Newsmakers

Distribution
Wil Fischer Cos., a wholesale beverage distributor, was recognized with a Gold Level in Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Ambassadors of Excellence Program. The honor, presented to 18 wholesalers out of 700 nationwide, is earned by scoring at least 90 percent on measures of business operation and sales execution.

Education
Drury University was awarded the Drum Major Award by the Springfield branch of the NAACP for its scholarships and other programs aimed at minority teens and students. The award, named after a sermon by Martin Luther King Jr., recognizes individuals and organizations for efforts toward equality, social justice and peace.

Drury added four members to its board of trustees: Jan Baumgartner, executive vice president of Springfield First Community Bank and a 1974 Drury graduate and member of Drury’s Breech School of Business Advisory Board; Beth Pile, chief risk officer at Virginia-based Promontory Interfinancial Network and a 1980 Drury graduate; Norm Ridder, superintendent of Springfield Public Schools and a 37-year veteran in education and school administration; and John Twitty, former general manager of Springfield City Utilities and a member of both St. John’s Health Systems and Empire Bank’s boards of directors.

Kevin Hopkins, professor and department chairman of mathematics at Southwest Baptist University, was awarded the Parkway Distinguished Professor Award from Parkway Baptist Church in St. Louis. An SBU employee since 1989 and department chairman for 22 years, Hopkins organizes several area math competitions each year.

A student and teacher pair from Central High School were named 2011 Bezos Scholars by the education-focused Bezos Family Foundation. Student Valerie Quirk and communication arts teacher Alisa Boyd were among 12 student-teacher pairs selected for the honor and will attend the week-long Aspen Ideas Festival.

Chris Holmes, a fifth-grade teacher at Nixa’s Summit Intermediate School, received a $4,700 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant toward his proposal to create outdoor learning and work areas, and flower and vegetable gardens around the school.

Central High School hired Armando Johnson as head boys’ basketball coach. Johnson, who succeeds the retired Eddie Thomas, has coached for 15 years and since 2003 as head men’s basketball coach at Labette Community College in Parsons, Kan.

Southwest Baptist University received a $25,000 grant from the William T. Kemper and Commerce Bancshares foundations to fund equipment purchases for the university’s recently renovated physical therapy center in Bolivar.

Allison Langford, director of SBU’s Dutile Honors Program and instructor at the University Success Center, was named assistant provost. She completed a doctorate in higher education in late 2010 at the University of Arkansas, where she was named Outstanding Doctoral Student in Higher Education.

College of the Ozarks awarded Dean Marilyn Graves an honorary doctorate in law. Graves, who has worked for the college since 1970 – as dean since 2001, has served as chairwoman of C of O’s division of education and health.

Janice Williams, who has worked at the college since 2005 and directs the nursing program, received C of O’s Mildred Letton Wittick Professional Achievement Award.
James Buchan, a C of O professor of computer science since 2000, received the Eugene Charles Wittick Teaching Excellence Award.

Missouri State University academic advisers Linda Trinh Moser and Christopher Lynn were recognized by the National Academic Advising Association at its annual conference in Denver. Moser as one of 10 outstanding advisers in the faculty category, comprising advisers primarily responsible for teaching. Lynn was among 23 recipients of a certificate of merit in the professional staff category.

Natalie Hanrion, an MSU graduate student in criminology and criminal justice, presented a paper on the role of social media within public safety management at the annual Emergency Management Higher Education Conference, hosted by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Health Care
The Springfield-Greene County Regional Health Commission appointed Robert O. Lunn, Ph.D., as the organization’s CEO. Lunn has 38 years of executive experience in a variety of governmental, academic and private not-for-profit health care delivery systems.

Burrell Behavioral Health Dr. Lilian Casupang was selected to receive a 2011 National Alliance on Mental Illness Exemplary Psychiatrist Award. The honor is presented to psychiatrists who have made substantial contributions to the group’s local and state activities such as advocacy for access to care and research funding, and community education.

Investments
SignalPoint Asset Management was named a Top Gun manager by financial services technology provider Informa Investment Solutions. SignalPoint’s GlobalSignal strategy for exchange-traded funds received the highest performance rankings during the 36-month and 60-month periods that ended Dec. 31.

Law
Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown attorney Rodney H. Nichols was elected chairman of the Bank Counsel Section of the Missouri Bankers Association. The section, for which Nichols previously served as vice chairman, comprises attorneys throughout Missouri who focus on banking law.

On behalf of the 31st Judicial District, Presiding Judge Thomas E. Mountjoy received the Permanency Award from the Missouri Supreme Court. This is the first time the district, which comprises Greene County, has received the award recognizing timely hearings in child abuse and neglect cases.

Politics
Kellie Freeman-Rohrbaugh was named executive director of the Greene County Democratic Central Committee. She assists democratic volunteers and candidates with campaigns and programs designed to elect more democrats in the county and in the state.

Printing
Document Solutions of Springfield Inc. promoted Tyler Pool to account manager following his completion of the Xerox advanced sales training curriculum. Pool is responsible for assisting customers with solutions for equipment and hardware needs.[[In-content Ad]]