Newsmakers

Meagan Haldiman joined Dake Wells Architecture as administrative assistant. Haldiman is pursuing a marketing degree with emphasis in advertising and promotion from Missouri State University.

Tropical Waterscapes received national certification from the Certified Aquascape Contractor review board. Certified companies must pass qualifications, including seminar participation, essay completion and positive customer referrals.

Accounting

Elliott, Robinson & Co. announced a promotion and five new hires. Bryce Good was promoted to senior accountant. Good, a Drury University graduate with the firm since 2004, is responsible for overseeing tax preparation, reviewing tax returns and staff training.

Gary Wood and Pamela Jenkins were hired as staff accountants at Elliott, Robinson. Wood and Jenkins graduated from MSU with bachelor’s degrees in accounting. Wood also has a Master of Accountancy. Jennifer Phillips, Daniel Riggs and Kalena Kenney were hired as interns. Phillips graduated from MSU in December with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Riggs is an undergraduate at MSU and plans to graduate in May. Kenney plans to graduate in May from Southwest Baptist University.

Community

Jim D. Morris, founder of Morris Oil Co., donated $500,000 to The Arc of the Ozarks. The gift will help expand the nonprofit’s Timothy Grant Newport Activity Center to assist individuals with disabilities. The Arc of the Ozarks serves Barry, Christian, Dade, Greene, Jasper, Lawrence, Newton, Polk, Webster and Wright counties.

The Nixa Community Foundation awarded a $1,500 grant to the Developmental Center of the Ozarks. DCO will purchase additional security door alarms at the Christian County Adult Day Center.

Habitat for Humanity of Springfield inducted four board members during its annual meeting and recognition luncheon. The new board members are Carol Carlson of Wood & Huston Bank, Tonya Collister of Consumer Credit Counseling Service, Simeon Shelton of Hamra Enterprises and Tim Weidknecht of Springfield Trust & Investment Co.

Habitat Springfield also recognized several community supporters with its Golden Hammer Award. Recipients were Kerren Bundy,

a full-time Habitat Springfield volunteer; Scott Clark, volunteer team leader for Greater Springfield Board of Realtors build project; Leo Longman, Habitat Family Support Committee Chair; Stan Stanfield of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans; and Walton Construction Co. of Springfield.

National Recycling Coalition named Drury University the winner of its Bin Grant competition. NRC awarded 76 grants to colleges and municipalities across the country; Drury received the only grant in Missouri. The university will receive 58 recycling bins to encourage recycling around campus.

Education

John Shows, professor emeritus of music at Evangel University, is the 2008 Music Administrator of the Year. The award, given by the Missouri Music Educators Association, recognizes the department chair, district music administrator or director of fine arts who has demonstrated exemplary support of music education in Missouri. Shows was a member of Evangel’s music faculty for 41 years before retiring in 2007.

Missouri State University’s College of Business Administration achieved reaffirmation of accreditation of its business administration and accounting programs from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – International. Only 169 business programs worldwide have earned this level of AACSB accreditation.

Drury University hired Mark Miller as its director of media relations. Miller has more than 16 years of experience in TV broadcasting, including time at KOLR-10 and KSFX.

Finance

Dean W. Young of Heim, Young & Associates completed the Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist Professional Designation Program. The program is specifically designed for professionals who create, install and maintain retirement plans for the business community. Young is an MSU graduate and has more than 24 years in the financial planning industry.

Heim, Young & Associates promoted Jennifer Clendenning to supervisor of marketing. Clendenning, formerly a registered service assistant, is an MSU graduate and has 10 years of experience in client service.

Government

Two local fire departments received grants from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Logan-Rogersville Fire Protection District in Rogersville received $68,400, and Ozark Fire Protection District received $53,726. The departments will use the grants to fund training, personal protective and other equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

Gov. Matt Blunt appointed several area residents to state boards and commissions. Gary Pendergrass, manager of environmental compliance at City Utilities of Springfield, was appointed to the Board of Geologist Registration. Ted Martin and Randall M. Wheeler are members of the State Blasting Safety Board. Martin is division chief for Branson Fire and Rescue, and Wheeler is president and blast vibration consultant of Joplin’s White Industrial Seismology.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources awarded $2,228,723 in grants to the 20 solid waste management districts in Missouri for the first quarter of the state’s 2008 fiscal year. District O, which covers Christian, Dallas, Greene, Polk and Webster counties, received $79,958. The grants fund operational costs, implementation of the district’s solid waste management plan and grants to cities and counties within the district.

The Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors added two members. Andrew Lear of BKD LLP is the chair-elect. He replaces Doug Pitt, who appointed Rob Rector of Battlefield Mall to serve another year as a chamber representative. Darren Harralson of Courtyard by Marriott also joined the board as Springfield Hotel-Motel Association president. He replaces Missy Handyside of the Clarion Hotel & Convention Center.

Health Care

Dr. Samrah Mansoor, a hospitalist with Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar, passed her board certification exam from the American Board of Family Medicine. She can treat patients of all ages who are admitted to the nursing floors, telemetry and the intensive care unit. She graduated from Fatima Jinnah Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan, and completed a residency through the Wesley Family Medicine Residency Program in Wichita, Kan.

Hospitality

Residence Inn by Marriott – Joplin, a John Q. Hammons Hotels & Resorts property, received five awards at the January 2008 Brand Conference. In addition to receiving the Top Hotel Operations award, the hotel also received awards for the highest guest satisfaction scores for arrival and bath experience, highest quality assurance scores for the central region, and the Marriott International Gold Award recognizing the hotel’s overall guest satisfaction scores.

Insurance

Patrick Johnson of Allstate Insurance in Springfield qualified for membership in the 2007 Million Dollar Round Table Court of the Table. Johnson has represented Allstate for 18 years and offers a full line of financial services, including variable annuity, variable life and mutual fund products and life insurance products. Court of the Table members produce at a level three times that of Million Dollar Round Table membership requirements.

Gresham & Associates Inc. promoted Sue Altman to vice president of the Springfield office. Altman has been with Gresham & Associates for seven years as branch manager, a title that she will retain. She has more than 34 years of experience in the insurance industry.

Service

Jackie, Duwayne and Aaron Eoff and Rob Barnica, owners of the Volvo Rents franchises in Springfield and Hollister, received the award for New Franchise of the Year at the company’s annual franchise convention. Volvo has 80 rental stores in North America and Mexico.