Newsmakers

The Board of Directors of Ozarks Counseling Center chose new officers and board members during its annual board retreat and planning meeting Jan. 24. They are Chuck McCann, president; Eddie Marmouget, president-elect; Diane Bailey, treasurer; Lisa Turner, secretary; and Terri West McQueary, past-president. Tom Douglas, Jim Newton, Melissa Hart and Brian Straughan were selected as new board members.

Bart Brown, executive director of Ozarks Food Harvest, was selected to participate in the inaugural Leadership Conference sponsored by America’s Second Harvest, the nation’s food bank network. Brown is one of 25 executive directors selected to participate in the conference, held Feb. 2–3 in Kansas City.

Several people were added to Springfield city boards and committees at the Feb. 21 Springfield City Council meeting:

Bob Torp was sworn in as a member of the Board of Adjustment. Donald Beisner was appointed to the Cable Television Advisory Commission. Chris Cover was appointed to Planning and Zoning Commission. Amy Waldrop was appointed to the Citizens’ Advisory Committee for Community Development. Denise Gordon, Lawrence Summers and Debra Dorshorst were appointed to the Personnel Board. Dan Compass was appointed to the Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority.

Central High School special education teacher Charles Johnson was named an Everyday Hero in education by the American Red Cross Greater Ozarks Chapter and KYTV. Johnson has taught special education to Central students for four years.

Construction

Gillespie Excavating Co. LLC in Strafford was named one of 12 finalists for the 2006 Contractor of the Year award, presented by sponsors The Cat Rental Stores, CatUsed.com, Wacker Corp. and Equipment World magazine. The six-year-old contest recognizes contractors that have annual revenues of $5 million or less and exemplify the highest standards of construction professionals. Each finalist will be flown to Las Vegas for a weekend in March and will be featured in Equipment World magazine.

Education

The Missouri Colleges Fund received donations from two local corporations. Harry Cooper Supply Co. provided a $12,000 grant while Musgrave Foundation provided a $10,000 grant. The grants will underwrite student scholarships at each of the 13 MCF member schools, including Drury and Evangel universities in Springfield and Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar.

Finance

Old Missouri National Bank announced four promotions and a new hire. Jim Greene was promoted to senior vice president of loans, where his responsibilities include making agricultural commercial, real estate and commercial loans. Marcie Penka was promoted to assistant vice president of branch administration at the bank’s South National location; she also acts as a liaison between branches. Matt Kelley was promoted to vice president of loans with responsibility of making all U.S. Small Business Administration loans and supervising the loan review department. Ryan Uzzell was promoted to assistant vice president of information technology; he handles network administration, Web site management, and IT compliance and management. Karla Divin was appointed branch manager of Old Missouri National Bank’s West Sunshine location. She has 26 years of banking experience in bookkeeping, new accounts and individual retirement accounts.

Kris Nau, vice president of Empire Bank, was chosen to serve on the American Bankers Association National and Graduate Commercial Lending Schools Advisory Board. The five-year appointment was based on knowledge of commercial lending and expertise in the field.

Nau is responsible for identifying the curriculum and faculty for lender education programs, held twice a year at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Walt Cameron of Heartland Funding Mortgage Bank was voted one of the nation’s top-four marketing lenders at the National Convention of Mortgage Lenders in Dallas.

He also was selected as the convention’s outstanding speaker.

Health Care

Dr. Mary Wollmering joined the heart surgery team at Skaggs Regional Cardiac Center in Branson. She has specialization in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

Springfield veterinarians Michael B. Pfander and Philip Brown attended the 114th annual Missouri Veterinary Medical Association Convention in Branson. Pfander is president-elect of the MVMA while Brown is a board member of the Veterinary Medical Association and a committee member of the Missouri Animal Welfare Committee.

Dr. Teresa Gatton moved her Neosho practice to St. John’s Regional Medical Center’s office in Webb City. Gatton is a general practitioner and family care physician.

Dr. Joseph Newman, medical director of the Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine Center at St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, recently received his board certification in undersea and hyperbaric medicine.

Insurance

Nixon& Lindstrom Insurance named Patrick Ahlstrand its 2005 Agent of the Year. The award will be presented at the company’s annual recognition banquet at the Tower Club.

Carmen Bearden, commercial account executive with Beimdiek Insurance Agency in Carthage, was awarded the Certified Insurance Counselors designation by the National Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives. Bearden successfully completed five areas of study in the insurance field.

Labor

The Springfield Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO elected new officers: H. Bradley Stokes, president; Art Kessler, vice president; Ronald Himstedt, secretary/treasurer; John McGill, sergeant-at-arms; and Jim Kabell, Steve Kessler and Sandy Kinser, trustees.

Radio

Bonnie Bell was promoted to director of sales for Meyer Communications. Bell is responsible for the formulation of sales strategy and sales policies. She has been with the company for 10 years and has served as general sales manager, in addition to serving as co-host of KWTO-AM’s Morning Line program.

Meyer Communications also hired Dave Barnett, formerly of the St. Louis Cardinals Radio Network and KMOX in St. Louis, as its new general sales manager. Barnett will work closely with the sales staff and the sports properties for which Meyer Communication broadcasts, including Missouri State University basketball and the St. Louis and Springfield Cardinals.

Shipping

Elisha “Steve” Steverson was named O&S Trucking Inc. Driver of the Year for 2005. Steverson has been with the company since January 2004 and has driven more than 500,000 safe miles since joining the company. He has also been Driver of the Month twice, in December 2004 and September 2005.