Newsmakers

Guaranty Bank added Kenton DeVries as senior vice president of commercial loans. DeVries, an Evangel University graduate with more than 26 years of banking experience, is responsible for commercial business development and commercial relationships.

Community

United Way of the Ozarks installed its 2006 Board of Directors during its Feb. 2 meeting. Joe Turner, president and CEO of Great Southern Bank, is chairman, and John Himmel, chairman of Commerce Bank, is vice chairman of the board. The treasurer is James Lewis of Kirkpatrick, Phillips & Miller, and the secretary is Debi Harper of American National Property and Casualty. Other board members are Don Anderson of CoxHealth; Joe McCarty of Empire Bank; Norman Myers of Ozarks Technical Community College; Patricia Vitello of Chase Card Services; Bob Cumley of the city of Springfield; Rick Gardner of Teamsters Local 245; John Holstein of Shughart, Thomson & Kilroy; Jack Merritt of Greene County; and Michael Nietzel of Missouri State University.

Altria Group Inc. and Kraft Foods donated $2,500 in support of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Character Education initiative. Character Ed is a community initiative to create a “culture of character” by focusing on a new word each month.

Education

Drury University named Charles Taylor as the school’s vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college. Taylor, who was chosen following an international search, had been serving temporarily in the position. Taylor joined the university in 1997 as an associate professor of communication and became associate dean of the college in 2000.

Brian Hammons was appointed to the Missouri State Board of Governors. Hammons, 47, of Stockton, is president and CEO of Hammons Products Co. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Missouri State and a juris doctor from Southern Methodist University Law School.

Hillcrest High School’s HTV Magazine won the STN Excellence Award at the national convention of the Student Television Network. The award is presented to three schools each year, and Hillcrest is the first to earn the award twice, having won in 2005. Allyssa Dudley, Hilary Taylor and Kelsi Kelley received first place in the News Feature Challenge category while Taylor and Kelsey Beach placed third in the Spot Feature contest.

Health Care

Citizens Memorial Healthcare and the health departments of Polk, Cedar, Dade, Dallas and Hickory counties were awarded a $299,000 grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health. The two-year grant will be used in 18 communities across the five-county region to create policies and environments that promote physical activity and healthy eating.

Law

Gov. Matt Blunt appointed John C. Porter as associate circuit judge of the 30th Judicial Circuit, which includes Benton, Dallas, Hickory, Polk and Webster counties. Porter, of Bolivar, has served as Polk County prosecuting attorney since 1999. He holds a juris doctor from Oklahoma City University School of Law.[[In-content Ad]]