Raleigh writer Maureen Sherbondy’s debut short-story collection, “The Slow Vanishing,” will be published in September by Main Street Rag.

Meredith College freshman Andrea McKerlie published her second fantasy novel, “Some Other Time.”

The Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill was accredited by the American Association of Museums, the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums, said director Emily Kass. The Ackland is one of only 13 accredited art museums in North Carolina. 

Donna Merritt, board member of the Carolina Theatre of Durham, will serve as chair of the Outreach Committee for 2009-2010.

PlayMakers Repertory Company, the professional theater group based in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC-Chapel Hill, was awarded a national arts grant for its upcoming production of “The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.” This is the second year in a row that the National Endowment for the Arts has honored the company.

Capital Bank, headquartered in Raleigh, named Blair Byrd Kennedy vice president and marketing officer, said Prudy Frederick, vice president and director of marketing.

Maisie Coborne and daughter Kelly Bruney opened a vegetarian restaurant in University Square in Chapel Hill called Butternut Squash.

Lou Jurkowski, chief executive officer at BJAC, an architectural firm in Raleigh, announced that Tapati Bose, intern architect, earned the designation of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Janine Varney, owner of Raleigh staging and design firm Well Dressed Homes and co-founder of Triangle Staging and Design, was featured in DS NEWS, a Texas-based publication for mortgage and loan industry professionals.  

Soles4Souls and Moxie Kids, a children’s boutique located at Cameron Village in Raleigh, collected gently worn footwear and cash donations for those in need, in exchange for a discount on new fall shoes, said Gina DeFrank, co-owner.

N.C. State University alumna Courtney Smith was appointed as the communication and public relations specialist for the Better Business Bureau of Eastern North Carolina, headquartered in Raleigh, said president and CEO Beverly Baskin.

Sandra Mitterling, partner in Ragsdale Liggett’s litigation department in Raleigh, was reappointed to the N.C. Bar Association’s Women in the Profession Committee for 2009-2010. 

Patty Briguglio, president of MMI Associates, a Raleigh-based public relations firm, announced that Michelle Wingate, senior account executive, was named to the board of directors of Leadership Triangle, a nonprofit group that promotes regionalism. 

North Carolina health advocate Peg O’Connell joined the Raleigh consulting firm of Cansler Fuquay Solutions as a senior advisor for government and legislative affairs. 

Denise Hatzidakis, co-ower of XIOE Authentic Greek Cuisine in Apex, celebrated the fifth anniversary of her restaurant.

Mary Cantando, Triangle author and a growth expert on female business owners, travelled to Minsk, Belarus in July on behalf of the U.S. State Department. She worked with women in outlying regions who wanted to expand the revenue from their family farms by opening their farmhouses to tourists.

Amanda Brown was promoted to director of media relations at ClearImage, a business development, marketing and public relations agency located in Raleigh.

Elaine Buxton, president of Confero, a national customer experience measurement firm in Cary, announced that Janet Morrison was named business development manager.  

Raleigh-based advertising firm Howard, Merrell & Partners announced:
• Chief operating officer and senior vice president of media assets Donna Mercer was appointed to the Artspace board of directors, a nonprofit visual arts center in Raleigh.
• Danielle Passingham joined the agency as an account executive in the account management department.
• The agency received two platinum Hermes Creative Awards in an international competition for creative professionals, said senior vice president of public relations Stephanie Styons.
• Two online communications professionals were hired: Becca Liberman, media planner, buyer and interactive specialist; and Sarah Findle, account coordinator.
 
Joy Ruhmann, managing director of Ruhmann Associates, a talent assessment and leadership development firm, taught a session at the N.C. School of Banking in August. The school was held at the William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.

Lorana Price, CEO of Holy Cow Branding, delivered the keynote speech to the School of Communication Arts at Digital Circus’ graduating class of 2009 in Raleigh.

In conjunction with a back-to-school special, Lather Hair Salon in North Raleigh collected all the hair on the salon floor from cuts to donate to Matter of Trust. Owner Jessica Williams said the organization makes oil-absorbent mats out of human hair to help soak up oil spills around the globe.

Erica Lind, senior corporate relations director of the American Heart Association, announced that Betsy Walker, vice president of global compensation and benefits at Quintiles, joined the 2009 Start! Triangle Heart Walk executive leadership team. 

The nonprofit Pretty in Pink Foundation announced:
• Dr. Lisa Tolnitch, Raleigh surgeon and founder of the group, was featured on NBC’s “TODAY Show” in July to discuss its work in providing financial assistance and services for uninsured and underinsured people in North Carolina who are diagnosed with breast cancer.
• Dr. Tonitch was a guest on Scott Fitzgerald’s “North Carolina Morning News” on WPTF-AM.
• Penny Lauricella, executive director of Pretty in Pink, spoke with WRAL-TV’s Pam Saulsby during the noon news broadcast about the foundation’s mission.
• For the third year in a row, the Devil’s Ridge Ladies Golf Association of Devil’s Ridge Golf Club, in Holly Springs, donated the money raised from its annual tournament to the Pretty in Pink Foundation. This year the proceeds were $36,750.

The Goathouse Refuge, a no-kill cat sanctuary in Pittsboro run by local artist Siglinda Scarpa, held a benefit concert in August at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill to provide food and medical care for nearly 250 abandoned cats.

Meals on Wheels of Durham welcomed Anne Aitchison as its board chairman for the 2009-10 fiscal year.

Linda Harrill, president and CEO of Communities in Schools of North Carolina, the largest community-based dropout prevention program in the U.S., announced the formal release of an audio podcast with Danya Perry, field services specialist for the organization. In it, Perry discusses how gang activity can affect students.

Lisa Valentino, executive director of Me Fine Foundation, named Marirose K. Steigerwald, vice president of Elinvar, an executive coaching company, to the nonprofit’s board of directors. The foundation provides financial assistance and resources to parents and caregivers with children being treated at Duke and UNC Children’s Hospitals.

The planning supervisor of the city of Durham, Grace D. Smith, AICP, CZO, a four-year staff member of the City-County Planning Department, was named the Zoning Enforcement Official of the Year by the N.C. Association of Zoning Officials.

The Eastern N.C. chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, located in Raleigh, announced that UNC-Chapel Hill alumna and published novelist Staci Barfield is its new vice president of development. 

The Autism Society of N.C., one of the state’s largest education organizations for children with autism spectrum disorder, launched its awareness campaign with two public service announcements.

The Orange County Rape Crisis Center hired Hannah Adams as its executive director and moved to East Franklin Street in Chapel Hill.

The Greater Raleigh Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, an organization dedicated to representing the interests of female entrepreneurs, announced:
• Terri Taylor of Carolina Silver Company in Raleigh and Cary received the Rising Star Award at its 31st anniversary installation and awards reception.
• The 2009-10 board of directors includes Donna Peery, president; Carrie Reuben, president elect; Erin Campbell, treasurer; Leslie McMillan, membership; Lorraine Johnson, public policy; Jocelyne Gervais, corporate relations; Sharon Hill and Michelle Rich Goode, programs; Kim Lewey, community relations; Sue Weems, mentoring; Debra Rezeli, communications; and Susan Clark, public relations.

The Raleigh chapter of the American Advertising Federation selected the USO of North Carolina, a nonprofit organization that supports the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreational services, for this year’s Public Service Announcement campaign, said Lisa Rondina, president. Local advertising professionals will develop a campaign that will launch in January.

Gov. Bev Perdue appointed N.C. State University graduate Gé Brogden of Raleigh to the N.C. Social Work Certification and Licensure Board.

The Town of Cary dedicated a new 11-acre park, Walnut Street Park, at the corner of Walnut Street and Lawrence Road in August, said Mary Henderson, director of Cary’s Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Department.

Leah Brown, Monica Smiley and Sheila Ogle, of Cary, mentored Afghan and Rwandan women entrepreneurs in August through the business training program Peace Through Business.

Beverly Kennedy, executive director of the Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County, said the agency celebrated its eighth anniversary in July.
The first Ride for the Tammy Lynn Center charity cycling event in June included 118 cyclists and raised $10,000.

Caroline Shipman was promoted to communications associate of the Raleigh Regional Associations of Realtors.

Fonville Morisey’s Kelly Cobb was the guest speaker in Pine Knoll Shores for the monthly meeting of the Crystal Coast chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, where she presented advice on team building.

Gaye Orr, president of Coldwell Banker Advantage New Homes, announced:
• Danita Mitchell was named builder representative for Poplar Creek Village in Knightdale.
• Sharon Hunt was named builder representative for Olde South Homes at Holly Glen in Holly Springs.

Terri McCall, Courtney Mills, Debbie Bell, Lisa Ligouri, Nancy Guenther, Gwen Hager and Pat McElroy were sales leaders in July for ERA Pacesetter Realty.

Allen Tate Realtors announced that Joan MacNair Petty of the MacNair-Petty & Womble Realty Group, a Triangle area realtor, received a top performer award.
Powell Properties, of Cary, welcomed Elizabeth Ray as its director of marketing.

Fonville Morisey & Barefoot announced:
• Dina Falco White joined Denise Wildblood as a sales associate for Meadows at Olde Carpenter, a new townhome development in Cary.
• Pamela Owens was selected as the sales associate for Weston Place, a new townhome community in Cary.

Crystal Stafford joined Linda Trevor and Company of RE/MAX United - Cary as the listing and marketing specialist.

Conni Tucker, president of Triangle Commercial Real Estate Women, which fosters relationships among professionals in the Triangle market, announced that Kate Leser, president of A Distinctive Image of Raleigh, spoke at the organization’s meeting in a presentation entitled “Be Your Best Everyday With Ease & Confidence: It’s All in the Packaging.”

Sunhee Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute, was recognized by the Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery, created by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for her significant contributions toward developing a vaccine to control the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Sue Lynn Ledford was appointed community health director of Wake County.

Deana Challis, a licensed massage therapist, joined Remedy Clinic in Raleigh.

Jill Braly, creator and lead instructor, opened Wandering Yoga, which brings yoga to the work place, home and special events in the Triangle.

Allscripts, a provider of software, services, information and connectivity solutions to the healthcare industry, announced that Diane Adams is the new executive vice president of human resources. She will work out of the company’s Raleigh campus.

Jenny Bullock, Debby Penny and Katie Martinelli, staff members of Michael Law M.D. Aesthetic Plastic Surgery in Raleigh, introduced Latisse, the first FDA-approved eyelash growth treatment.