Newsmakers

Ann Marie Baker, president of UMB Bank in Springfield, received the inaugural UMB Leadership Award from the bank’s parent company, UMB Financial Corp. The award, determined by UMB’s executive committee, recognizes a manager that best represents the company’s standards of leadership, brand awareness, associate development and delivery of results. Baker has been with the bank for more than 20 years and also serves as chairman of the board of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Doug Thornsberry joined Guaranty Bank as a member of its commercial lending team. Thornsberry has 16 years of corporate finance transaction experience, including stints with Boatmen’s Bank, A.G. Edwards and U.S. Bank. He focuses on business development and relationship building in the commercial, industrial and real estate markets.

Dana Montgomery also joined Guaranty’s staff. Montgomery will lead the bank’s corporate services division, where she will be responsible for leading the existing business services staff and selling and servicing all business deposit products, cash management and Internet banking services. She is a graduate of Missouri State University and spent the last two years in charge of small business and treasury management business development initiatives for Commerce Bank in Springfield.

Community

Springfield’s Best elected new members to its board of directors. Officers are: President Dan Emrie of Dan Emrie Photography; Vice President Karl Jones of Linda’s Flowers & Karl’s Tuxedos & Bridal; Secretary Julie Barker of OakStar Bank; and Treasurer Amanda Simmonds of Elliott, Robinson & Co. CPAs. Other members are: John Fugitt of Sharp Signs; Scott Gibbons of Tritel Communications; Michael Nesbitt of Nesbitt Construction; Jane Rips of Comforts of Home; Daniel Wooten of Neale & Newman LLP; and Michele Kauffman of Associated Video Producers.

Fire departments in Republic and Hurley each received grants through the federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program. Republic’s $792,512 grant will pay the salaries and benefits of nine firefighters over the next five years. Hurley’s grant of $122,000 will be used to train up to 10 new volunteers.

Lori Summers is the new program and training coordinator for Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri. Summers, previously the program director for CASA of Dallas, has a juris doctorate from Southern Methodist University. Her responsibilities in Springfield include serving as facilitator and director of volunteer training for new and existing volunteers and as agency liaison in program-related matters.

Education

Darlene Dill, music department secretary at Drury University, is the inaugural recipient of the university’s Distinguished Staff Award. Dill, the longest-serving staff member working at the institution, has been at Drury for 40 years. The award was established to honor one staff member annually for exceptional accomplishments, leadership and service.

Missouri State University announced several university awards during its Staff Service Awards Luncheon. Kathleen Morrissey, coordinator of theatre and events at the West Plains campus, and Paula Vinson, executive secretary for internal audit, each received the Excellence in Community Service Award.

Six employees received Staff Excellence in University Service Awards: Krista Bassen, assistant project manager for design and construction; Elizabeth Burton, associate director of citizenship and service learning; Bob Gerken, senior electronic technician for the Educational Technology Center; Lisa McEowen, Meyer Library associate; Gloria Reed, administrative secretary for theatre and dance; and Amy Schuldt, assistant director of publications.

Health Care

Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar added four new employees to its staff. Lynn West joined CMH as director of home care services. West, a registered nurse, worked at Woodland Manor long-term care facility in 1991 and was promoted to administrator in 1997.

Michael Calhoun joined CMH as materials management coordinator for CMH Home Medical Equipment. Calhoun has a degree in business administration from Southwest Baptist University in 2002.

P.J. McClure joined the hospital as marketing sales assistant for home care services. He has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and sales.

Richie Shuler joined the CMH marketing department as a marketing assistant for long-term care services. Shuler, who previously worked for J.B. Hunt and Athletic World Advertising, graduated from John Brown University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast communications.

Insurance

Dean McCall was named Leader of the Quarter at American National Property and Casualty for the third quarter of 2006. McCall is a manager of claim services in the company’s claim services division.

Great Southern Insurance Commercial Lines Producer Jane Reed earned the certified insurance counselor designation following her successful completion of the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors’ education program. Reed, who has more than 26 years of insurance sales experience, has been with Great Southern since 2005.

Law

Michael Nichols, an associate attorney in Husch & Eppenberger LLC’s Business Transactions Practice Group in Springfield, is now a member of the firm. Nichols, who focuses on business and corporate matters as well as real estate transactions and commercial financing, received his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1997.

Photography

Sandi Simmons joined Michael Engelmeyer’s Great Outdoor Studios as studio manager. Simmons graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. Great Outdoors Studios is a national commercial advertising photography studio handling outdoor and recreational clients.

Service

Ivan Eftink, owner of Bug Zero Pest Services, received the Missouri Pest Management Association’s Man of the Year award at the annual convention in St. Louis. Eftink has served multiple terms on the MPMA Board of Directors, including two terms as the board’s president.

Transportation

Howard Fisk, president of J. Howard Fisk Limousines, recently attended an executive safety conference at the National Transportation Safety Board Academy. The briefing included a select group of limousine and motor coach operators from across the country.