Awards and Achievements

Education

Springfield Mayor Thomas A. Carlson was nominated to the Southwest Missouri State University Board of Governors by Missouri Gov. Bob Holden. In addition to serving as mayor of Springfield, Carlson is a real estate developer. He has a bachelor's degree from George Washington University and a law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Engineering

Gary Pendergrass, PE, a project manager with ESC Inc. Engineers and Architects was appointed to the Springfield-Greene County Environmental Advisory Board.

Hardware

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse in Hollister ranks No. 5 out of 843 stores, according to an announcement made at the company's annual meeting held in March in Florida. Rankings were determined based on customer surveys, mystery shoppers and the number of complaints received.

Health care

St. John's Stroke center was rated as a five-star, in-hospital stroke center by Healthgrades, a health care quality ratings, information and advisory services company.

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department was recognized by Dick Dunn, director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, for its leadership as one of the five Smallpox Vaccination Clinic sites in Missouri. Harold Bengsch, director of health, and Karen McKinnis, coordinator for the Bioterrorism/Emergency Response Team, received the award.

Insurance

Nixon and Lindstrom Insurance Inc. was named a key producer for the member companies of Ohio Casualty Group. Agencies selected are those that represent 20 percent of the group's overall agent force. The key producer program is designed to give special recognition to insurance agents exhibiting exceptional product knowledge, professionalism and service to customers. Nixon and Lindstrom sells the group's commercial and personal property and casualty and health insurance programs in Springfield and southwest Missouri.

Great Southern Insurance also was named a key producer for the member companies of Ohio Casualty Group. Great Southern sells home, auto, business, life and health products for the group in southwest Missouri.

Chad Connell of Connell Insurors Inc. has earned his license to sell securities and is now a member of the National Association of Securities Dealers. He has worked as an independent insurance agent for Connell Insurors for the past eight years.

Small business

Carl Fellers, owner of Fellers Fixtures, has joined the National Federation of Independent Business Leadership Council, which comprises 30 small-business owners from throughout Missouri. The council meets four times each year to discuss issues facing small-business owners and to recommend to the legislature options for resolving those issues.

Technology

Oklahoma's Orthopedic Hospital of Tulsa has signed an order for Springfield-based Creative Healthcare Systems Inc.'s MedGenix Hospital Information System, a new network that will center on a Sun V880 server. Plans call for implementation by the end of August.

The Discovery Center of Springfield Web site was chosen as an outstanding online resource for kids by Excellence in Science, Technology and Math Education, a national campaign to promote math and science education to K-12 students. The campaign is organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Water quality

The Watershed Committee of the Ozarks and the Valley Water Mill Project Task Force announced that $450,000 has been set aside in the federal budget for the Valley Water Mill Watershed Education/ Demonstration Center, which will be located on about 100 acres of publicly owned land just north of Springfield. It will feature outdoor classroom stations, trails, workshop and meeting spaces, demonstrations of onsite wastewater and storm water runoff techniques, and a water quality laboratory.