Newsmakers

Springfield’s Best Inc. elected new board members for 2008–09. They are Daniel Wooten of Neale & Newman LLP, president; Julie Barker of OakStar Bank, vice president; Karen Olson of Missouri Storm Shelters, secretary; and Kelly Danielson of Hlavacek, Morris, McIntyre, Yates & Danielson PC, treasurer.

Springfield Sunrise Rotary named Ron Weis, vice president of commercial lending for Gershman Mortgage, as its Rotarian of the Year. The group also installed its new officers: Paula Dougherty, president; Jeff Werner, president-elect; Marci Bowling, secretary; Richard Russell, treasurer; Robin Ipsen, director of public relations; Mark Gambon, director of club administration; B.J. Richardson, director of membership; Loren Lundstrom, director of service projects; and Jerry Harmison, director of Rotary foundation.

Boys & Girls Town of Missouri’s Springfield campus received more than $6,700 from Rotaract of Springfield. The gift will enable Boys & Girls Town to provide holiday programs for children receiving treatment for abuse and neglect.

Brad Gebhard, owner and managing partner for Quality Inn and Suites, was named to the statewide board of directors of Boys & Girls Town of Missouri. He currently serves as vice chairman for the region and will take over as regional chairman in 2009.

Education

Drury University’s office of alumni and development announced four staff changes. Hannah Catlett, formerly in the university office of admissions, and Brigitte Marrs, former director of academic planning, are now directors of alumni and development. Meagan Smith is the new assistant director of alumni relations; and Meleah Spencer, formerly the school’s director of annual giving, is director of alumni and development for the annual fund.

Becky Schoeneberg, a recent Southwest Baptist University doctoral of physical therapy graduate, received the 2008 Minority Scholarship Award for Academic Excellence from the American Physical Therapy Association. Schoeneberg received $6,000 from the Minority Scholarship Fund and will receive a certificate commemorating the award.

Health Care

St. John’s Health System named Andrew Reid vice president of cardiovascular services. Reid most recently served as associate hospital director of cardiovascular, pulmonary and neurosciences services at the University of Illinois Medical Center in Chicago.

St. John’s Clinic–Family Medicine on West Kearney Street added Joanna Kluch to its staff. Kluch received her medical education from Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. She completed residency training at North Shore Long Island Jewish Health System, Southside Hospital and Brentwood Family Health Center.

St. John’s Health System promoted Judy Walker to director of infection control. Walker has been with St. John’s since 1979 and has served as a nursing director since 1989. She attended nursing school in Scottsbluff, Neb.

Robert Johnson is the new director of St. John’s Trauma Services. Johnson’s group supervises all trauma care for the hospital and manages the Burn and Wound Care Center.

Matthew Kienstra moved to St. John’s Clinic – Facial Plastic Surgery from St. John’s Clinic – Ear, Nose and Throat. Kienstra is fellowship trained and board certified in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery and board certified in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery.

Vicki Good, director of nursing practice integration at CoxHealth, was elected to the board of directors of the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Good has served as an ambassador to the board since 1999.

The Gardens Independent Condominiums hired Kym Williams as building manager and marketing director. Williams has worked in marketing for Ozarks Community Hospital and Greene Haven and as an administrator at Spring Ridge Assisted Living.

Real Estate

Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realtors received three national awards from the Coldwell Banker Corp. for the month of May. The local company had 44 of the top 100 offices nationally in adjusted gross commission, 15 of the top 100 in total units sold and ranked sixth in total units sold for offices with 51-100 sales associates.

Coldwell Banker Vanguard also hired Arthur Maxwell as vice president and sales manager. Maxwell has seven years of experience in real estate mortgage brokerage and real estate sales and training at a Coldwell Banker firm in California before coming to Missouri.

Retail

Cathy Rowe and Michelle Owens of Cornerstone Jewelry each received first place awards from the Missouri Jewelers and Watchmakers Association.