Education Jeff VanDenBerg, associate professor of history and political science at Drury University, was named a founding member of the ad hoc Committee on Middle East Studies by the Middle East Studies Association Board of Directors. The committee aims to develop curricula.
Several Springfield R-XII schools named new principals for the 2010–11 school year. Robert Reed will be principal at McBride Elementary School. He is principal at Watkins Elementary School and has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Evangel University. He joined Springfield Public Schools in 1988.
Janine Forrester will be principal at Watkins Elementary School. She joined SPS in 1998 and is assistant principal at Pleasant View K–8 School. Forrester has a master of arts in educational leadership from Evangel.
Jason Steingraber will succeed Joe Callaway, who is retiring, as principal of Wilder Elementary School. Steingraber joined SPS in 1998 and is principal at Bowerman Elementary School. Steingraber has a master’s degree in elementary education administration from Missouri State University and is earning a doctorate in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Missouri.
Joe Dye will be principal at Bowerman Elementary, where he is a fifth-grade teacher. He joined SPS in 2006 and served as Bowerman’s lead teacher for the past three years. He has a master’s degree in elementary education and educational administration from MSU and is earning a doctorate in educational leadership from Lindenwood University.
Gary Tew will be principal of Westport Elementary School. He joined SPS in 1990 and is principal at Pittman Elementary School, where he has served for eight years. Tew, this year’s nominee for Distinguished Principal of the Year honors by the Springfield chapter of the Missouri Association of Elementary School Principals, has a master’s degree in educational administration and specialist degree in educational administration from MSU.
Laura McCray-Batson will be principal at Pittman Elementary. She joined SPS in 2002 and has served as assistant principal of Hickory Hills K–8 School since 2007. She has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Evangel University.
Finance Brad Hill has been promoted to banking center manager/retail officer at Empire Bank’s Ozark branch. His responsibilities include overseeing operations, employee development and business development. Hill has four years’ banking experience, most recently as Empire Bank’s Highlandville Banking Center manager.
Seven New York Life Springfield sales office agents qualified for the agency’s Million Dollar Round Table in 2010. Steve Schneider Jr. and Jason Gaynor were recognized as life and qualifying members. David Staudt, Stephen Callery, C. David Letterman, Galen Dody and Thomas Herrod qualified as life members.
Media SBJ Publishing Inc. hired reporters Jennifer Muzinic and Chris Wrinkle, and project specialist Alisa Swearengin. Muzinic and Wrinkle report for Springfield Business Journal and have 27 years of writing/newsroom experience combined, including Wrinkle’s six years as Lebanon Daily Record editor and Muzinic’s two years as KOLR10/KSFX news producer. Both also had past stints at SBJ, Wrinkle as a page designer and Muzinic as a freelance writer. Swearengin represents a new contract publishing division and has worked at Marlin and Noble in her 15-year sales and marketing career. She prospects and sells contract publishing services, products and events for SBJ Publishing.
Nonprofit The Ozarks Regional YMCA received a $5,000 donation from The Barry Lawrence United Fund to be used for its capital campaign for construction of a new facility for the Monett Family YMCA.
Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri has appointed its officers for the 2010 CASA Board of Directors: Dan Derges of Bancorp South, president; Davide Yaktine of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, vice president; Timothy Oetting of U.S. Bank, treasurer; Derek Frale, of Guaranty Bank is secretary. New board members are Tim Baltes, of Megavolt Inc.; Karen Hughlett, of Rick’s Automotive; Jennifer Agnew of KPM CPAs.
This installment of Springfield Business Journal’s Architects & Engineers Project Report showcases 26 endeavors by area design and engineering professionals.
