Newsmakers

BKD LLP announced nine promotions and six new hires in the Springfield office.

Jody L. Burdette, Jeffery L. Case, Jennifer J. Larkin, Callie J. Mabe, Tara E. Parson, Jean M. Pufahl, Kevin B. Scott, Erica L. Smith and Kristen G. Wannenmacher were promoted to senior-level accountants. Each of the nine Springfield accountants has graduated with at least a bachelor’s degree in accounting since 2002.

Brandy N. Buckler, Lindsey D. Clark, Bradley S. Gregg, Stacey R. Kaden, Sara E. Veach and Stephen S. Ung were hired as staff accountants. Buckler, Clark and Veach graduated from Missouri State University in 2004 with bachelor’s degrees in accounting and in 2005 with Masters of Accountancy. Gregg graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Kaden graduated from Truman State University in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and in 2004 with a Master of Accountancy. Ung graduated from MSU in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

BKD also announced three new hires in its Joplin office. N. Dwayne Ferris, Jennifer D. Woolard and Gail L. Yarick were hired as staff accountants. Ferris graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2005 with a degree in accounting. Woolard graduated from Pittsburg State University in 2004 with a degree in accounting and information systems and in 2005 with a master’s degree in business administration. Yarick graduated from PSU in 2004 with a degree in accounting and in 2005 with a master’s degree in business administration.

Banking

Empire Bank announced four company promotions.

Marita J. Thomas was promoted to vice president and residential lending manager. She manages production, product development, business development, education, processing and marketing of the real estate department. She also oversees the day-to-day operation of the South National banking center. Thomas is a graduate of the Graduate School of Banking at the University of Colorado and a member of the Springfield Board of Realtors.

John Francka was promoted to assistant vice president and loan officer at Empire’s Nixa branch. He is responsible for commercial, mortgage, agriculture and consumer lending. Francka has more than 18 years of banking experience and a Bachelor of Science from Missouri State University.

Kim Massey was promoted to loan officer, responsible for assisting clients with consumer, mortgage and indirect lending. She has been employed with Empire since 1999 and has previous experience in various lending areas of the bank. Massey also is active in the National Association of Professional Mortgage Women.

Ashli S. Todaro was promoted to banking center manager at Empire Bank’s Highlandville branch. She has been with the company since 2001 and has experience in the operations and lending areas of the bank.

Dana Montgomery joined Commerce Bank as assistant vice president and small business banking specialist. Montgomery received her bachelor’s degree in communications and public relations from Missouri State University in 2002. She is active in civic and not-for-profit organizations and is an ambassador of Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce and current member of Leadership Springfield Class XXI.

Community

The AXA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of AXA Financial, signed on as a sponsor of National Parent Teacher Association. The sponsorship supports PTA’s efforts to support parent involvement in their children’s education. The foundation will use the sponsorship to share information about the AXA Achievement program, designed to provide the advice and access necessary to succeed in college.

Construction

Hitachi Construction & Mining has selected Murphy Tractor & Equipment as its dealer in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Wichita, Kan.-based Murphy Tractor & Equipment is a 25-year John Deere construction equipment dealer.

Education

Retired Adm. Vern Clark was the guest speaker at Evangel University’s 50th Anniversary Homecoming weekend Oct. 6. Clark, a Springfield native and Evangel graduate, entered the U.S. Navy in 1968 and assumed the post of Chief of Naval Operations, along with a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in 2000. He served in that role until his retirement in July.

Ken Johnson was named as Drury University’s vice president for administration, succeeding Raymond “Rusty” Worley III, who was recently named executive director of Urban Districts Alliance. Johnson previously served as the dean of the school’s College of Graduate and Continuing Studies. He also spent 12 years as the president of Rochester College in Rochester Hills, Mich. In his new role, Johnson oversees university budgeting, human resources, facility construction, campus maintenance and long-range institutional financial planning.

Springfield Public Schools was awarded $25,000 from the Gannett Foundation and the Springfield News-Leader to create a pilot reading program at Weaver Elementary School. The program, called ABC Read, will help students with basic reading strategies through a number of targeted literacy programs and volunteer support. A committee with district and Weaver Elementary staff, along with the Springfield News-Leader and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Partners in Education has been created to oversee the program.

The Missouri State University Board of Governors elected Michael Franks president, Mary Sheid vice president, Kent Kay treasurer and John McAlear secretary. The board also voted to hold its regular meetings seven times a year, with one meeting rotating between St. Louis, Kansas City and Jefferson City every three years.

Government

Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt received the national Biotechnology Industry Organization Award for Leadership Excellence for his support of biotechnology and life science industries in Missouri. He received the award in a Sept. 13 ceremony at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has approved $415,000 in grants for firefighters in Nixa, Purdy, Webb City and Wheaton. The Nixa Fire Protection District will use $82,892 to install exhaust systems in its four firehouses. Webb City will use its grant money to upgrade the department’s 12-year old self-contained breathing apparatuses. In Barry County, the Purdy Fire Department will use $180,500 to purchase a new tanker/pumper truck, and Wheaton will get a new mobile firefighter-training trailer that all 14 fire departments in the county can use.

Law

Retired Judge John C. Holstein, now with the Springfield office of Shughart, Thomson & Kilroy PC, was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2005–2006. Holstein, who served 27 years on the bench including 12 years on the Missouri Supreme Court, will be included in the publication’s section on business litigation.

Joseph D. Sheppard III of Carnahan, Evans, Cantwell & Brown PC was elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. Sheppard graduated from Southwest Methodist University in 1983. The American Bar Foundation is a research center for the observational study of law, legal institutions and legal processes in society. The Fellows is an honorary organization established in 1955 to encourage and support the research program of the American Bar Foundation.