Newsmakers

Chris Myers joined Elliott, Robinson and Co. LLP as a full-time staff accountant. Myers, who started as an intern in January 2006 and graduated from Missouri State University with a Master of Accountancy in July 2007, works with business clients on monthly accounting and tax returns.

Architecture

Paul A. Ricker joined Sam A. Winn & Associates Architects as an educational consultant. Ricker has experience as a school superintendent and worked most recently for the Missouri School Boards Association. For Winn & Associates, he works with school district administrators statewide to establish demographic projections, district financing options and master-planning goals.

Mary M. Guccione joined Butler, Rosenbury & Partners Inc. as business development manager. Guccione, who is in charge of BRP marketing efforts, maintains existing and develops new regional and national business. Guccione spent six years as regional marketing director for TLC Vision, a St. Louis-based LASIK company. She also worked as producer for the NBC affiliate KSN, The Carthage Press and The Joplin Globe.

Banking

Empire Bank announced two new hires and four promotions. Jamie Clark joined the bank as vice president/loan officer in Marshfield. His responsibilities include personal, construction, mortgage and commercial lending. Amy Sharp joined Empire as banking center manager at the North Kansas Expressway facility. She has seven years of banking and management experience. Brad Hill was promoted to banking center manager in Highlandville. He most recently was employed at the Glen Isle facility. Cathy Smith was promoted to administrative officer and corporate secretary for the board of directors. She has been with the bank for 28 years. Tamara Wilfong was named banking center manager/retail officer of the main banking center on South Glenstone Avenue. She has six years of banking experience and was manager of the South National Avenue branch. Becky Wright was named banking center manager for Empire’s South National branch. She has 10 years of experience and served most recently as manager of the Highlandville bank.

Community

Evangel University Social Sciences Department presented its 2007 Regius Award posthumously to the family of Army Capt. Shane Mahaffee. Mahaffee, a 1991 Evangel graduate, was killed last year when an improvised explosive device struck his vehicle during combat operations near Al Hillah, Iraq. The Regius Award was established in 1990 to honor alumni of Evangel’s Department of Social Services.

Gov. Matt Blunt appointed Beverly J. Zieres to the Missouri Medal of Valor Review Board for a term ending April 3, 2011. Zieres is a Strafford High School teacher and assistant fire chief for Strafford Fire Protection District. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from MSU.

Construction

Caldwell Construction Inc. earned the Certified Aging-in-Place designation from the Remodelors Council of the National Association of Home Builders and the NAHB Research Center. The designation is given to the building industry’s top professionals with knowledge and skills specific to home modifications for seniors.

Education

Drury University’s American Chemical Society chapter received an honorable mention for its 2006–07 activities as reported in Drury’s ACS Student Affiliate Annual Chapter Report. The award was given on behalf of the Society Committee on Education. The chapter will be recognized in the November/December issue of In Chemistry magazine, and also be honored at an awards ceremony during the 235th ACS National Meeting April 6–10 in New Orleans.

The Missouri Geographic Alliance at Drury received a $15,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Education to support professional development. The money will pay a $100 stipend for up to 100 teachers and 50 college students.

Meilani Williams, a senior science and mathematics major at Southwest Baptist University’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences, received a scholarship to attend the Richard Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference. The scholarship, awarded by the Richard Tapia Scholarship Committee, will fund Williams’ trip to both conferences at the Disney Hilton in Orlando, Fla. She was selected from a group of more than 275 scholarship applicants.

MSU’s Viticulture and Enology Science and Technology Alliance received a $2.9 million National Science Foundation grant to provide education to community colleges about the grape and wine industry in 12 states through online training courses. The funding, announced by U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt, is one of the largest single grants ever received by MSU.