Newsmakers

Accounting

Richard Weston, certified financial planner for Tax and Financial Advisors in Springfield, is the new president of the Missouri Chapter of the National Association of Tax Professionals. He was elected during the association’s annual meeting in Jefferson City.

Kirkpatrick, Phillips & Miller CPAs PC promoted Julie Wagner to supervisor. Wagner specializes in litigation services as well as working with financial institutions on controls, procedures consulting and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance. She has a Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration from Missouri State University and has been with KPM since 2004.

Vicki Lindsey joined KPM as a senior accountant. Her duties include assisting business clients with accounting services, financial reporting, payroll, taxes and software setup and support. Lindsey, with a bachelor’s degree from University of Missouri-St. Louis, has 16 years of experience in public and private accounting.

BKD employees James E. Brown and Michael R. Gray received the company’s PRIDE awards for 2006. The awards are given annually to company employees who exemplify BKD’s PRIDE values: passion, respect, integrity, discipline and excellence. Brown is a partner in accounting and auditing in the company’s Springfield office, while Gray is a senior manager in tax and consulting in Joplin.

Architecture

Ryan Faust of Jack Ball Architects PC received the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. As a LEED AP, Faust is responsible for ensuring that sustainable strategies are employed during design and construction of new and remodeling projects. Faust is an associate member of the American Institute of Architects and a graduate of the Hammons School of Architecture at Drury University.

Banking

Prentice Hancock joined Liberty Bank as vice president of commercial loans. Hancock has a Bachelor of Science from Southwest Baptist University and also has graduated from the Graduate School of Lending-Missouri Bankers Association in Columbia. He has 15 years of experience in the banking industry.

Communications

Celeste Skidmore joined ADsmith Communications as an account executive. She is responsible for client services, media negotiations, promotions and public relations. Skidmore also provides support as assistant to the company’s vice president of operations. Skidmore has more than 25 years of experience in the radio market, including management, accounting, sales, event coordination and promotions, and copywriting.

Community

Aimee Noskowiak joined the Springfield Community Center as executive director for the Light House Child Development Center. Noskowiak has 16 years of experience as an early childhood director and has worked as a National Association for the Education of Young Children accreditation specialist, auditing more than 250 early childhood programs.

Education

Holly Jones, research assistant at the Missouri State University Center for Archaeological Research, received a $29,981 task agreement from the National Park Service via the Upper and Middle Mississippi Valley Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit. The money is for a project investigating sites and portions of the White River Road associated with the Cherokee removal along the Trail of Tears in Christian County.

Mary Beth Mann, MSU associate professor of child development, and Susan Sims-Giddens, assistant professor of nursing, received a $105,000 grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for The Missouri Preschool Project. The money is renewal of a grant originally awarded in 2002.

Missouri State University was named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for distinguished community service. The award is in recognition of volunteer efforts by the school and its students to serve area neighborhoods and Gulf Coast communities devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Missouri State was one of 140 institutions of higher education recognized on the list.

Health Care

Dr. Allen Brotherton of Citizens Memorial Healthcare in Bolivar is the American Heart Association’s Instructor of the Year for the southwest Missouri region. AHA Instructor award winners are selected based on their understanding of current AHA guidelines, positive attitude, service as a role models for other instructors and participants and actively participating in local projects.

CMH added two physicians to its staff. Dr. Mark Jarek is a rheumatologist. He attended medical school at Hahnemann University School of Medicine in Philadelphia and completed his internship and residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colo. Dr. Caleb Sawyer joined the Bolivar Eye Specialty Center. He earned his medical degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine and completed a residency in ophthalmology through the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science.

Dr. LaVonne Berg, endocrinologist with Citizens Memorial, attended the annual American Thyroid Association meeting in Phoenix. Investigational research on new therapies for thyroid cancer was the main topic.

Law

Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC had six attorneys named as Missouri Super Lawyers by Law & Politics magazine. The honorees were Clifford S. Brown, C. Bradford Cantwell, John M. Carnahan III, William E. Evans, Thomas D. Peebles Jr. and Joseph D. Sheppard III.

Rodney H. Nichols of CECB presented “Update on Litigation in Federal and Missouri Courts Impacting Missouri Banks” at the Missouri Bankers Association’s annual Bank Legal Issues Conference in Columbia. Nichols’ presentation was part of the two-day seminar, which discussed ongoing legal challenges for the banking industry.

Real Estate

Shelby Williams recently acquired his real estate license and joined Re/Max Kansas-Missouri as a Realtor. Williams, who lists homes under the Williams Classic Homes name, previously served as marketing director for Oasis Hotel and Convention Center and Fire & Ice Restaurant and Bar.

Sales

Sports Boats USA, with locations in Ozark and Shell Knob, received an outstanding dealer award from Godfrey Marine Group at the corporation’s annual dealer meeting. Sport Boats USA was honored as a national sales leader for the Godfrey Marine Parti Kraft pontoon and Polar Kraft fishing boat lines for the 2006 model year.

Service

Bobby Salley, a 10-year veteran with Mr. Power Clean Inc. in Springfield, recently completed certification as a Certified Master Water Restorer from the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. The IICRC is a certifying and standard-setting organization dedicated to raising industry standards through technical proficiency.

Utilities

Empire District Electric Co. promoted Martin Penning to director of commercial operations.

Penning, who began with the company as an engineer in 1980, is responsible for overseeing the company’s eastern division line operations, construction design, substation maintenance and community relations activities.

Empire also promoted Harold Colgin to vice president of energy supply. Colgin, previously general manager of energy supply, joined Empire District Electric in 1972 as a mechanical engineer at the Asbury Power Plant.