Jan Horton and Patti Penny will receive honorary doctorates of public affairs from Missouri State University. Horton has worked with others to establish numerous organizations such as Junior League of Springfield, the Visiting Nurse Association and the Girls Club of Springfield. She also served as president of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks. Penny is founder of Penmac Personnel Services and has established a general education diploma program in Ava. She also helped coordinate fundraising efforts for improvements to the Seymour Library.
Pipkin Middle School received $11,200 in grants from Library Grants, the Foundation for Springfield Public Schools and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. The grants will fund differentiated instruction, in which teachers use various teaching strategies and materials to meet individual students' needs.
Springfield Public Schools named Chris Mendel principal of the new southwest elementary school, set to open in August. Mendel is currently principal of Gray Elementary School. She also has served as assistant principal of Jarrett Middle School and principal of Sherwood Elementary School.
Health Care
Dr. Jeff Jones, orthopedic surgeon with Lake Regional Health System in Osage Beach, received board certification in orthopedic surgery from the American Osteopathic Association. Jones has a doctorate in osteopathic medicine from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences College of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Lance Luria, medical director of St. John's Health Plans, completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. The fellowship includes 1,000 hours of instruction, emphasizing clinical applications and collaboration.
Dr. Scott Duff, medical director of the CoxHealth Stroke Center, participated in the Missouri March of Dimes Preventing Preventable Preterm Birth conference. Duff was part of a panel of speakers discussing the financial impact preterm births have on a hospital.
Citizens Memorial Healthcare named Neoma Montgomery its director of social services. Montgomery, previously a social worker at CMH, has a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from Southwest Baptist University and has worked at Applewood Lane Corp. in Bolivar, Burrell Behavioral Health and CoxHealth.
Dr. Angie Whitesell joined St. John's Clinic-Lockwood. Whitesell, a family practitioner, received her medical education from the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed her residency with Cox Family Practice in Springfield.
Dr. Paresh Patel, St. John's hospitalist, presented during the American College of Chest Physicians national meeting in Philadelphia. His presentation was titled, "Pulmonary Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis in a Patient With Multiple Sclerosis: Mere Coincidence or an Autoimmune Link?"
Dr. Charles Sheppard, a St. John's physician, was named medical director of the National Association of Air Medical Communicators. The group includes all dispatchers for emergency medical service air and ground critical care.
Landscape Architecture
Victoria Baumer, Chase Rogers and Kerre Shrable, all of Ozarks Technical Community College, joined the Professional Landcare Network. The network provides ongoing educational and safety programs and includes a national certification program.
Sales
Corporate Business Systems promoted Brian Peltier to president. Peltier, who now heads CBS offices in Springfield, Joplin and St. Robert, previously served as chief operations officer. He has 24 years of industry experience.[[In-content Ad]]
Dame Chiropractic LLC emerged as the new name of Harshman Chiropractic Clinic LLC with the purchase of the business; Leo Kim added a second venture, Keikeu LLC, to 14 Mill Market; and Mercy Springfield Communities opened its second primary care clinic in Ozark.
