Awards |amp| Achievements

COPE Inc. of Lebanon recently received a challenge grant of $100,000 from the J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation in Tulsa. The funding will be used to complete the agency's capital campaign to construct, furnish and equip a new shelter facility. Cope will receive the grant on the condition that the agency raises the balance needed for the total project from other contributors by July 1, 2002.

The Hawthorn Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals held a meeting to give their Executive of the Year 2001-2002 award to Jodie Adams, superintendent of recreation for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board. The featured speaker at the event was Kay Enlow, CPS/CAP, who is serving her second term as international director of the southwest district.

The American Diabetes Association raised a record-breaking $125,000 from its "America's Walk for Diabetes." More than 80 teams and individuals contributed to the event along with top corporate teams such as, Aaron's Auto-motive, Cox Health Systems, and BKD.

The Missouri Motor Carriers Association held its annual convention to elect new officers. During the convention, Glenon Walker, TCSI/ Transland Inc., Springfield, was awarded the prestigious Frank G. Campbell Award for Outstanding Service and the Ursel G. Lewellen Scholarship was awarded to Theodore "Grant" Vanlandingham, of Chillicothe.

Judge Todd Thornhill, of the Springfield Municipal Court, has completed the "Computer Uses for Judges" course in Reno, Nev. During this course, Judge Thornhill became the 10th judge to complete the program for the certificate in judicial development for special court trial skills. He is the first judge from Missouri to be awarded this certificate.

The Missouri Beef Industry Council and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association sponsored the Beef Backer award to two Missouri restaurants. Mikayla's Grille at Millwood Golf Course was tops in the southwest region for its beef menu items, and Timberline Steakhouse in Joplin won honors in the Best Beef Entree division. Both restaurants won prize packages worth more than $1,000.

Dane Vernon, a publisher in the Lake of the Ozarks area, was elected president of Missouri Press Association at the organization's annual meeting. Vernon, who serves as the Associa-tion's first vice president this year, is a second-generation president of MPA and will take a position held in 1973 by his father, Wallace Vernon.

Kay Gerken, broker/co-owner of Century 21 Gerken & Associates, has been elected the 2002 treasurer of the Missouri Association of Realtors, which is the largest trade association in Missouri.

Duane H. Gerken, broker/co-owner of Century 21 Gerken & Associates, Branson, was honored as the 2001 Realtor of the Year at the Missouri Association of Realtors Annual Con-vention. Gerken has been active on all levels of the Realtor organization, serving on and chairing many committees.

Jo Ellen Mastin has received her certified community action professional designation from the National Association of Community Action Agencies. The CCAP designation is a peer recognition certification for senior-level Com-munity Action Agency staff members who help low income people become self-sufficient.

The Missouri State Board of Accountancy announced Nick Myers, CPA, of Joplin, as the first recipient of the James T. Mudd Award. Myers currently chairs the MSCPA Legislative committee, and was given the award due to his advancement of certified public accounting.

Letty Van Kleeck of Carol Jones, Realtors, met with other Christie's Great Estates real estate professionals from around the world at the annual conference in London, England. Carol Jones Realtors is an exclusive affiliate of Christie's Great Estates, the largest international network of independent real estate brokers specializing in the sale of distinctive properties.

The Missouri Department of Transportation received two environmental excellence awards for its contributions to environmental protection and mitigation. MoDOT received the 2001 Globe Award for its geocarpon-relocation project with improvements made to Route 13 at Collins Junction in southwest Missouri, and high honorable mention for its work with the Callaway Farms archaeological site along Route 94 in central Missouri.

The Midwest Region Missouri Area Council awarded Bob Helm, CPA, with Elliot, Robinson & Company LLP, the Boys & Girls Clubs Oustanding Volunteer for the state of Missouri. Helm has dedicated twelve years to the service of youth in the Springfield community.

The Kiwanis Club of Springfield South recently announced its leadership for 2001-2002: Dan Wichmer, president; Russ Tucker, president-elect; Sean Taylor, vice-president; Bob Dean, secretary; Ken Horn, treasurer; and David Neill, immediate past president. The board of directors includes Leroy Day, Randy Eggert, John Flowers, J.D. Nave, John O'Donnell, Steve Hamm, Mark Frazier and Kevin Gillogly.

Ron Kirkland, state sales coordinator of AFLAC, was recently appointed to the board of directors of the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents by MAIA president Jo Ann Evans.

The Cox School of Radiologic Technology announced the graduation and awards of 14 students: Amanda Baker, Paula Bates, Rebecca Bates, Best Clinical Performance award; Jodie A. Broeker, Sheree Harrell, Most Outstanding Student and Outstanding Patient Care awards; Erin R. Hawkins, Most Student Progress award; Wei l. Liu, Highest GPA award-tie; Amy Roos, Tracy Salladay, Second Highest GPA award; Jennifer Seitter, Becca Sipe, Candice N. Talley, Bryan Williams, Highest GPA award-tie; Shane Wimberley, Highest GPA award-tie.

Bill Stalnaker, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Springfield, is this year's recipient of the Heart and Soul award for his demonstration of extended and devoted service to the youth of Springfield.

Janice Duncan, associate superintendent of Springfield Public Schools, has been elected to the executive board of directors of Court Appointed Special Advocates. Duncan will serve a three-year term.

Gene Summers, vice president of Great Southern Insurance, was recently recognized for professional leadership and advanced knowledge by the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors. Summers was awarded a certificate marking 25 years of participation as a designated certified insurance counselor which requires annual completion of advanced training.

Computers Plus Inc., Jefferson City, has recently won an international New Business Achievement award while attending the System Builder Summit in San Diego, Calif. CPI received the Peak Performer award for the impressive expansion and growth of its service business.

Keith A. LaFerriere, MD, and Bharat Shah, MD, of St. John's Facial Plastic Surgery Center, were recently accredited by the Chicago-based Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care Inc. The AAAHC's survey team conducted an extensive on-site review of St. John's Facial Plastic Surgery Center's facility and services.

Nine area residents were elected to the Skaggs Community Health Center Board of Trustees during the board's annual meeting. The residents are: Greg M. Baker, Jim Berry, Larry L. Cockrum, Rob Fletcher, Steven R. Hartley, Jim Kaneaster, R. Layne Morrill, Rich Toliver and Matthew Trokey. Also, three new directors have been appointed to serve on the Skaggs Community Health Center Board of Directors in Branson. The new directors are: Michael Bays, DO, Leon Combs and Ann McDowell.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources recently awarded $100,000 to Southwest Missouri State University for the James River Total Maximum Daily Load Project. Robert Pavlowsky, John Havel and Richard Biagioni will conduct the research along with graduate and undergraduate student employees.

The Missouri Department of Transportation recently nominated William Cheek, associate dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences at SMSU, to its Missouri Aviation Advisory Committee.

Dr. Lynn Robbins, professor of biology at SMSU, was awarded a $3,527 grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for his project "Effective Sampling Protocol for Indiana Bats." The project will test both survey methods and decide which method or combination of the two most accurately determines whether Indiana bats are present in a forest.

Dr. Neil DiSarno, head of the communication sciences and disorders department at Southwest Missouri University, and Kris Grbac, audiologist, were awarded an extension of $8,100 by the Missouri Department of Health on their project "Universal Newborn Hearing Screening."