Newsmakers

Nadia Cavner of the Nadia Cavner Group at The Signature Bank Investment Services was named one of Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisers in the magazine’s June 11 issue. Cavner, who is consistently ranked as one of Barron’s top 100 brokers in America, was in the top third of female advisers on the list. She was the only woman from Missouri and one of five advisers featured in the article.

Community

Champion Athletes of the Ozarks hired Gretchen Montgomery as development director a new employee and announced its 2007 Advisory Committee officers. Officers are Rhonda Adams of Preferred Vending; Mary Ellen Gilbert of Springfield Public Schools; Michael Harris of Nixa Public Schools; Angie Hoffman of Strong Law Firm; Leanna Jackson of Springfield Public Schools; Wendy Jackson of Springfield Regional Center; Bill Mawhiney of YMCA; Danny Miles of Wendy’s of Missouri Inc.; and Ardelle Morton of U.S. Postal Service.

Education

Jennifer Ward, a Glendale High School freshman, won the new Kia Rio donated to Springfield Public Schools by Youngblood Kia for 98 percent attendance during the 2006-07 school year. This is the seventh consecutive year Youngblood Kia has given away a new car to a local high school student as an attendance incentive.

Drew Bennett was named chancellor for the West Plains Campus of Missouri State University. Bennett has a master’s degree in human relations from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, a master’s degree in security strategy at the National War College in Washington, D.C., and a doctorate in adult and extension education from Texas A&M University. Bennett has a four-year contract with a base salary of $125,000 for 2007-2008, in addition to a car allowance and country club membership.

Hillcrest High School history teacher Nancy Piston represented Missouri in the Horace Mann-Abraham Lincoln Fellowship Program June 25–29 in Springfield, Ill. For the second consecutive year, Horace Mann Educators Corp. and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum awarded 52 teachers a fellowship to study Abraham Lincoln’s life and legacy. Piston has worked at Hillcrest for 16 years.

John Shows and Mark McLean, two Evangel University faculty members who retired this spring, have been honored with professor emeritus status. Shows, a faculty member since 1966, served as chairman of the Department of Music. McLean, a faculty member since 1982, was a professor of theological studies.

The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools announced its officers and newly elected board members for 2007-08. Tony Shalloup of Regions Bank is president; Kim Sullivan of Murney Associates is president-elect; Gail Smart, a community volunteer, is secretary; and Greg Kollmeyer of Elliott, Robinson & Co. is treasurer. Board members are Brent Baldwin of UMB Bank, Tracy Barnas of Bank of America, Allen Kunkel of Missouri State University and Donn Sorensen of St. John’s Clinic.

Hospitality

McDonald’s managers Steve Green, Melissa Herman, Catrina Horned and Amanda Roberts received the Outstanding Restaurant Manager’s Award, a performance-based award that recognizes the top 10 percent of all McDonald’s restaurant managers in Missouri and Kansas. The Springfield managers were four out of 80 managers recognized in the Heartland Region.

Alex Rozier joined Wendy’s of Missouri Inc. as the company’s marketing manager. Rozier is a Drury University graduate with eight years of marketing and public relations experience. Wendy’s of Missouri Inc., owned by Springfield-based Hamra Enterprises Inc., operates 23 Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburger Restaurants.

Insurance

Brian Smith joined Ollis & Company Insurors as an adviser in the employee benefits department, where he is designing and implementing employee benefit programs. Smith has worked in the insurance industry for 25 years, including 22 years as division manager for a national insurance carrier.

Two Ollis employees attended the Total Administrative Services Corp. annual Provider Incentive Program Convention in Miami. Bill Ekiss and Mike Greenlee earned the honor by being among TASC’s top 40 providers based on last year’s sales of products and services. TASC provides third-party benefit administration services for more than 50,000 businesses.

Real Estate

Coldwell Banker Vanguard, Realtors received three national awards from the Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. in the category of Top 100 Offices Nationally for Adjusted Gross Commission and Total Units and in the category of Top 20 Offices by Office Size Category (51–100 Sales Associates) for Total Units.

Greater Springfield Board of Realtors announced 2006 Salesperson and Broker of the Year at its annual banquet. Miles Noennig, chief financial officer with Carol Jones, Realtors, received the Broker of the Year award. Noennig has 10 years of experience as a Realtor. Diane Nicholas of Murney Associates was named Salesperson of the Year. She has been a Realtor member for 17 years in the Springfield area.

Technology

Lance Patterson joined financial equipment company Tipton Systems as account manager for the southwest region of Missouri. Patterson has a banking background.