Awards and Achievements

Elder Care

Roy W. Kern, LUTCF, CLTC, CSA, RFC, of Roy W. Kern & Associates completed the courses and testing required to receive the certified elder caregiver advisor designation. This designation is reserved for professionals who are dedicated to serving elder caregivers and their families. A certified elder caregiver advisor has received specialized training on issues including eldercare assessment, living arrangement options, government programs, community services, level-of-care requirements and long-term care financing options.

The Southwest Missouri Office on Aging Foundation awarded its first "Advocates for Older Missourians" scholarship to Rebecca Boling, a senior at Southwest Missouri State University. The scholarship is intended to encourage others to promote the education and training of individuals who serve Missouri seniors.

The Southwest Missouri Office on Aging was honored at the 12th annual National Mature Media Awards, held recently to recognize the best advertising, marketing and educational materials produced for older adults. The SMOA's Technology Education and Assistance for Missouri Seniors program was awarded silver (second place) in the division of community organizations and in the category of total marketing/advertising program. The TEAMS program is provided by the SMOA and is available in select senior center locations. The program makes computers available to seniors for surfing the Internet or e-mail. Basic computer literacy classes also are offered. The awards program is presented by the Mature Market Resource Center. Gold, silver, bronze and merit awards were presented in 31 categories.

Finance

Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Springfield has been reaccredited by the Council on Accreditation. COA accreditation attests that an organization meets the highest national standards and is delivering quality services to the communities it serves. The COA accreditation process involves in-depth examination of the organization's compliance with best practice standards.

Freedom Financial Group added Bob Chancellor and Troy Compton to its board of directors. Both are former certificate investors in the Stevens Financial Group, now Freedom Financial Group Inc. Both will serve on the board's audit committee. They will serve one-year terms and are subject to the election of directors at the 2004 stockholders meeting.

Davis, Lynn & Moots PC, Certified Public Accountants, announced several staff accomplishments.

Firm partner Angie Ghan, CPA, and Lori Melton, firm administrator, attended a conference in Canada offered by the Association for Accounting Administra-tion. Melton was nominated for Firm Administrator of the Year. The conference covered staff retention, technology and various partner issues, and is designed to further the knowledge of accounting administrators.

Anthony D. Lynn, a shareholder partner with Davis, Lynn & Moots PC, attended a meeting of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Peer Review Board in Nashville, Tenn. The AICPA's peer review program's objective is for the protection of the public interest by improving the quality of practice of CPA firms. Lynn is serving as chairman of the board for the AICPA's Peer Review Board.

Government

Greene County won an achievement award from the National Association of Counties for achieving public safety radio interoperability countywide.

Greene County Commissioner Darrell Decker was appointed Chairperson of NACo's Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, which deals with all matters pertaining to criminal justice and public safety systems.

John Marion of Springfield Fire Department completed the National Fire Academy's Executive Development course in Emmitsburg, Md. This course assists fire service personnel in developing effective management and leadership skills.

Insurance

Andrea Croley, MS, RHU, REBC, of Croley Insurance & Financial in Springfield, was elected president of the Ozark chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals for the 2003-2004 membership year. The Ozark chapter of the Society of Financial Professionals membership comprises 49 financial service professionals who live and work throughout the Ozarks area in Missouri. Other newly elected chapter officers are Scott Lassley, ChFC, Kansas City Life, vice president and treasurer; and David Yaktine CLU, ChFC, Northwestern Mutual, secretary. Board members elected were Rick Kyle, CLU, ChFC, of Kyle Insurance, Rodney Miller, CLU, ChFC, of Miller Financial, Steve Schneider Jr., CLU, ChFC, of New York Life, and William O. Woody, CLU, ChFC, CFP, of Stovall Woody Associates.

Work force

Robert E. Simpson, director of the Missouri Career Center, was installed as president of the Missouri Association for Career and Technical Education at its 34th Annual Joint Summer Vocational Workshop and Conference held in July 21-24 in Springfield. Simpson has been director of the Department of Workforce Development for the city of Springfield since 1995. As president of Missouri ACTE, Simpson will serve as a member of the executive board and spearhead the organization's attempts to advance the cause of career and technical education by bringing a unified voice to decision-makers at the local, state and national levels.