YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
YOUR BUSINESS AUTHORITY
Springfield, MO
Accounting
FORVIS LLP promoted Annie Brady, Tyler Collins, Caleb Evans, Connor Louthan and Lara McGinnis to senior associate II positions. Brady, who provides tax services, and Collins, a member of the commercial tax and outsourcing accounting teams, hold bachelor’s degrees in accounting from Missouri State University. On the tax team, Evans holds a bachelor’s in accounting from Southwest Baptist University. Louthan, who is on the tax, outsourcing accounting and employee benefit plan audit teams, and McGinnis, who provides tax services, hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from MSU.
Education
Michael Kolstad, Evangel University chief of staff and executive vice president, was named an Outstanding Administrator by the Assemblies of God Alliance for Christian Higher Education during the 2023 General Council of the AG in Columbus, Ohio. Kolstad, an Evangel alum, has worked for the school since 1991 and was recognized for increasing donations, leading campus campaigns benefitting athletics and music students, and chairing the university’s pandemic task force.
Cassie Mathes joined Ozarks Technical Community College as chief marketing and communications officer. A Joplin native, she has two decades of experience as a higher education communicator and journalist, most recently as vice chancellor for communications and marketing at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and director of university relations at University of Northern Iowa. In addition to communication roles for Missouri Southern State University and Pittsburg State University in Kansas, Mathes has worked at The Joplin Globe and KODE-TV.
Food Service
Republic Sonic Operating Partner Melissa Neff received the Don L. Rogers Award at the company’s annual convention in Texas. Neff has worked for Sonic for 26 years, starting as a carhop, and spent the last 20 as part of the 269-store D.L. Rogers Corp. group. The award was established in 1992 to recognize dedication to success, exceeding minimum requirements and demonstrating leadership skills, and there have only been 17 winners named.
Insurance
Ken Teague, of Willard, was appointed to the Missouri Petroleum Storage Tank Insurance Fund Board of Trustees. He works as an agency owner with Farmers Insurance and as southwest Missouri communications director for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Teague holds a bachelor’s in business administration from University of Phoenix.
Nonprofit
Ozarks Literacy Council announced new directors and executive board members: President Sarah Kerner of FORVIS; Past-President Jen Johnmeyer of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas LLC; Vice President Sarah Smallwood of Springfield-Greene County Library District; Treasurer Will Cologna of Guaranty Bank; Secretary Rachel Campbell of Show Me Christian County; Jessie Conley of Everbridge Inc.; Brooke Evans of Murney Associates, Realtors; Kris Gregory of Haden, Cowherd & Bullock LLC; Abigail James-O’Quinn of James Financial Partners LLC; Kevin Luebbering of Ozarks Technical Community College; Sunni Nutt of Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield Inc.; Zach Troutman of The Arc of the Ozarks; Michael Underlin of O’Reilly Automotive Inc.; and Rubecca Wilson of Republic High School.
Dickerson Park Zoo received two 2023 Clarion Awards from the Association for Women in Communications. Zoo Director Mike Crocker and Marketing Director Joey Powell, along with Angela Hammond Denny, owner of Pages & Pie Publishing, were recognized in the Brochures, Custom & Special Publications category for “True Tales from Dickerson Park: There’s a Crocodile in the Bathtub!” Powell, along with Matt Sellmeyer and Brett Key of Schilling/Sellmeyer & Associates, won in the Advertising and Marketing category for the Animals Rock billboard campaign.
Moseley’s Discount Office Products was purchased; Side Chick opened in Branson; and the Springfield franchise store of NoBaked Cookie Dough changed ownership.
