Newsmakers

Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Ozarks announced its 2007 executive committee officers. Paul Sheehan of Kraft Foods is board president; Jim Robeson of 3M Co. is president-elect; Denise LeBolt of Clear Channel Radio is vice president; Jud Poppen of Neale & Newman LLP is secretary; and Gena Wells of KPM CPAs is treasurer.

Boys & Girls Town of Missouri in Springfield named Debbie Frost as the Unsung Hero Employee of the Year. Frost, secretary for the Ozark Family Resource Center, joined Boys & Girls Town in 1998. The award recognizes those who work behind the scenes to create a strong foundation for children within the organization.

Education

Heather Ireland-Weter, art teacher at Hillcrest High School, received the Springfield Public Schools’ final Starcatcher award of the 2006–07 school year. The award is presented three times a year to an employee who demonstrates a commitment to the mission, belief and vision of the district.

Betty Chase, archivist at Evangel University, retired from the school after 54 years. Chase began working as assistant to school co-founder J. Robert Ashcroft in 1953 and at Evangel part time in 1958, when Ashcroft was named president of both Evangel and Central Bible College. She joined the staff full time in 1960 as public relations representative and secretary to Ashcroft.

Dan Ponder, associate professor of political science at Drury University, is the inaugural Richard A. Gephardt Fellow by the Missouri Historical Society. The fellowship is intended to advance research and disseminate knowledge about the Congressional career of Richard Gephardt, who represented Missouri in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1977–2004.

College of the Ozarks was one of 165 schools on the Princeton Review list of America’s Best Value Colleges for 2008. Selection is based on a variety of criteria, including tuition, financial aid figures and opinions of undergraduate students.

Government

Wanda Merritt, executive assistant in the Springfield city manager’s office, retired from her position. Merritt, wife of Greene County Sheriff Jack Merritt, has been with the city manager’s office since 1981, working with city managers Don Busch, Tom Finnie and Bob Cumley.

Health Care

Michael J. Gillen joined St. John’s Hospital in Lebanon as president and will begin July 16. Gillen will be responsible for overall operations, working closely with board members and other health system leaders. He succeeds Tim Johnsen, who was named chief operating officer at St. Joseph’s Mercy Health Center in Hot Springs, Ark.

St. John’s Health System presented several awards to system physicians. Dr. Teresa Olsen, internist at Smith-Glynn-Callaway Clinic, is physician of the year. She has been a member of St. John’s Clinic since 1990. Drs. Humberto Hernandez, Ted McMurry and John Pearson received community service awards from the health system.