Newsmakers

Old Missouri National Bank promoted Kathy Griesemer to assistant vice president of loan operations, where she supervises loan bookings and payment processing. Griesemer has 18 years of banking experience and has been with Old Missouri since it opened in 1999.

The Signature Bank added Michele Vanater as vice president and commercial lending officer. Vanater has 15 years of experience in the insurance, real estate and banking fields, and more than three years of lending experience with a regional bank in the Springfield area.

Community

Ozark Empire Fair selected 10 area youth to receive $500 grants through the Youth of the Ozarks program. The recipients: Kaleb Alexander, El Dorado Springs; Barbara Jo Anderson, Walnut Grove; Kelsey Cole, Neosho; Kayla Leak, Strafford; Curtis Murphy, Ash Grove; Heather Rash, Clever; Kayley Reedy, Warsaw; Hailey Robertson, Lamar; Ashley Strangoner, Republic; and Larissa Swearengin, Nixa.

Engineering

Braden Cox joined Smith-Goth Engineers Inc. as an engineer for mechanical and electrical systems. Cox, a Kansas State University architectural engineering graduate, has seven years of engineering experience.

Environment

Watershed Committee of the Ozarks received the Water Conservationist Award at an annual awards ceremony from the Conservation Federation of Missouri. The award was in recognition of the committee’s work on behalf of clean water for the Ozarks, especially the development of the Watershed Center at Valley Water Mill.

Finance

Eric K. Peterson, CFP, was chosen as a member of the Advisory Council of Securities America Inc., which comprises 15 financial advisers from across the country. Peterson also attended the 2006 Masters Forum in Orlando, Fla., sponsored by SAI. The conference included workshops on business strategy, practice management forecasting and wealth management.

Food

Jennifer E. Cannon was named the new director of marketing for Qdoba Mexican Grill franchisee Burrito Concepts LLC. She has more than 15 years of experience in the food business, including six years with Noble & Associates. Cannon has a Bachelor of Science in business administration and marketing from University of Missouri-Columbia. Burrito Concepts operates Qdoba locations in Springfield, Fayetteville, Ark., and Tulsa and Stillwater, Okla.

Health Care

Orthopaedic ASC of Springfield LLC received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Accreditation means that the clinic has passed a series of rigorous standards for the provision of quality health care and an extensive on-site, peer-based survey of its facilities and services.

Scott George, president of Mid-America Dental & Hearing Center in Mount Vernon, spoke at the Missouri Hearing Society Annual Convention and Education Seminar in St. Louis.

Pam Holt, trauma prevention education coordinator for St. John’s Health System, was elected to serve as chair of the National Child Passenger Safety Board through 2007. The board was established to advise the training and certification of child passenger safety technicians who help parents and caregivers learn how to use child safety seats.

Real Estate

Lin Hill received the 2005 Highest Seller Satisfaction Results Award from Re/Max House of Brokers. Hill, from the Springfield Re/Max office, has been a Realtor for more than 25 years and offers workshops twice a year on the art of staging homes for sale.

Eldon Combs joined McLoud & Co. as a commercial real estate leasing agent. Combs has 15 years of sales experience for a large Springfield radio group and has worked on membership development with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.

Sales

Celebrated Occasions, a Springfield-based invitation and stationery company, received a Carlson Craft Social Division award recognizing exemplary dealer service for 2005. Each year Carlson Craft, a national wholesale printing company, presents a few select dealers with the award for outstanding performance and exceptional sales achievements.

Document Solutions of Springfield was recognized by Xerox Corp. as a 2005 Premier Agent for outstanding achievements. Premier Agent status is based on exceptional success in customer service, sales performance and significant investments made in the business.

Law

The Springfield Area Legal Support Professionals named Nancy Ketron its Outstanding New Member and Legal Secretary of the Year at the annual Bosses’ Night at Twin Oaks Country Club. Ketron’s boss, attorney Robert B. Hankins, was named Boss of the Year.