Newsmakers

Architecture

Joel Thomas, project manager with H Design Group, received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification. Thomas has a bachelor's degree in architecture from Drury University.

Community

Jana Bachus, Keith Noble and Marsha Slaight joined the board of trustees for Boys & Girls Town of Missouri's Southwest Region. Bachus is a retired teacher, Noble is executive vice president of Commerce Bank, and Slaight is vice president of the Darr Family Foundation.

Latisha Moon and Allen Collins joined the board of directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks. Moon is store manager for Wal-Mart's Nixa location, while Collins is vice president of Lincoln Land Title in Springfield.

The city of Springfield was named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation for the 23rd consecutive year. City Utilities also was honored as a Tree Line USA Utility for the 13th consecutive year. The designations are based on recommendations of state foresters, who co-sponsor the program along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Education

Southwest Baptist University's marketing and communications department received a merit award in the 24th annual Admissions Advertising Awards competition for the "Impact the World - Success Stories" brochure. The award is sponsored by Admissions Marketing Report.

Engineering

Mettemeyer Engineering LLC added structural engineers in training James Bryce, Zach Willhite and Alicia Bennett. Bryce and Willhite are graduates of University of Missouri-Columbia and University of Arkansas, respectively, while Bennett has three years of building systems design experience.

Also at Mettemeyer, Branden Warden earned a professional engineering license in structures.

Finance

Shannon Wright joined Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, RPS Financial Group as a financial representative. Wright has a bachelor's degree in marketing from Missouri State University.

Health Care

Eleven employees of Skaggs Regional Medical Center received certification from the National Association of Healthcare Access Management. Joyann Doublin, Nancy Smith, Rebecka Sandy and Antionette Anderson earned Certified Healthcare Access Manager credentials. Anderson, Zulma Garza, Charlotte Hale, Rhonda Shafer, Stephanie Groff, Lindsey Meyer, Ann Minards and Jeanne Grisham earned Certified Healthcare Access Associate credentials.

Oxford HealthCare appointed Sheila Boutwell as community education representative. She most recently was campaign manager for the southwest Missouri branch of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Dalen Duitsman, director of Ozarks Public Health Institute at Missouri State University, received a $14,000 grant from the University of Missouri-Columbia to continue his project, Community Alliance for Smokefree Environments for another year. The money is to be used for personnel salaries and to conduct tobacco education and awareness activities on the MSU campus, where the CASE initiative operates as Students of Missouri State University Against Smoking Hazards, or SMASH.

Hospitality

Quality Inn & Suites Chesterfield Village hired Victoria Kelsey as sales manager. Kelsey previously worked in the marketing and sales department for Losh Communications Inc. and also has served as a high school English teacher. She has a bachelor's degree in literature and education from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego.

Insurance

Michael Greenlee, employee benefit specialist for Ollis and Co., was named a member of the Cox HealthPlans 2009 Million Dollar Club. This is Greenlee's second consecutive year to achieve the distinction, which recognizes books of business of more than $1 million in premiums with Cox HealthPlans.

Land O' Lakes Insurors' Springfield office received designation as a Missouri Employers Mutual Preferred Signature Partner Agent for 2009. The program is designed to reward MEM's top agencies, based on demonstration of stellar performance in several different areas.