Branson Newsmakers

Kelly Swanson, co-owner of Port of Kimberling Marina and Campground and What’s Up Dock Marina on Table Rock Lake, was nominated by Gov. Matt Blunt to serve on the Missouri Tourism Commission. The appointment, which is pending Missouri Senate confirmation, places Swanson on the commission until Jan. 15, 2011. She would succeed Karen Graves, whose term expired.

Douglas Wojick was named director of sales and marketing for Chateau on the Lake Resort, Spa and Convention Center in Branson, where he leads convention and leisure travel sales. Wojick’s sales background includes work for Ritz-Carlton, Hyatt and Hilton properties, as well as independent resorts Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and the Treetop Resort in Michigan.

Dr. Paul Robison, cardiovascular surgeon and chief of surgery at Skaggs Community Health Center, was selected to serve a two-year term on the Endovascular Regional Scientific Advisory Board for Medtronic Inc., based in Santa Rosa, Calif. The board’s focus is to provide advice on next-generation products to Medtronic Vascular, which designs technology for coronary, endovascular and peripheral interventional procedures.

Robison has been with the hospital since it began its open-heart surgery program in 2002.

Timothy Huddleston, of Branson, was named College of the Ozarks’ dean of development, effective June 1. Huddleston, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, has served since 2000 as partner/manager of Akers & Arney in Branson. Prior to that, he owned and managed Huddleston Insurance & Investments with locations in Springfield and Branson. Huddleston is a 1987 C of O graduate and succeeds Rodney Arnold, who served as dean of development for 14 years.

The Princeton Review named College of the Ozarks as one of the nation’s best-value undergraduate institutions. C of O is one of 165 colleges featured in the 2008 edition of “America’s Best Value Colleges.”

Branson magician Darren Romeo has returned to his venue at Branson’s Welk Resort Theatre after participating in the Disney Channel movie, “High School Musical 2: Sing It All or Nothing!” Romeo was invited to do a cameo in the movie during his April 8–15 hiatus from his Branson show. In the movie, he plays a parody of himself, The Great Roman Dario, whose magic gets out of control. Romeo is donating his earnings from the project to the local chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Four members of Connell Insurance in Hollister attended the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents 17th annual Small Agency Conference on March 22–23 in Columbia. Chad Connell, Randy Holm, Billie Frahm and Cindy Marriott joined more than 500 independent insurance agents, brokers and insurance company representatives at the conference, designed for small- to medium-size agencies from both rural and metropolitan areas. Education programs focused on ethics, marketing and product training.

Additionally, Holm has earned the certified insurance counselor designation. Holm is vice president of property and casualty operations and oversees company relations, claims administration and account servicing. [[In-content Ad]]