Banking Jana Latourette joined CU Community Credit Union as its branch manager. Latourette has more than 14 years of financial services experience and worked most recently as vice president of operations and human resources at Postal Federal Community Credit Union.
Old Missouri Bank Internal Control Officer Tammy Kelley graduated from the Missouri Bankers Association School of Bank Management in Columbia after two years of study. Kelley works directly with OMB’s board of directors to manage and report internal audit activity. An OMB employee since 2004, Kelley received her bachelor’s in business administration at Missouri State University in 2007. Angel Shortt joined Old Missouri Bank as marketing manager for its two Springfield branches. She develops new business and products and leads marketing and advertising for the bank. Shortt has more than seven years of experience in business development and banking, most recently working as corporate services account manager at Guaranty Bank.
Old Missouri Bank promoted Tom Howard to executive vice president and chief lending officer. He is a graduate of the National Commerce Lending School at the University of Oklahoma, the Missouri School of Banking at Missouri State University and the Robert Morris Association Commercial Lending School. Howard has worked in the banking industry since 1972.
Empire Bank promoted Joselyn Baldner to vice president and senior retail sales manager. She has more than 10 years of banking experience and manages sales, service and operations for several Empire Bank branches in Springfield.
Empire Bank’s holding company, Central Bancompany, ranked No. 16 in Forbes magazine’s America’s Best Banks 2011 review. Rankings are based on eight criteria, including return on average equity, net interest margin, nonperforming loans and reserves.
Government Sen. Roy Blunt received the National Association of Manufacturers’ Award for Manufacturing Legislative Excellence for supporting policies that enhance the ability of manufacturers to compete globally, and working to advance economic growth and job creation.
Health Care Evangel University students Kayla Jordan and Bethany Sprenkle presented a study on Christian spirituality at the 31st annual meeting of the Great Plains Students Psychology Convention in March. Their presentation was called “Gender Differences in Christian Spirituality: An Exploratory Study.”
Nonprofit Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks named Builders Truss Inc. owner Skip Barnes to its board of directors. Barnes, a member of the Home Builders Association of Springfield, has served on the Habitat for Humanity board and received his bachelor’s in business administration from Drury University.
Council of Churches of the Ozarks named five board members: Kim Erdel of Christian Publishers Outlet; Neil Guion of Lathrop & Gage LLP; Byron Klaus of Assemblies of God Theological Seminary; Francine Pratt of Isabel’s House; and Tom Reidy of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church. Cindy Waites of Schweitzer Methodist Church was named council chairwoman for 2011.
Shriners Hospitals for Children-St. Louis announced that Springfieldian Mark Ringenberg was elected chairman of its board of governors. After being appointed to the board in 2004, he was elected to the executive committee as secretary of the board in 2005 and has since served as both the treasurer and vice chairman.
Investments Thelma Ruff, investment adviser for MetLife Resources, attended MetLife’s two-day Women’s Symposium in Orlando, Fla., for education, training and networking among MetLife’s leading female sales representatives. Ruff has spent her 12-year financial services career with MetLife.
Retail Play It Again Sports of Springfield owner Jeff Newlin received a Sales Excellence Award at Play It Again’s 2011 Winter Conference and Trade Show in Las Vegas. The company has roughly 330 franchise stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Sustainability MSU received a bronze rating from the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System, developed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The rating was given based on a student-led effort to collect data, which was consolidated into a sustainability scorecard to provide the school with a baseline. Missouri State received points for several measures, including its student sustainability outreach campaigns, Residence Life’s green games, the existence of a sustainability fund, tray-free dining and pre- and post-consumer food waste composting.
Utilities Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. presented Janie Corn and Barbara Economon with its Excel awards. Corn, who has worked for the company for 32 years, is an executive assistant to the CEO and received the award for distinguished service. Economon, manager of finance and treasury, was named Employee of the Year in a Professional Field. She was recognized for her role in helping secure a $490 million loan to build a combined-cycle natural gas plant near Pryor, Okla. Corn and Economon were nominated by their peers.[[In-content Ad]]
A franchise store of a Branson West-based quilting business made its Queen City debut; Grateful Vase launched in Lebanon; and Branson entertainment venue The Social Birdy had its grand opening.
