Newsmakers

CoxHealth Foundation received a $5,718 Quality of Life grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. The grant funded a chair lift to provide pool access to disabled swimmers at Cox Fitness Center at The Meyer Center. Quality of Life grants are given to programs or projects that improve the daily lives of people living with paralysis, particularly spinal cord injuries.

Council of Churches of the Ozarks received a $41,666 grant from Helping and Lending Outreach Support to set up Ambassadors for Children, which matches community partners with child-protective workers to help abused and neglected children.

Education

Evangel University Spanish professor Eliezer Oyola was named to the Special Editorial Board of the journal Ethos Gubernamental, published annually by the Puerto Rico Office of Government Ethics. Oyola will edit, evaluate, write and recommend manuscripts for publication.

Martin Mittelstadt, associate professor of New Testament at Evangel, delivered the annual Schrag Lectureship at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa. Mittelstadt presented two essays: “My Life as a Mennocostal: A Personal and Theological Narrative” and “Spirit and Peace in Luke-Acts: Possibilities for Pentecostal and Anabaptist Dialogue.”

Kris Callen, Springfield R-XII School Board member, was reappointed to the state Special Education Advisory Panel. The panel advises the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education on critical issues that affect students with disabilities.

Missouri State University’s Office of Publications received seven 2008 Admissions Advertising Awards from the Admissions Marketing Report, a national publication recognizing admissions marketing and advertising. MSU’s top award, a gold for best newspaper ad/insert, went to designer Abby Isackson.

Fourteen MSU staff and faculty members received Council for Advancement and Support of Education District VI awards: Teri Poindexter, Amy Schuldt, Kevin White, Eric Eckert, Steve Wynn, Chris Nagle, Tom Carter, Melanie Earl, Anne Baker, Veronica Adinegara, Lance Kettering, Sara Clark, Cherri Jones and Mara Cohen Ioannides.

Veronica Adinegara, MSU’s senior designer in the office of publications, won two Addy awards from the Springfield Advertising Association: a gold award for the “TV Dinner” invitation and silver for the “Wine & Food Celebration” campaign.

Health Care

The Missouri Pharmacy Association awarded the Legislative Leadership Award to Gov. Matt Blunt for achievements in health care, including pharmacy issues. Blunt has signed the Pharmacy Practice Act to allow pharmacists to more fully utilize their medical training and has enacted tort reform to address medical lawsuits. Also, his Lewis & Clark Initiative is providing $15 million for the pharmacy and nursing building at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Dr. Wanda Ethen joined Citizens Memorial Healthcare as a hospitalist – a physician who provides medical treatment to individuals staying in a hospital. Ethen, who is board certified in internal medicine, attended University of North Dakota School of Medicine and completed her residency in internal medicine at the University of Iowa in Des Moines. She previously worked at Skaggs Community Health Center in Branson.

Dr. Kort Harshman of Harshman Chiropractic Clinic gave a presentation in Kansas City for Integrity Management, a chiropractic practice management company.

Law

John D. Gore joined Reynolds, Gold & Grosser PC as an associate attorney. Gore’s practice areas include bankruptcy, family law and traffic.

Real Estate

Robert B. Murray III of R.B. Murray Co. achieved the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors Office Specialist designation. Recipients have at least five years of creditable experience in office specialist real estate. Murray has more than 15 years of experience and works with national retail, restaurant, office and industrial tenants.

Sales

General Motors named Reliable Chevrolet of Springfield the 2007 GM Certified Used Vehicles Sales Leader for the south central U.S. region. Reliable sold 1,146 GM-certified used vehicles in 2007.

Car-Fi of Springfield received National Retailer of the Year honors from Mobile Electronics Magazine. More than 3,000 industry experts nationwide voted on the award, putting Car-Fi in the Top 12 category. Car-Fi custom installation manager Jay Enge also received Installer of the Year honors from the magazine.

Premium Beverage Sales received the 2008 Miller High Life Achieve Award from the Miller Brewing Co. The award is given to the top distributors in the country based on sales and performance goals in 2007. Premium Beverage Sales has received the award two years in a row.