ACCOUNTING

• Mary Alice Homkes, staff government auditor, has joined The Rehmann Group.

ASSOCIATIONS

• Clay Powell, director of the Rental Property Owners Association of Kent County, has been reappointed to the Michigan Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention and Control Commission.
  
  
• The Rental Property Owners Association of Kent County Real Estate Investors of Michigan has elected Dennis Childress, Ann Finkler, Patrick Kapenga and Thomas Poelman to its board of directors. Also, 2008 officers are: president, Tom Koetsier; vice president, Darrell DeWard; secretary, Phil Mol; and treasurer, Duane Culver.

AWARDS

• Waddell & Reed Advisors Funds ranked No. 1 and Ivy Funds ranked No. 8 on the list of 2007 Best Mutual Fund Families by Barron’s newspaper.
  
  
• The Human Resource Group of West Michigan has been awarded a Certificate of Recognition and Superior Merit Chapter designation from The Society for Human Resource Management.
  
  
• Brian Bosgraaf, Cottage Home president and designer, received the Custom Builder of the Year Award from the Home & Building Association of Greater Grand Rapids. Also, Cottage Home was honored with the Heritage Preservation Award from the Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society for new construction in the West Shore Woods development.
  
  
• Mike Pumford, a former Republican legislator from the 100th State House District, has received the Education Advocacy Award from the Kent Intermediate Association of School Boards for his contributions to public education.
  
  
• Kimberly Dewey, Warner Norcross & Judd LLP, and Karen R. Elgersma, Varnum Riddering Schmidt & Howlett LLP, received PLS certification at the NALS of West Michigan annual awards ceremony. Also, NALS honored Virginia Roth, a paralegal with Buckman, MacDonald & Bauer, with an Award of Excellence; and David W. Centner, Clark Hill PLC litigation attorney, as the 2008 Legal Professional of the Year.

BANKING & FINANCE

• Grand Wealth Management has welcomed Lacey M. Edwards, wealth management associate.
  
  
• Tania A. DeVries has joined Macatawa Bank as vice president, trust officer, in the Macatawa Trust and Financial Services Group.

BUILDING & CONSTRUCTION

• Metal Tech Building Specialists Inc. has hired former University of Michigan quarterback Scott Dreisbach, business development manager.
  
  
• Owen-Ames-Kimball Co. has added project superintendents Pat Horrigan and Jeremy Amshey, and also announced that Dan Adams has earned LEED certification.
  
  
• Dave Delpiere of CSM Group has received LEED accreditation and has moved into the company’s estimating department.

BUSINESS SERVICES

• Collins & Associates has welcomed Hillary J. Marcusse, benefits support.
  
  
• The Regus Group, a provider of fully furnished and equipped offices, has hired general manager Lia Ratering for its business center at 250 Monroe Ave. NW, Suite 400.

EDUCATION

• Dave Veneklase, Davenport University executive vice president for organizational development, has been appointed to the board of directors of Michigan Campus Compact.
  
  
• David Angerer, head of Black River Public School in Holland, has been named to lead the Grand River Preparatory High School. The new school, on 52nd Street in Kentwood, is scheduled to open fall 2008.

ENGINEERING

• Holli Mehrens of Design Plus Inc. has earned LEED accreditation.

GRANTS

• Calvin College has won a three-year, $77,000 grant from the Beckman Scholars Program to give expanded, intensive research experiences to four Calvin students. The grant was awarded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, which funds chemistry and life science programs at nonprofit institutions.
  
  
• Hope College has been awarded a four-year, $1.4 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to fund multiple initiatives.

HEALTH

• Cardiologist Ronald L. VanderLaan has opened Grand Rapids Cardiology at 1900 Wealthy St. SE, Suite 380. The phone number is (616) 717-5141; fax number is (616) 717-5145; and the Web site is www.grcardiology.com. Dr. VanderLaan has selected the following staff: Lindsay R. Gibbons, specialist nurse practitioner; Becca Niemczyk, medical assistant, practice coordinator; Marcie Bell, certified exercise physiologist; Shannon Bultsma, lead patient care coordinator; and BJ VanderLaan, patient care coordinator.
  
  
• Metro Health has welcomed Ann M. Kuzee, director of human resources. Kuzee will manage human resource operations for the hospital and its 12 outpatient centers.

HUMAN SERVICES

• Christopher Fisher is the first Grand Rapids-based adoption specialist for Lutheran Adoption Service, Michigan’s largest provider of adoption for children in the state’s foster care system.
  
  
• Guiding Light Mission has named Preston Bruxvoort acting executive director.

MANUFACTURING

• Wolverine World Wide Inc. has appointed Joseph R. Gromek to its board of directors. Gromek is president, CEO and director of The Warnaco Group Inc., a designer and distributor of sportswear, intimate apparel and swimwear.
  
  
• Perrigo has promoted Tom Jones to marketing information manager, and has hired James Larson, senior counsel, and Steven Swartz, external technical support manager.
  
  
• RHM Fluid Power is celebrating 50 years in business, and has elected Jane Barrett to its board of directors in the new position of chief financial officer. Also, RHM has promoted Michael Baker to vice president of engineering and manufacturing; Jeffrey Fuller to Grand Rapids branch manager; and Joe Lemon, plant manager. Joseph Sorano has taken on the newly created position of automotive industry sales manager. RHM has added 16 new employees in sales, customer service, fabrication and field service.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

• Rick Jensen, account executive, has joined Seyferth Spaulding Tennyson Inc.

TECHNOLOGY

• Staci Bryant of C/D/H has been promoted to administrative assistant.

The Business Journal welcomes submissions to the Change-Ups section. Send announcements concerning personnel changes, new businesses, change of address, etc. to Change-Ups Editor, Grand Rapids Business Journal, 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or e-mail to bjchangeups@geminipub.com.

Please include a SASE for any photos you wish returned. BJX