Newsmakers

Springfield-Greene County Library District received a $250,000 grant from the C.W. Titus Foundation of Tulsa, Okla., for the new downtown library. The funds will be used to buy furnishings, technology and décor for the Park Central Branch, which will be located in a portion of the Kresge building on the south side of Springfield’s Park Central Square.

Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce selected 2008 officers for its board of directors. They are Doug Pitt, ServiceWorld Computer Center, chairman; Andrew Lear, BKD LLP, chairman-elect; Bob Hammerschmidt, Commerce Bank, vice chairman of economic development; Tim Rosenbury, Butler, Rosenbury & Partners, vice chairman of public affairs; Rob Rector, Battlefield Mall, vice chairman of membership; Tom Rankin, Sperry Van Ness/Rankin Co., vice chairman of community development and special events; Barby Pohl, Great Southern Bank, treasurer; and John Schaefer, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co., assistant treasurer.

The Rev. Mark Struckhoff joined Council of Churches of the Ozarks as director of advancement. Struckhoff has more than 12 years of experience as a development officer in public higher education and human services organizations.

Education

Rodney Reeves, professor of biblical studies and dean of the Courts Redford College of Theology and Ministry at Southwest Baptist University, has co-authored a new textbook on the apostle Paul. The textbook, “Rediscovering Paul: An Introduction to His World, Letters and Theology,” is published by InterVarsity Press.

SBU communication arts professor Josh Compton presented an original essay at the National Communication Association’s annual convention in Chicago. The essay, “Forensic Metaphors: Comparisons Within and About Intercollegiate Forensics,” was part of a panel on forensics.

Mark Richter, chemistry professor at Missouri State University, received the 2007 Missouri Professor of the Year award from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The awards recognize professors for their influence on teaching and their outstanding commitment to teaching undergraduate students.

Regina Bowling, director of the Southwest Missouri Health Education Center, received a $638,905 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The award funds Bowling’s Missouri Health Literacy Enhancement Center project, which seeks to reduce barriers between health care providers and patients.

Government

The Missouri Department of Transportation received the 2007 Missouri Quality Award from the Excellence in Missouri Foundation. The award is the official state recognition for quality leadership. MoDOT was cited for its visionary leadership and its use of innovative tools and programs.

Insurance

Nina M. Cogdill joined Empire Insurance Agency, an affiliated service of Empire Bank, as vice president. Cogdill manages the day-to-day operations. She has more than 20 years of insurance experience and six years with Empire Bank as a sales and marketing associate and insurance agency manager.

Larry J. Jansen, a commercial lines sales producer for PJC Insurance, celebrated 25 years in the insurance industry. Jansen, who has spent 22 years with independent insurance agencies, received his certified insurance counselor designation in 1985 and his chartered property casualty underwriter designation in 2000. He has a master’s degree from Southeast Missouri State University.

Law

Thomas D. Peebles Jr., a shareholder of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC, was elected as a fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Membership is limited to one-third of 1 percent of lawyers nationally. ABF recognizes lawyers whose public and private careers demonstrate dedication to the community and their profession.

Peebles and fellow shareholder Clifford S. Brown were elected fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. The organization has selected about 2,600 attorneys for their service in the practice of estate planning, probate and trust law.

Richard T. “Ric” Ashe joined the staff of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC as an associate. Ashe concentrates on business litigation matters, including manufacturing dispute resolution, shareholder disputes, noncompetition agreements and trade secrets, trademarks and copyrights, construction contracts and other real estate matters. Ashe earned his law degree from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College. He previously spent five years at a law firm in Portland, Ore.

Maintenance

Susie Johnston, CEO of Springfield-based Johnston Cos., addressed more than 1,000 employees of Rhode Island-based Textron Financial Corp. She shared her insight on her experience as a TFC customer and described the financial landscape she faces as head of an industrial supply company.

Manufacturing

American Dehydrated Foods Inc. promoted Brad Friend to vice president of manufacturing. Friend has been with the company for 25 years and was most recently director of the company’s Verona facilities.

Real Estate

Ethel Curbow of Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realtors is one of America’s Top 200 Real Estate Professionals as determined by the Wall Street Journal, Real Trends and lore (Lives of Real Estate) magazine. Out of more than 1 million agents nationwide, Curbow ranked 35th for number of transactions in 2007. She received the award at the National Association of Realtors’ annual conference in Las Vegas.

Sales

Reliable Toyota Scion was named a Certified Toyota Mobility Dealer by Toyota Motor Sales USA. Reliable Toyota earned the designation because of its relationship with United Access LLC of Springfield, a specialist in mobility issues, along with its appointment of Reliable employee Damian Franklin as Mobility Champion sales manager and its displays of adaptive equipment on its showroom floor.

Service

Suzan L. Winters, regional director of patient financial services for St. John’s Hospital, received the 2007–08 Executive of the Year award from the Hawthorn Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals. She has more than 20 years of experience in the health care industry.