Newsmakers: Aug. 7-13, 2017

Banking & Finance
The Bank of Bolivar appointed Nick Raikos as vice president. He has 13 years of banking experience, including as a lender and branch manager, and an MBA from Missouri State University.

Leah Betts, Greene County collector of revenue, attended the annual meeting of the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers and Finance Officers and completed professional coursework in public policy administration. The education courses are through University of Missouri-St. Louis’ Public Policy Administration program and its Chancellor’s Certificate program in partnership with the association.

Education
Ozarks Technical Community College’s Agriculture Department received a $20,000 grant from the American Association of Community Colleges. The MentorLinks: Advancing Technological Education grant provides technical assistance and networking opportunities to help prepare students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Among 11 colleges selected for the grant nationwide, OTC for the next two years will work with assigned mentor Jenni Fridgen of Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, to enhance its agriculture curriculum.

Engineering
Missouri Society of Professional Engineers selected Palmerton & Parrish Inc. Vice President Brandon Parrish as the 2017 Young Engineer of the Year, presented at the society’s 2017 convention in Camdenton. He will represent MSPE in the 2018 Young Engineer of the Year national competition.

Health Care
The American Hospital Association recognized Citizens Memorial Hospital in Bolivar as a Most Wired hospital for the 13th consecutive year. CMH is one of two hospitals on the list in southwest Missouri, the other being CoxHealth, and among 13 in Missouri.

Oxford HealthCare promoted Shallina Goodnight to vice president of community education and service development. With the company since 2004 and most recently as executive director of health care services, she leads all marketing, community education, civic engagement and business development initiatives.

Law
The Supreme Court of Missouri presented the 31st Judicial Circuit in Greene County with the Permanency Award for excellence in service to children and families.

Nonprofit
Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland named Gail Noggle member at large to its board of directors. Noggle is director of economic development/executive director of the Bolivar Industrial Development Authority.

Retail
Sun Solar LLC promoted Gary Blanchard to president from vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to joining the firm in October 2016, he worked as sales director and vice president of solar energy company PosiGen.

Sales
Kyle Wilkerson, president of MariCorp U.S. LLC in Shell Knob, was recognized as one of the marine industry’s top young leaders by the Boating Industry publication. He began his career at MariCorp in 2007 as a regional sales representative.

Technology
Christina Phillips, director of BKD LLP’s technologies division, received the 2017-18 Microsoft Most Valuable Professional Award for representing the best in the business solutions technical communities.