Newsmakers

Russel Caldwell, founder of Caldwell Construction Inc. and Missouri’s representative to the Executive Board of Directors of the National Association of Home Builders, attended the March 25–27 National Green Building Conference in St. Louis.

He also completed a two-day educational course, Green Building for Professional Builders and Remodelers, to receive certification as a green builder.

Education

Four area high school students are among the 30 chosen to participate in the 2007 Missouri Agribusiness Academy.

The local representatives are Paige Jenkins, Pleasant Hope High School student; Blake Ash, Aurora High School; Ashley Kauffman, Clever High School; and Jared Andrews, Miller High School. The academy annually awards memberships to 30 Missouri high school sophomores interested in pursuing agriculture-related college degrees and careers. Students are selected through a competitive written application and oral interview process.

Finance

Mike Bennitt of Great Southern Financial Services received the Certified Investment Management Analyst certification from the Investment Management Consultants Association. Certified individuals must meet experience and ethics requirements and successfully complete investment management coursework and an exam. Bennitt has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry.

Health Care

MRI of Springfield received a three-year term of accreditation in magnetic resonance imaging as the result of a recent survey by the American College of Radiology. ACR accredits facilities for achievement of high practice standards after a peer-review evaluation. Board-certified physicians and medical physicists conduct the evaluations, which assess image quality, personnel qualifications, adequacy of facility equipment, quality control procedures and quality assurance programs.

Insurance

Chery Gardner joined the staff of American Family Insurance agent Greg Iott as a licensed marketing coordinator. She has 15 years of experience in the insurance industry and is licensed in property, casualty, life and health insurance.

Jessica Giles joined the Chad Brodersen Agency with American Family Insurance as an agency specialist. Giles is licensed in property and casualty insurance.

Military

Two local Missouri National Guard soldiers have returned home after serving a two-week deployment in Guatemala for a humanitarian service exercise. The soldiers who served in the assignment, known as New Horizons ’07 Guatemala, were: Spc. Tim Dollins, a Transland Inc. employee who lives in Republic, with the 203rd Engineer Battalion from Joplin; and Spc. Jeff Neal, a St. John’s employee who lives in Aurora, with the 1138th Military Police Co. from Springfield.

Tourism

Amy Michels joined the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau as communications coordinator. She has a tourism degree and has worked for the Springfield Cardinals, American Red Cross, SuccessLink and the Missouri Division of Tourism.

Michels fills the position vacated by Crystal Stewart, who left for a position at an advertising agency.

Dana Maugans, sales director for the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau, represented Springfield at the Kansas City Chapter of Meeting Planners International.

Sales Manager June Lammers represented the chamber at the Affordable Meetings Mid-America trade show in Chicago.

Also, the CVB recognized four volunteers who served the most hours for the bureau in 2006. Don Bechtel served 470 hours, John Williams served 328 hours, Lucille Gregory served 320 hours, and Helen Hurt served 309 hours. More than 90 people worked as volunteers for the CVB in 2006, contributing more than 12,800 hours.

Utilities

Brian Houser joined Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. as an associate power marketer.

Houser, who is working on a bachelor’s degree in geology from Missouri State University, spent seven years as a power system coordinator with City Utilities in Springfield.