Associations
•Winners in the 2008 Parade of Homes were honored by the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area. Winners in the People's Choice division included Bay Area Contracting Inc., Steinorth Fine Homes and Prestige Construction Group LLC. First place awards in the Judge's Choice category went to Pathway Homes, BayView Contracting LLC and Prestige Construction. First place in the Exterior Design division included Pathway Homes, BayView Contracting and Prestige Construction. A complete list of winners is available on the association's Web site at www.hbagta.com.
Organizers said the 19th annual event drew nearly 35,000 visits to the 35 featured homes.
•The State Bar Association of Michigan presented its 2008 Circle of Excellence award to the Parsons Ringsmuth Zelenock law firm of Traverse City. The award is to recognize public interest work and financial contributions to worthy causes. The firm's involvement includes work with Third Level, the Father Fred Foundation and the Women's Resource Center.
Expansion
•Northwestern Bank recently broke ground on construction of a second Suttons Bay office. The project, slated for completion later this year, stands to be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified commercial building in Leelanau County. The new facility will be located in Hansen Plaza on West Fourth St. The bank also has a location in Leland.
Personnel
•WDWeb/MorePhotos of Traverse City has hired West Coast sales representative Michelle Crites. She will be assisting in developing sales and marketing plans for the photographic industry. MorePhotos software allows professional photographers to upload and sell photographs online.
•Vaughn Seavolt of Traverse City Life Story Funeral Home was redesignated as a Certified Funeral Service Practitioner (CFSP) by the Academy of Professional Service Practice. It involved completion of 180 hours of continuing education activities and events and another 20 hours per year for continuing certification. Seavolt is a 19-year member of the academy.
•Attorney Richard Mills of the Bethany C. Warner & Associates law office in Traverse City completed a probate and estate planning program through the Institute of Continuing Legal Education. Less than 4 percent of Michigan attorneys are certified through the program.
•The Traverse City office of The Rehmann Group promoted accountants Kerry J. Nelson to senior tax manager and Mark R. Smith to senior audit manager. Nelson provides accounting and tax services to family-owned and closely held businesses, while Smith offers audit and compilation services to a variety of commercial businesses.
•Kyle Seittler is the new head chef at The Catch Island Grill in Traverse City. He is a student at Northwestern Michigan College's Culinary Institute, and a graduate of the TBA Career Tech Center Culinary program. He replaces Randy Chamberlain, who's opening a new restaurant in Glen Arbor.
New location
•Global Marine Insurance Agency plans a September move to the Centerpointe building along M-22 in Elmwood Township, the former Lake States Insurance office. Global Marine has operated in Traverse City for 19 years.
•Suttons Bay Trading Company Inc. recently moved its production operations to a new 3,200-square-foot facility in Traverse City from Fort Wayne, Ind.
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