Missourian Awards scheduled for March 11

But this year’s list of recipients – among them Carol Jones, Patti Penny, Norman Myers and Jim Anderson – has a distinctly Springfield flair.

The 2006 honorees are: Jim Anderson, David Appleby, John T. Woodruff, Bill Foster, Carol Jones, Eugene Martin Jr., Mary Kay Meek, Kenneth Meyer, Norman Myers, Patti Penny, Robert Roundtree Sr. and Clarence Wheeler.

The awards were the brainchild of Springfield real estate broker Ralph Slavens and his late wife, Corrine. Usually intended to honor the most influential citizens from around the state, this year’s recipients all made their mark in southwest Missouri, a fact Slavens said is no coincidence.

After Slavens, who coordinates the nonprofit event on a volunteer basis, had to take care of his ill wife in 2002, he stepped away from his real estate business.

In 2004, as he was trying to re-enter the industry, he said he couldn’t afford to spend the necessary six months driving around the state researching the nominees. There were no 2005 awards.

When he was approached to coordinate this year’s event, he agreed on one condition: He wanted to stay close to home.

He did – this year’s event is scheduled for March 11 at the Tower Club, with U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., serving as master of ceremonies.

Slavens said the event, which is the only of its kind endorsed by the state of Missouri, is not politically motivated.

“Nobody in elected office can be nominated,” he said. “(Former) Gov. (Mel) Carnahan was my honorary chairman twice; then I had (Lt. Gov.) Roger Wilson, Dr. John Moore, Jim Anderson, and now Roy Blunt.”

He added that the choice of Blunt as host this year was simply out of fairness: “I had been using Democrats,” he said, “so I decided I better go with a Republican this year.”

A limited number of tickets is still available for $100 each. For ticket information, call the St. Louis office of the American Heart Association at (314) 692-5620.

Click here for the full story from March 6.