J. Maillho Jr. of Rochester Hills, Elizabeth A. Palms of Bloomfield Hills, Albert P. Taylor of Macomb Township, Temple Israel Caring Community Committee, the Vlasic family and Kyle Westberg of Lake Orion.

University of Detroit Mercy was ranked the only Michigan university in the top tier among the Midwestern master's universities in the 2004 edition of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges." UDM also was featured as one of the top 10 universities in the magazine's "Best Values" category.