Every business
owner and top executive has a team of professionals who are as much a
part of their success as their employees. These professionals know the
intimate details of the clients’ business. They are trusted advisers.
Returning
for the second year, Springfield Business Journal’s Trusted Adviser
Awards will honor 19 individuals in three categories – Trusted Adviser,
Up-and-Comer and Legacy Adviser – during a Sept. 18 luncheon.
Chosen
by an independent panel of judges and honoring professionals in the
five advisory areas of accountant, banker, insurance agent, lawyer and
wealth manager, the afternoon will culminate with a pinnacle award
dubbed the Legacy Adviser. Recognizing an individual from any of the
five areas with at least 20 years in the field, this year’s Legacy
Adviser award honors certified public accountant John Wanamaker, managing partner with BKD LLP.
Noting
the talent and ambition of industry professionals who are still making a
name for themselves, the Up-and-Comer award honors three advisers with
less than five years in business.
This year’s Up-and-Comer honors go to Jennifer Ashley, residential lender with Guaranty Bank; Melissa Bade, associate attorney with Neale & Newman LLP; and Cameron Jones, partner with Parks & Jones, Attorneys at Law.
Honoring
professionals at the peak of their career, having been in the field for
more than five years, Trusted Advisers awards cover five professional
fields. Honorees, in alphabetical order, are:
Accountant: Bill Dunton, Abacus CPAs LLC; Brian Hickman, BKD LLP; and Mike Pruett, Elliott Robinson & Co. LLC;
Banker: Derek Fraley, BancorpSouth; Karen Hall, Central Bank of Branson; and Lelia Voss, U.S. Bank;
Insurance agent: John Brinkmann, Brinkmann Insurance and Financial LLC; Tim Connell, Connell Insurance Inc.; and Jason Gaynor, New York Life Co.;
Lawyer: Jay Dade, Polsinelli PC; Patricia Musick, McAnany Van Cleave & Phillips PC; and Paul Satterwhite, Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP; and
Wealth adviser: Robert DeVore, Baron Financial Group LLC; Brian McCracken, Pinnacle Family Advisors LLC; and Brent Singleton, Heim, Young & Associates Inc.
The Trusted Advisers luncheon begins at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 18 at
DoubleTree Hotel, 2431 N. Glenstone Ave. Tickets are $30 apiece and
available at SBJ.net/TrustedAdvisers.
The first southwest Missouri location of EarthWise Pet, a national chain of pet supply stores, opened; Grey Oak Investments LLC relocated; and Hot Bowl by Everyday Thai LLC got its start.
