Newsmakers

HMN Architects Inc. added three employees to its staff. Richard Kenly, an architecture and design student at Drury University, joined the firm as an architectural intern. He has six years of experience in computer-aided-design management. Wesley Secrest joined the firm as a member of the HMN health care division. He has more than 20 years of project experience, including 14 years of health care architectural design and planning. Steven Retherford joined HMN as an associate in the Springfield office. He is a member of the health care division and has more than 15 years of design and planning experience.

Banking

Metropolitan National Bank promoted John Maupin to senior vice president and banking center loan manager for the bank’s newest location on East Battlefield Road. The bank also named its regional and area loan managers. They are Steve Hughes, Tri-Lakes; Mike Buchanan, Barton County; Larry Wilkerson, Marshfield; Jerry Bryant, Nixa; and Mike McGoldrick, South National Avenue in Springfield.

Community

The Ozarks Health Advocacy Foundation awarded a $4,000 grant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Springfield for the Triple Play program. The program promotes health and wellness for Boys & Girls Club members ages 6–18.

3M Corp. awarded a $10,000 grant to Developmental Center of the Ozarks for physical, occupational and speech therapies as well as special instructions for developmentally delayed infants and children.

Lutheran Family and Children’s Services of Missouri received a $30,000 grant from the Children’s Trust Fund, Missouri’s Foundation for Child Abuse Prevention. The funds will support LFCS’ Women in Need Growing Stronger program, which encourages health and safe relationships for pregnant women and new families to prevent child abuse and neglect.

Tamara de Wild, a litigation attorney at Lathrop & Gage LC in Springfield, received the Power of One Award at the Rotary District 6080 conference. She was selected for her work on the Rotary-Ozarks Food Harvest Mobile Food Pantry project, as well as her work as community service director for Rotary Club of Springfield.

Construction

Springfield-based The Killian Group of Cos. was ranked among the 400 largest general contractors in the country on a list compiled by Engineering News-Record. Killian Group was No. 316 on the list, which is based on annual revenue at home and abroad. The company was No. 386 on the 2005 list.

Education

The Missouri Colleges Fund received $35,000 from the Herman T. and Phenie R. Pott Foundation. Fifteen MCF member schools will award the scholarships to qualified students based on financial need. Local member schools are Drury, Evangel and Southwest Baptist universities.

Employment

Mindy Bransfield joined Penmac Personnel Services Inc. as the company’s sales manager. She is in charge of developing new business in Springfield and the surrounding area. Bransfield previously served as director of the Ozarks Family YMCA Seymour Branch and also has worked in sales and management at Sho-Me Power in Marshfield.

Engineering

Neil Brady, vice president of Anderson Engineering Inc., received the Young Engineer of the Year award from the Ozark Chapter of the Missouri Society of Professional Engineers. The award made him one of 10 finalists for the state award, which MSPE gives each year to members who have made notable contributions to MSPE, the engineering profession and their communities in the early stages of their career.

Environment

The Professional Landcare Network announced two new Springfield members. Seth Dotson and Jennifer Smith of Ozarks Technical Community College joined the organization, which provides ongoing educational and safety programs and offers a national certification program for lawn care and landscaping professionals.

Finance

Stephanie A. Hurt joined BKD Wealth Advisors LLC in Springfield as a portfolio manager. Hurt assists in the coordination of investments, retirement and benefit planning, insurance, and tax and estate planning needs for high-net-worth families and business owners. She holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and graduated from the honors college of Missouri State University with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Government

Several Greene County residents were appointed to county boards and commissions. Martha Crise was named to the Springfield-Greene County Library Board; and Monty Montgomery, Kim Vaughan and Tom Peebles were named to the Greene County Board for the Developmentally Disabled.

Joyce Sims, of Nixa, was appointed to the State Interagency Coordinating Council. Sims is a therapy coordinator at the Developmental Center of the Ozarks in Springfield and has a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from University of Missouri-Columbia. The length of her term is determined by the governor.

Health Care

Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar was named one of the nation’s Most Wired Hospitals in the small and rural hospital category for the third consecutive year. The recognition, based on the 2007 Most Wired Survey and Benchmarking Study, highlights the success CMH has achieved in the implementation of its electronic medical record, which eliminates paper charts.

The Parkinson’s Clinic of the Ozarks, a joint project of CoxHealth and Ferrell-Duncan Neurology, was again designated a National Parkinson’s Foundation Care Center. The designation indicates that the clinic offers the most up-to-date services, support, information and referrals. Parkinson’s Clinic of the Ozarks is the only facility in Missouri to receive the designation and one of nine in the United States.

Insurance

Jo Ann Evans, vice president of employee benefits at Beimdiek Insurance, celebrated 25 years with the company. Since joining the company in 1982, Evans has worked in every facet of the insurance industry at the local and state levels.

Dick Jackson, former president and CEO and current chairman of the board of Barker Phillips Jackson, received the E. Ellwood Willard Outstanding Service Award from the Missouri Association of Insurance Agents. The award was presented in recognition of his efforts on behalf of Missouri independent agents. Jackson led the association’s Legislative Committee for nearly a decade and also served as MAIA past president.

Ron Tagge, owner of the Tagge Insurance Agency, was named president of the Springfield Association of Health Underwriters. Tagge is a charter member of SAHU, whose mission is to uphold industry standards.

Law

Bryan R. Berry joined the Springfield office of Lathrop & Gage LC as an associate in the business disputes practice area. Berry focuses on breach of contract matters, loan enforcement actions, construction matters, insurance disputes, regulatory issues, business torts and professional liability.

Martin Chmielik joined the law firm of Hamburg & Lyons LLC as an associate attorney. Chmielik practices in estate planning, probate, business law and civil litigation.

The Law Firm of Neale & Newman LLP is listed on the Missouri Lawyers Weekly Magazine’s Big 50 List for 2007. Neale & Newman is the largest Springfield-based law firm on the list and is ranked No. 45 in the state, up from No. 50 in 2006.

Manufacturing

Butterball LLC in Carthage earned membership in the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Voluntary Protection Programs at the highest star level.

The star rating recognizes and promotes effective workplace safety and health management and is granted to companies with average injury rates at least 50 percent lower than the other companies in their respective industries. Butterball is one of two turkey producers nationally to achieve the rating.

Marketing

Ozarks’ Kirkwood Tour & Travel received the Motorcoach Marketing Excellence Award from the National Motorcoach Network. The award recognizes the company, a network member, for 25 years of marketing excellence.

Media

Digital Print Ink promoted Brice Mitchell to production manager. Mitchell, who joined the company in 2006 as a pressman, has 13 years of print-shop experience in Springfield and Joplin. He oversees production, quality control and job distribution.

KOLR-TV received a Bronze Award in the telethon promotional category from the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The awards recognize television programming that increases public understanding of neuromuscular diseases targeted by MDA. KOLR is the Springfield station that televises the annual MDA Labor Day telethon.

Real Estate

Gregg Stancer Realty promoted Kyle Estes to transaction coordinator for Springfield. He also is responsible for working with the company’s local and national clients in both brokerage and development.