Newsmakers

BKD LLP added Amanda L. Scruggs and Elizabeth A. Street as accounting outsourcing staff in the Springfield office and promoted David S. Taylor to senior accountant. Scruggs is a 2003 graduate of Drury University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and business administration while Street is a 1999 graduate of Springfield College with an associate's degree in business administration. Taylor, a 2002 Drury graduate, is an auditor, primarily for hospitals and medical practices.

Architecture

Josh Harrold joined Dake|Wells Architecture as an intern architect. Harrold, a 2002 graduate of Drury's Hammons School of Architecture, has experience in both large- and small-scale projects. He's responsible for design, visualization and documentation of churches and schools for the firm.

Education

Missouri State University biology professor Chris Barnhart was awarded two grants for biological research. The first, a $20,000 grant from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, will be used to investigate host fish requirements and genetic relationships in the rabbitsfoot mussel in the upper Arkansas River. The second, a $64,985 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is for hypoxia testing on freshwater mussels.

Government

Missouri Career Center hired Matt Nutt to assist hurricane evacuees who have relocated to the Springfield area. Nutt will access the state's electronic database and other resources in this short-term extensive effort.

Hospitality

Myer Hotels of Branson received three awards for its properties. The Comfort Inn & Suites and the Comfort Inn West each received Choice Hotels' Gold Award, an annual company accolade for hotels exceeding Choice Hotels' quality assurance standards. Also, the Best Western Music Capital Inn received Best Western's Best of the Best Gold Crown Club International Award for the hotel's outstanding customer service and accommodations.

Law Enforcement

Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper John H. Lueckenhoff was promoted to the rank of corporal. He remains assigned to Zone 14, serving the Barry County area, and assumes the responsibility of assistant zone commander. Lueckenhoff has served in the Highway Patrol since 1995.

The Highway Patrol also promoted Trooper Travis Polodna to the rank of corporal. As part of the promotion, Polodna was transferred to the patrol's Taney County office. He was appointed to the Highway Patrol in July 1997 in Troop E and transferred to Troop D, in Cedar and St. Clair counties, in September 2000.

Real Estate

Kristina Gange joined Wells Fargo Home Mortgage as a reverse mortgage consultant in its Springfield office. Gange works exclusively with senior homeowners seeking reverse mortgages, which allow homeowners to use equity in their homes to supplement retirement income. (Gange answers SBJ's Five Questions.)

National Bank's new Springfield office added five employees: Kent Kelso and Debbie Kindall are the office managers, and Jeff Widmeyer, Deborah Waggoner and Bart Pinkerton are mortgage loan officers. Kelso has 15 years of experience in lending, most recently with North American Savings Bank. Kindall has been in lending for 10 years.

Gerken & Associates in Branson announced two staff additions. Charlie Gerken, formerly the marketing coordinator for Butler, Rosenbury & Partners in Springfield for five years, joined the company as a broker/partner. Jeff Gerken, previously the merchandise manager for Dixie Stampede in Branson, joined the company as a Realtor/partner.

Recreation

Joey Rich, community recreation services administrator for the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, was named president-elect of the National Amateur Softball Association. Rich, whose term as ASA president will run 2007¬-2009, is the current state commissioner for the Missouri Amateur Softball Association. He is only the second Missourian to be selected as the president of the national group.

Retail

Bill Peterson, cold drink account manager with Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr Pepper Bottling Co., was named Purveyor of the Year of the Missouri Restaurant Association, Springfield/Branson Chapter. The award is presented annually to an industry supplier who gives of their time, talents and resources so the chapter can realize its philanthropic goals. Peterson has worked with Ozarks Coca-Cola for 22 years.

Sales

Summer Allison joined Ion Wave Technologies Inc. as the company's sales and marketing executive for SpedTrack. SpedTrack offers special education management and Medicaid billing software for school districts. Allison holds a master's degree in public administration and has experience in technology and service-based sales.

Transportation

O&S Trucking named John Glebavicus its Driver of the Month for October. Glebavicus is a company driver who joined O&S in January.

During his time with the company, he has driven approximately 100,000 miles and received a complimentary behavior award.